Kansas City Council Contender Patterson Hazley Disappoints With Erratic Forum Debut

For those who don't know . . .

Amongst insiders, corporate leaders and the local elite, Dr. Melissa Patterson Halzey has been the darling of Kansas City's political scene for nearly a year. 

Despite her upcoming court date for an alleged DWI incident, she has steadily gained momentum in her campaign. And more importantly, she has picked up a great deal of financial support from the top ranking donors in the metro area.

Here on TKC we've noted that her ascendancy in this cowtown's smallish political world was trumpeted by bold predictions suggesting that she might quickly achieve history by becoming Kansas City's first African-American female mayor.

Unfortunately, all of this enthusiasm is now confronted with major doubts following a recent debate performance at a local political meet-up. 

More accurately . . .  

KANSAS CITY FORUM WATCHERS QUESTION CURIOUS BEHAVIOR BY COUNCIL CANDIDATE MELISSA PATTERSON HAZLEY DURING HER CHAOTIC PUBLIC DEBUT!!!

First . . . 

We'll quickly take readers through how this story came our way . . .

Supporters of incumbent Councilman Ellington were going to town about an online video and more than a few speculative comments emerged about the council lady's sobriety.

At first, we dismissed those allegations because they weren't supported by any evidence. 

However . . .

Chatter and a few choice stories took hold not just amongst social media denizens but also among other KC council contenders. And then . . . Insights and perspectives started to emerge from insiders and people we trust . . . 

The talk mostly focused on these key points:

Ms. Patterson Halzey was slurring her words.

She was wobbling and looked unsteady in her heels. 

And, worst of all, she seemed combative with moderator Nick Haines. 

And so . . . We broke down and watched the clip. 

It wasn't pretty.

As always we strive for fairness and it should be pointed out that Ms. Patterson Hazley tells the crowd that she's nervous and this was her first major political forum. 

However . . . 

Her performance does, in fact, raise more than a few questions given that she's a Ph. D. and has garnered more training and education than half of the current council put together. 

We reached out for a few comments and here's one that stands out . . . 

"Obviously, a lot of people are rooting for her, they want her to do well and have have invested their time and money in her campaign," one insider noted. "But how long will people overlook some very obvious problems that might be there??? Are they just enabling a situation where somebody might honestly need a bit of help??? The questions about her after the debate are legitimate and it's something that all of these insiders might consider rather than just looking for the right bandwagon to jump aboard."

In fairness, we also talked a more strident supporter who acknowledges the campaign setback . . . 

"We need her to do better. I hope this incident motivates her because she can't expect to coast into office and that others won't see what's happening. In this situation, Councilman Brandon Ellington looked calm, cool and collective compared to her swaying back and forth across the stage and raising her voice over everyone. That says a lot and if things keep going this way she'll let down a lot of people who have stuck their neck out to help her."

And in a final bit of deep, deep background . . . Insiders agree that if the council contender endures another DUI incident or problems with her current pending case ahead of the primary . . . Her momentum and enthusiastic support might quickly fade.

Developing . . .