Nice reaction to what I thought were relatively harmless observations that in hindsight do a better job of showing what's really wrong with politics: boiling down arguments over policy into demonizing the opposition.
This isn't unique to the GOP, although what has been described as Rove-ian strategies are often blamed for the horrible state of discourse in Washington (my, how people forget Paul Begala and James Carville at their Clintonian heights...) and by trickle-down Columbus and Akron. Because I decided to take an objective view at the current Alex v Kevin flareup and note (correctly, I believe) that most of the fighting over the cross-the-t and dot-the-i rules pushed by both sides in the Summit County GOP is ultimate insider stuff.
You would have thought I was advocating NAFTA in Youngstown.
Note I didn't deny these things were important, but to be in one pocket or the other for observing elderly bladders past midnight may have more to do with how things move (literally) for members of the Central Committee is just common sense, folks. I know you want to embrace the nobility of 470 Republicans, all in one room, marching toward doing the right thing but have you ever actually seen a volunteer committee in action? If they aren't Cavaliers or Indians fans tonight (both are playing) then there are definitely enough members who will be honked off if they miss the new episodes of Law & Order before downing their warm milk ahead of sleepy time. This isn't uniquely GOP, by the way...how many times have Democrats held full attention or even had a full showing for a meeting without a meal, drinks or TV up for raffle?
Some basics here, for those who missed the point:
- The New Summit Republicans have been pushing their points and agenda religiously for nearly five months now; we've had 'em on the web and on the air talking issues, and political strategy, and plans to do better. Is there really anything lost by just getting on with the vote at this point before Tangier bartenders start earning overtime?
- The Old Guard still controls the party (that's why the New Summits want to overthrow them) and so will use the tools at their disposal to win, much the same as the opposition is using the power of the media to their campaign advantage. Regardless of the rules if there are votes to do away with Alex and company, the votes will be there in the early going; if they don't have the votes, then they mounted the challenge and lived to fight another day.
The New Summits are concerned Bryan Williams will do the vote counting; he's been running the Board of Elections and generally won decent marks, including Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's observations in her recent deposition. Tim Grendell is Arshinkoff's Cardinal Parliamentarian, which should make the maneuvering fun to watch given the hard feelings between the Geauga County State Senator and his Summit counterpart Coughlin.
Conspiracy buffs, get over it; time for the people who count to have votes to count.
I really don't have a dog in this hunt. Despite all the back-room rhetoric to the contrary on how evil the others are I don't think any reasonable observer would think Alex has done nothing good for the party, nor do I think any reasonable observer would think Kevin/Don/Carol would lead to the end of the GOP universe.
This beauty contest comes down to what a majority of 470 people think, and after about four and a half hours of rules wrangling, secret ballots and other arcane intrigue there will come a point when what the Committee had for dinner will play every bit as big a role in how things work tonight than the Summit Stratego both sides are playing.
No matter who wins I'm very happy to have Tivo at home so I can still watch L&O; if this meeting forced me to miss Lost it would be a very different story.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
The GOP's Short Game
As of this writing just about 48 hours to go until the Alex-Carol-Kevin Show hits the stage at Tangier, with up to 470-plus invited to witness either the start of the new era Summit Republican Party or stay-the-course politics under the elephant's trunk.
There's plenty of angst in this family feud, not the least of which has been among the men and women who actually make up the Central Committee, a name that sounds more like a throwback to Vladimir and Josef's time than political organizing in America in 2008. The comrades are not exactly thrilled with the prospect of being put on the spot by either group.
I think the Klinger-Coughlin brigade hit a wall last week when the fight became more about the rules of engagement than the prospect of romance; the sniping back and forth over which group's rules were more fair than the other still hurts my eyeballs just thinking and reading over the rules. Sure they're important, but in the long run the folks who control the party get to set the agenda and for Wednesday night's roast on West Market that would be the Arshinkoff wing.
For his part the incumbent chairman assures me votes will be conducted by secret ballot so long as the majority wants them cast and counted in secret. A 60% vote by the body as a whole will allow voice-voting and that might be a key to consider in figuring out just how long this all might take. My guess is despite talk of how committed people are to their party the possibility of imposing long waits on older bladders might play more of a part in whether balloting stays secret than either side cares to admit. Arshinkoff also says the media is welcome (we'll have a table off to the side to watch the proceedings) as witness to this slice of local political history.
The New Republicans want a head-to-head vote but that's not likely to happen; county committees have lots of leeway on how they run their own show and here the Central Committee chooses the Executive Committee which then picks the Chairman. So for the upstarts to upstage the Old Guard they need to replace the Old Guard, a formidable task since it isn't mano-a-womano but a more complicated process. Not only would the Central's have to vote against their long-term chairman's interests but now they're being asked to vote no on people they've supported in the past on the Executive Committee...a personal vote.
Is all of this bad for Summit County's GOP?
Nope.
Think of this as the natural way of things. Someone has to challenge the old bull elephant for dominance over the herd, and this is the challenge. For the most part despite the hard feelings each side seems to feel for the other most of this debate has been largely issue-focused, and that's a credit to both sides for not pursuing the case through the mud (even though both will point to this-or-that as proof the other side tossed dirt) but talking about strength of organization and ability to fund raise in the modern campaign cycle.
It's a good sign when democracy occasionally raises it's unruly little head in Summit County's political world. It was good for City Hall to have a scare, however brief, from Joe Finley because that's the kind of voice people in power understand...it helps them regain their focus on why they wanted the job in the first place. It is good for young voices to join the chorus of the Akron School Board because having a fresh perspective keeps an organization vibrant and in touch with stakeholders.
It's good for Arshinkoff to face a challenge from Coughlin/Klinger because it shows the GOP is diverse, and diversity helps build a stronger base to grow from despite the pains of transitioning from one to the other. No matter who wins the battle Wednesday night (if indeed there is a clear winner to be found) the ongoing fight for the soul of a political party is worth the effort.
Getting back to the point of gulag politics noted above: Akron and Summit County are largely run by men who've been there for awhile. In and of itself that isn't necessarily a bad thing, just as long as those on the outside still have faith the system can work for them just as it does for folks in charge.
There's plenty of angst in this family feud, not the least of which has been among the men and women who actually make up the Central Committee, a name that sounds more like a throwback to Vladimir and Josef's time than political organizing in America in 2008. The comrades are not exactly thrilled with the prospect of being put on the spot by either group.
I think the Klinger-Coughlin brigade hit a wall last week when the fight became more about the rules of engagement than the prospect of romance; the sniping back and forth over which group's rules were more fair than the other still hurts my eyeballs just thinking and reading over the rules. Sure they're important, but in the long run the folks who control the party get to set the agenda and for Wednesday night's roast on West Market that would be the Arshinkoff wing.For his part the incumbent chairman assures me votes will be conducted by secret ballot so long as the majority wants them cast and counted in secret. A 60% vote by the body as a whole will allow voice-voting and that might be a key to consider in figuring out just how long this all might take. My guess is despite talk of how committed people are to their party the possibility of imposing long waits on older bladders might play more of a part in whether balloting stays secret than either side cares to admit. Arshinkoff also says the media is welcome (we'll have a table off to the side to watch the proceedings) as witness to this slice of local political history.
The New Republicans want a head-to-head vote but that's not likely to happen; county committees have lots of leeway on how they run their own show and here the Central Committee chooses the Executive Committee which then picks the Chairman. So for the upstarts to upstage the Old Guard they need to replace the Old Guard, a formidable task since it isn't mano-a-womano but a more complicated process. Not only would the Central's have to vote against their long-term chairman's interests but now they're being asked to vote no on people they've supported in the past on the Executive Committee...a personal vote.
Is all of this bad for Summit County's GOP?
Nope.
Think of this as the natural way of things. Someone has to challenge the old bull elephant for dominance over the herd, and this is the challenge. For the most part despite the hard feelings each side seems to feel for the other most of this debate has been largely issue-focused, and that's a credit to both sides for not pursuing the case through the mud (even though both will point to this-or-that as proof the other side tossed dirt) but talking about strength of organization and ability to fund raise in the modern campaign cycle.
It's a good sign when democracy occasionally raises it's unruly little head in Summit County's political world. It was good for City Hall to have a scare, however brief, from Joe Finley because that's the kind of voice people in power understand...it helps them regain their focus on why they wanted the job in the first place. It is good for young voices to join the chorus of the Akron School Board because having a fresh perspective keeps an organization vibrant and in touch with stakeholders.
It's good for Arshinkoff to face a challenge from Coughlin/Klinger because it shows the GOP is diverse, and diversity helps build a stronger base to grow from despite the pains of transitioning from one to the other. No matter who wins the battle Wednesday night (if indeed there is a clear winner to be found) the ongoing fight for the soul of a political party is worth the effort.
Getting back to the point of gulag politics noted above: Akron and Summit County are largely run by men who've been there for awhile. In and of itself that isn't necessarily a bad thing, just as long as those on the outside still have faith the system can work for them just as it does for folks in charge.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Learning New Toys
What a wonderful world this media business is turning into; after a week of RTNDA@NAB seeing toys too amazing to even start describing it is apparent we have lots of work to do on the next generation of AkronNewsNow...with the V word tops.
Video is everywhere...including one of our key workstations now in the ANN/Rubber City Radio newsroom. Take for example this video: gone, I think, are the days when it was just the property of television stations. We're using a $39.99 Dynex web cam from Best Buy popped atop a flat screen Dell workstation monitor for a quick down-and-dirty read off the screen rundown of some of the stories we're working on today...it's a feature I'm thinking would be of some value and interest on a daily basis to have the outcome of our morning meeting posted for viewing:
If my embed doesn't click try this one using WMV file...
What's the future here? Using the web for regular video updates; no more waiting for the TV crew to meet their More on Four, Live at Five or Seen at Six models. For radio operations, those top and bottom of the hour deadlines are now "old media" and for newspapers the luxury of that late-night whenever we feel like publishing target. There are some phenomenal and simple programs available that easily take the power of TV production out of the hands of professional producers and put them in the hands of everyday folks who have something to say. I've even been reading of a radio group that has a three-camera live TV truck they use to video stream and produce for cable high school football.
While these applications have far-reaching impact for the big media companies (imagine CNN's Anderson Cooper, for example, LIVE video streaming from his cellphone with far greater quality anywhere in the world with a broadband card) I think it is most exciting for our "hyper local" companies concerned more with city council, neighborhood meetings and high school sports. With such technology why can't Firestone's superb swimming program hold it's own against the normal media powerhouses of football and basketball? These "products" are very much about real life for real people, giving those of us in the "content business" more opportunity than ever to connect with our neighbors and help them connect with each other.
My friend Diana (who continues to look younger every day under the Georgia sun) is embarking on a venture where she and her partners will take their reporting deeper into one segment of the economy; because of this technology she won't need six-meter satellite dishes and three-thousand dollars a window satellite time. She has the web, and affordable tools to help her spread the word (and her work) in far wider circles than ever before. These tools are the same as the ones we use to craft these blogs -- including these funky web cams at Best Buy for under $35 bucks.
I've gotta lose more than a few pounds if we're going to do this for real...
Video is everywhere...including one of our key workstations now in the ANN/Rubber City Radio newsroom. Take for example this video: gone, I think, are the days when it was just the property of television stations. We're using a $39.99 Dynex web cam from Best Buy popped atop a flat screen Dell workstation monitor for a quick down-and-dirty read off the screen rundown of some of the stories we're working on today...it's a feature I'm thinking would be of some value and interest on a daily basis to have the outcome of our morning meeting posted for viewing:
If my embed doesn't click try this one using WMV file...
What's the future here? Using the web for regular video updates; no more waiting for the TV crew to meet their More on Four, Live at Five or Seen at Six models. For radio operations, those top and bottom of the hour deadlines are now "old media" and for newspapers the luxury of that late-night whenever we feel like publishing target. There are some phenomenal and simple programs available that easily take the power of TV production out of the hands of professional producers and put them in the hands of everyday folks who have something to say. I've even been reading of a radio group that has a three-camera live TV truck they use to video stream and produce for cable high school football.
While these applications have far-reaching impact for the big media companies (imagine CNN's Anderson Cooper, for example, LIVE video streaming from his cellphone with far greater quality anywhere in the world with a broadband card) I think it is most exciting for our "hyper local" companies concerned more with city council, neighborhood meetings and high school sports. With such technology why can't Firestone's superb swimming program hold it's own against the normal media powerhouses of football and basketball? These "products" are very much about real life for real people, giving those of us in the "content business" more opportunity than ever to connect with our neighbors and help them connect with each other.
My friend Diana (who continues to look younger every day under the Georgia sun) is embarking on a venture where she and her partners will take their reporting deeper into one segment of the economy; because of this technology she won't need six-meter satellite dishes and three-thousand dollars a window satellite time. She has the web, and affordable tools to help her spread the word (and her work) in far wider circles than ever before. These tools are the same as the ones we use to craft these blogs -- including these funky web cams at Best Buy for under $35 bucks.
I've gotta lose more than a few pounds if we're going to do this for real...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Losing Akron's Identity
As the annual convention of broadcasters and journalists wrap up in Las Vegas a disturbing note from home -- Akron is losing another part of it's identity.
Now I admit this isn't of a scale such as Goodyear leaving, the University of Akron closing halls of learning, or even the Aeros setting up shop elsewhere -- those actions would impact thousands in their paychecks and leave vacant publicly-owned buildings.
Losing a TV newscast, in the greater scheme of things, doesn't mean the community watches property values plummet or neighbors thrown out of work.
But it does reflect the disturbing future of fewer news outlets bringing new voices to one of Ohio's biggest metropolitan areas. Akron and Canton now depend on a handful of newspapers and radio stations for coverage on the home front, sharing precious television time with every other suburb of Cleveland. This isn't the kind of thing the "Cleveland +" campaign folks and regionalism supporters like to talk about; showcasing northeast Ohio as one giant metro area, united. Instead we become one giant metro area, still made up of dozens of cities and towns and townships, each with their own unique identity but each somehow marginalized.
I count Eric Mansfield as a friend; the others at WKYC-TV's Akron-Canton news operation are trusted and valued colleagues, and all shared a vision of giving voice to the communities they know are more than just secondary zip codes under the umbrella of the 44's along the lakefront. Akron, Canton, Kent and other communities all have unique identities and traditions and losing that outlet takes away the opportunity for many voices to reflect that richer diversity. We wind up the poorer for it.
Not to bash the PD, Rep or the Beacon Journal or our operations here at AkronNewsNow.com and our group of radio stations, but the role the media plays in helping to hold the powerful accountable is lessened as we now compete for seconds of coverage on the most dominant form of mass communications. The media choices in this day and age are stunning, offering wider variety than ever before but opportunities to help set the table for debate by putting issues and leaders in context is important, and now one more opportunity is lost because the struggle was just too difficult and our communities not supportive enough.
Now I admit this isn't of a scale such as Goodyear leaving, the University of Akron closing halls of learning, or even the Aeros setting up shop elsewhere -- those actions would impact thousands in their paychecks and leave vacant publicly-owned buildings.
Losing a TV newscast, in the greater scheme of things, doesn't mean the community watches property values plummet or neighbors thrown out of work.
But it does reflect the disturbing future of fewer news outlets bringing new voices to one of Ohio's biggest metropolitan areas. Akron and Canton now depend on a handful of newspapers and radio stations for coverage on the home front, sharing precious television time with every other suburb of Cleveland. This isn't the kind of thing the "Cleveland +" campaign folks and regionalism supporters like to talk about; showcasing northeast Ohio as one giant metro area, united. Instead we become one giant metro area, still made up of dozens of cities and towns and townships, each with their own unique identity but each somehow marginalized.
I count Eric Mansfield as a friend; the others at WKYC-TV's Akron-Canton news operation are trusted and valued colleagues, and all shared a vision of giving voice to the communities they know are more than just secondary zip codes under the umbrella of the 44's along the lakefront. Akron, Canton, Kent and other communities all have unique identities and traditions and losing that outlet takes away the opportunity for many voices to reflect that richer diversity. We wind up the poorer for it.
Not to bash the PD, Rep or the Beacon Journal or our operations here at AkronNewsNow.com and our group of radio stations, but the role the media plays in helping to hold the powerful accountable is lessened as we now compete for seconds of coverage on the most dominant form of mass communications. The media choices in this day and age are stunning, offering wider variety than ever before but opportunities to help set the table for debate by putting issues and leaders in context is important, and now one more opportunity is lost because the struggle was just too difficult and our communities not supportive enough.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Webkins & Photoshop
OK, I should know better than to allow a photo of me smokin' a stogie on vacation to be so easily snared by the kids in the web division at AkronNewsNow.com. So it's time to pay the piper -- the pirate piper.
On a normal day I would fully expect teeth blacked out, rude signs carved on my forehead and Lord knows what else but this one gave me a serious case of LOL. Thanks to Bryan, his Photoshop skills, and too much time on his hands. Thanks also to Bryan for showing restraint and not posting on his own to my blog...although I know it was only fear of Greybeard to thank.Enjoy it while you can, matey...the Parrot knows where you work.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Out of Site, Out of Mind
Some might argue "out of mind" applies more broadly. In the true spirit of transparency I note I am out of town this week, with wife and mother-in-law along the shores of Sarasota, Florida where the smoke police have gone too far (thanks Stacey for reminding me of my poor spelling.)
As indicated the the photo, left, showing your author during far happier times one of the few major vices I enjoy is still puffing away at a good cigar while strolling the beach. OK, not always good -- but at least one worthy of a Churchill or Clinton. That pleasure is now a thing of the past thanks to the fuzzy logic of citizen leaders here who don't like their beaches serving as ashtrays.
Rather than enforce anti-littering laws, which would require a police presence or some other type of civil authority to actually walk the beaches, they've outlawed smoking on the sand. It bears mentioning, I supposed, that the beach is the ONE area in tropical Florida where the air actually DOES move all on it's own, assuring that neighbors are not giving neighbors cancer.
For the record, I like non-smoking areas in restaurants; I appreciate non-smoking sports venues (except golf courses) and I even prefer no-smoking in bars on those somewhat rare occasions when it's time to tip a few. But the beach?
My wife, the Nature Girl, insists I am blowing this all out of proportion and besides I can still sit on a park bench while she goes shopping. OK, that takes care of about three hours of time but it is beside the point.
Instead of enforcing the already-existing laws governing the cleanliness of public lands we are now banning the open-air use of a fully legal substance. Even in the case of alcohol so long as it isn't in a glass or metal container you can pretty much guzzle to your heart's content so long as the goods are in plastic.
Oh, for simpler days...
As indicated the the photo, left, showing your author during far happier times one of the few major vices I enjoy is still puffing away at a good cigar while strolling the beach. OK, not always good -- but at least one worthy of a Churchill or Clinton. That pleasure is now a thing of the past thanks to the fuzzy logic of citizen leaders here who don't like their beaches serving as ashtrays.Rather than enforce anti-littering laws, which would require a police presence or some other type of civil authority to actually walk the beaches, they've outlawed smoking on the sand. It bears mentioning, I supposed, that the beach is the ONE area in tropical Florida where the air actually DOES move all on it's own, assuring that neighbors are not giving neighbors cancer.
For the record, I like non-smoking areas in restaurants; I appreciate non-smoking sports venues (except golf courses) and I even prefer no-smoking in bars on those somewhat rare occasions when it's time to tip a few. But the beach?
My wife, the Nature Girl, insists I am blowing this all out of proportion and besides I can still sit on a park bench while she goes shopping. OK, that takes care of about three hours of time but it is beside the point.
Instead of enforcing the already-existing laws governing the cleanliness of public lands we are now banning the open-air use of a fully legal substance. Even in the case of alcohol so long as it isn't in a glass or metal container you can pretty much guzzle to your heart's content so long as the goods are in plastic.
Oh, for simpler days...
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Same Deal, Different Day
Got word from the Secretary of State's office today with some clarification on just when the local Central Committee meetings will be held. Democrats were planning April 17, Republicans April 18 but now both meetings may push into the following week.
SOS Jennifer Brunner notes the legally-required meetings should be held six to 15 days following the certification of recounts; this makes a difference because the Summit County Board of Elections is expected to certify the election results tomorrow but the clock actually starts ticking once any recount races are finally decided, and that is likely to have an impact on the party committee meeting calendars.
Not your typical post-up breaking news but since being a political geek means thinking stuff like this is worth writing (and reading) there it is. Meetings are now likely for the week of the 21st unless both sides get a dash of energy. In both cases local party stalwarts will choose executive committee members and respective party chairs will also be picked, although that could be left up to executive committees rather than the central body as a whole.
SOS Jennifer Brunner notes the legally-required meetings should be held six to 15 days following the certification of recounts; this makes a difference because the Summit County Board of Elections is expected to certify the election results tomorrow but the clock actually starts ticking once any recount races are finally decided, and that is likely to have an impact on the party committee meeting calendars.
Not your typical post-up breaking news but since being a political geek means thinking stuff like this is worth writing (and reading) there it is. Meetings are now likely for the week of the 21st unless both sides get a dash of energy. In both cases local party stalwarts will choose executive committee members and respective party chairs will also be picked, although that could be left up to executive committees rather than the central body as a whole.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Lunch With Alex, Tea With Kevin
Tuesday was one of those interesting karma days, when different worlds seem to bump up against one another. That's the nature of the business, whether it is media or politics but especially when it is both. After all, how many occasions do we get to spend the better part of four hours navigating the latest chapter of the Elephant Wars?
Update 8:46 p.m.: Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett downplays any of State Senator Kevin Coughlin's hopes for a Columbus presence; additional coverage here at AkronNewsNow.com.
My sit-down chat with incumbent GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff was typical for conversations with him -- a couple hours, off-track at times but informative and entertaining. It is clear he still holds great passion for what has become his identity over the past 30 years, even to the point of still calling Ray Bliss "Mr. Bliss" when recounting stories of glory years before Reagan brought revolution to Republicanville.
Alex tells me there will absolutely be a secret ballot for central committee members and they will most likely meet on Friday, April 18th -- the day after Democrats meet to officially set up their respective party structures following the March primary. Unlike the Democrats, however, the GOP will probably see some wrangling back and forth ahead of time.
While the Dems will officially select a new full-time chair since Russ Pry left partisan behind for the executive's office (yeah, I know...inside joke and intended) the GOP won't be the rubber stamp it has been for decades with a significant challenge to Arshinkoff's tenure in the form of Carol Klinger and the New Summit Republicans.
While supporters say this campaign is now Klinger's to wage with personal communication to committee members it is clearly still a battle between Arshinkoff and State Senator Kevin Coughlin, who held his own chatfest Tuesday with a 47-minute conference call that also included Stephanie Warsmith of the Beacon Journal, Eric Mansfield of WKYC-TV, Ben Keeler of The Keeler Report and Ohio.com's politics page and yours truly.
Coughlin wants rules of order for the meeting, even to the extreme of approaching state GOP leaders about running the meeting themselves. There isn't much chance of that happening if Arshinkoff has a say about it, which as incumbent chairman he does but the opening salvo in the minutiae of the meeting wars has been fired. I don't expect state GOP leaders to come without a direct invitation but you have to figure they will have plenty of eyes in the room to track what is going on in this tussle between a proven major fundraiser (Alex) against a proven local vote getter (Kevin) and the future of the last bastion of anything approaching a competitive Republican presence before you drive into Lake Erie.
Arshinkoff argues expectations of a vibrant, winning local GOP can't be measured in the traditional sense of the world we see in all of Ohio's counties; indeed, he points out, the biggest city in Ohio with a Republican at the helm is now our very own Cuyahoga Falls, which explains the rousing reception Mayor Don Robart got at a McCain-event state GOP dinner in Columbus recently. Urban=democrat stronghold in today's Ohio, with Canton falling, Akron not even close, Toledo, Dayton and Cleveland not even a consideration and Columbus and Cincinnati reflecting the same burbs versus inner city schism that sets the true red v blue battle lines. Given the national climate, his perspective on keeping the local GOP alive also hearkens back to the later Bliss years when Republicans couldn't elect a cup of coffee.
Coughlin makes the argument the emphasis on getting what the GOP can should come at a more efficient prices without the overhead, that it should be more grass-roots based. He says the party under Arshinkoff's guidance focuses more on fundraising than party-building, and it is at the hyper-local where the best opportunity for growth exists. That doesn't, however, really take into account the "bankability" of the party presence and whether traditional big donors will pony up the cash for such an operation, or whether the new blood will stimulate new revenue sources to replace the old. Politics in the modern age is an exercise in professional marketing and campaigning despite the apparent grass roots success shown by an Obama campaign claiming the bulk of their financial support comes from small donors. In reality, it's the mix that matters.
This is all a good fight for the local Republican party: the opportunity to determine the broad direction from which specific strategy will grow. Companies and non-profit organizations go through this on a regular basis with strategic evaluations designed to respond to changing times and politics is no different.
Update 8:46 p.m.: Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett downplays any of State Senator Kevin Coughlin's hopes for a Columbus presence; additional coverage here at AkronNewsNow.com.
My sit-down chat with incumbent GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff was typical for conversations with him -- a couple hours, off-track at times but informative and entertaining. It is clear he still holds great passion for what has become his identity over the past 30 years, even to the point of still calling Ray Bliss "Mr. Bliss" when recounting stories of glory years before Reagan brought revolution to Republicanville.
Alex tells me there will absolutely be a secret ballot for central committee members and they will most likely meet on Friday, April 18th -- the day after Democrats meet to officially set up their respective party structures following the March primary. Unlike the Democrats, however, the GOP will probably see some wrangling back and forth ahead of time.
While the Dems will officially select a new full-time chair since Russ Pry left partisan behind for the executive's office (yeah, I know...inside joke and intended) the GOP won't be the rubber stamp it has been for decades with a significant challenge to Arshinkoff's tenure in the form of Carol Klinger and the New Summit Republicans.
While supporters say this campaign is now Klinger's to wage with personal communication to committee members it is clearly still a battle between Arshinkoff and State Senator Kevin Coughlin, who held his own chatfest Tuesday with a 47-minute conference call that also included Stephanie Warsmith of the Beacon Journal, Eric Mansfield of WKYC-TV, Ben Keeler of The Keeler Report and Ohio.com's politics page and yours truly.
Coughlin wants rules of order for the meeting, even to the extreme of approaching state GOP leaders about running the meeting themselves. There isn't much chance of that happening if Arshinkoff has a say about it, which as incumbent chairman he does but the opening salvo in the minutiae of the meeting wars has been fired. I don't expect state GOP leaders to come without a direct invitation but you have to figure they will have plenty of eyes in the room to track what is going on in this tussle between a proven major fundraiser (Alex) against a proven local vote getter (Kevin) and the future of the last bastion of anything approaching a competitive Republican presence before you drive into Lake Erie.
Arshinkoff argues expectations of a vibrant, winning local GOP can't be measured in the traditional sense of the world we see in all of Ohio's counties; indeed, he points out, the biggest city in Ohio with a Republican at the helm is now our very own Cuyahoga Falls, which explains the rousing reception Mayor Don Robart got at a McCain-event state GOP dinner in Columbus recently. Urban=democrat stronghold in today's Ohio, with Canton falling, Akron not even close, Toledo, Dayton and Cleveland not even a consideration and Columbus and Cincinnati reflecting the same burbs versus inner city schism that sets the true red v blue battle lines. Given the national climate, his perspective on keeping the local GOP alive also hearkens back to the later Bliss years when Republicans couldn't elect a cup of coffee.
Coughlin makes the argument the emphasis on getting what the GOP can should come at a more efficient prices without the overhead, that it should be more grass-roots based. He says the party under Arshinkoff's guidance focuses more on fundraising than party-building, and it is at the hyper-local where the best opportunity for growth exists. That doesn't, however, really take into account the "bankability" of the party presence and whether traditional big donors will pony up the cash for such an operation, or whether the new blood will stimulate new revenue sources to replace the old. Politics in the modern age is an exercise in professional marketing and campaigning despite the apparent grass roots success shown by an Obama campaign claiming the bulk of their financial support comes from small donors. In reality, it's the mix that matters.
This is all a good fight for the local Republican party: the opportunity to determine the broad direction from which specific strategy will grow. Companies and non-profit organizations go through this on a regular basis with strategic evaluations designed to respond to changing times and politics is no different.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Radio Blast From The Past
I'm out of town attending the Northwest Broadcast News Association's annual meeting, part of the Midwest Journalism Convention in Minneapolis with RTNDA, AP broadcasters in Minnesota and SPJ members from a six state region on hand. Just in time I get a nice reminder of the impact radio news has -- even the stuff I can't believe made it on the air.
Growing up in Medina in the 70's was a great time for radio; as a high schooler with a driver's license you were either a WMMS or WGCL listener, surfing off what was left of WIXY.
And then there was the Big 8:
As a professional I guess I should cringe when listening to these newscasts but I've got to admit I thought CKLW's news was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard. We didn't listen to the station for the music...it was 20-20 News that had me sitting at the feet of Byron MacGregor and his news department. Later, trips as an adult to Detroit helped confirm for me the pictures painted by those words screaming along the Lake Erie shoreline weren't show biz, even if the delivery was.
Outrageous? Absolutely, but MAN what a blast listening to those guys!
Growing up in Medina in the 70's was a great time for radio; as a high schooler with a driver's license you were either a WMMS or WGCL listener, surfing off what was left of WIXY.
And then there was the Big 8:
As a professional I guess I should cringe when listening to these newscasts but I've got to admit I thought CKLW's news was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard. We didn't listen to the station for the music...it was 20-20 News that had me sitting at the feet of Byron MacGregor and his news department. Later, trips as an adult to Detroit helped confirm for me the pictures painted by those words screaming along the Lake Erie shoreline weren't show biz, even if the delivery was.
Outrageous? Absolutely, but MAN what a blast listening to those guys!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Is Being Anti-Hillary Anti-Woman?
I've been giving this more thought than normal (memo to my more-youthful-by-the-day pal Diana: hold chuckle here, please) after today's media maelstrom following Hillary Clinton's "mis-speak" about a trip to Bosnia a dozen years ago. In the event you missed it -- YouTube's loaded chock-full of reports and clip postings from the CBS News coverage since the network dug up it's original footage to show the Senator's memory had a few holes in it. Of course, in today's computer age, that means everyone has video -- including this posting.
Why this comes to mind today is the conversation I had with some friends and fellow professionals in the communications business as we met the other night, performing our duties as screening judges for scholarships awarded to aspiring journalists. Among those present: two dudes and three ladies. My friend Sarah feels a loss by Clinton means a huge setback for the chances of a woman ever becoming President, which spurred a quick debate.
Is it really anti-woman to be anti-Hillary?
Sarah argues Hillary has to overcome the voters who won't vote for a woman, no matter who she is. I argue the decision in 2008 has as much, if not more, to do with Clinton's position as such a polarizing political force and that her candidacy actually clears the way for other women to succeed. Would voter reaction be just as swift and negative, for example, to an Elizabeth Dole (who can argue more executive experience at the cabinet level and while CEO of the Red Cross?) or a Kay Bailey Hutchinson among the Republicans? What about high-profile campaigning Governors Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) or the five other women top state executives who merged politics with experience as a CEO to win?
Switch the argument to race and chief executives of color show an even wider margin in terms of representation, a far wider chasm in representative politics than the gender gap.
Characterizing a no vote for Hillary as one solely based on chauvinism is a dangerous thing; is the parallel then to demand the litmus test for women in power needs to be this line in the sand of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign for President? By this reckoning voters of African-American heritage are traitors for not voting for Obama; the same can be held true for Hispanic-Americans not holding bigger sway for Richardson. Does that mean McCain wins the United Kingdom roots by default? By this logic winning an election truly is a numbers game where only more seasoned (read: elderly) white candidates should win since that is the biggest block of voters heading to the polls. Where does this end?
The hope should be that each candidate -- all candidates -- are weighed not by gender, race, religion or age but because we think she or he will do the best job, as defined by what we think most important when we step into the booth.
Earlier Clinton family campaigns rode to victory on the strategy "it's the economy, stupid." Modern campaigns should take a page from that strategy and admit "it's the person, dummy" that build the foundation for what voters consider worthy of filling in the circle on Election Day.
Why this comes to mind today is the conversation I had with some friends and fellow professionals in the communications business as we met the other night, performing our duties as screening judges for scholarships awarded to aspiring journalists. Among those present: two dudes and three ladies. My friend Sarah feels a loss by Clinton means a huge setback for the chances of a woman ever becoming President, which spurred a quick debate.
Is it really anti-woman to be anti-Hillary?
Sarah argues Hillary has to overcome the voters who won't vote for a woman, no matter who she is. I argue the decision in 2008 has as much, if not more, to do with Clinton's position as such a polarizing political force and that her candidacy actually clears the way for other women to succeed. Would voter reaction be just as swift and negative, for example, to an Elizabeth Dole (who can argue more executive experience at the cabinet level and while CEO of the Red Cross?) or a Kay Bailey Hutchinson among the Republicans? What about high-profile campaigning Governors Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) or the five other women top state executives who merged politics with experience as a CEO to win?
Switch the argument to race and chief executives of color show an even wider margin in terms of representation, a far wider chasm in representative politics than the gender gap.
Characterizing a no vote for Hillary as one solely based on chauvinism is a dangerous thing; is the parallel then to demand the litmus test for women in power needs to be this line in the sand of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign for President? By this reckoning voters of African-American heritage are traitors for not voting for Obama; the same can be held true for Hispanic-Americans not holding bigger sway for Richardson. Does that mean McCain wins the United Kingdom roots by default? By this logic winning an election truly is a numbers game where only more seasoned (read: elderly) white candidates should win since that is the biggest block of voters heading to the polls. Where does this end?
The hope should be that each candidate -- all candidates -- are weighed not by gender, race, religion or age but because we think she or he will do the best job, as defined by what we think most important when we step into the booth.
Earlier Clinton family campaigns rode to victory on the strategy "it's the economy, stupid." Modern campaigns should take a page from that strategy and admit "it's the person, dummy" that build the foundation for what voters consider worthy of filling in the circle on Election Day.
Klinger v Arshinoff: Mano et Mano
The die may be cast with plenty of debate ahead in the hallways of Cuyahoga Falls City Hall as Carol Klinger, at-large GOP member of City Council will face-off as the standard bearer for the New Summit Republicans in their bid to depose Alex Arshinkoff as chairman of the county party.
The primary election March 4th only set the table for more moves by both sides; Arshinkoff says he picked up the majority of contested seats among the 470-or so Central Committee members but the group backed by State Senator Kevin Coughlin claims a secret ballot will show their support runs much deeper so long as voter choices won't be public knowledge.
In the middle of all this: Cuyahoga Falls, ground zero for Summit County's GOP. It's not Hudson, Bath Township, Twinsburg or Green that play big (although new Board of Elections member Don Varian is from Bath). The Falls is where the heavy lifting comes to play, complete with Arshinkoff loyalist Mayor Don Robart now in the position of working against one of his own City Council allies in Klinger. Add Coughlin as a Falls resident to the mix and you really get a sense of how this battle is more like a siblings war then a simple neighborhood brawl.
Still waiting to hear on when the local party moves beyond the certifications from the Board of Elections and sets a date for the full Central Committee to meet and vote.
The primary election March 4th only set the table for more moves by both sides; Arshinkoff says he picked up the majority of contested seats among the 470-or so Central Committee members but the group backed by State Senator Kevin Coughlin claims a secret ballot will show their support runs much deeper so long as voter choices won't be public knowledge.
In the middle of all this: Cuyahoga Falls, ground zero for Summit County's GOP. It's not Hudson, Bath Township, Twinsburg or Green that play big (although new Board of Elections member Don Varian is from Bath). The Falls is where the heavy lifting comes to play, complete with Arshinkoff loyalist Mayor Don Robart now in the position of working against one of his own City Council allies in Klinger. Add Coughlin as a Falls resident to the mix and you really get a sense of how this battle is more like a siblings war then a simple neighborhood brawl.
Still waiting to hear on when the local party moves beyond the certifications from the Board of Elections and sets a date for the full Central Committee to meet and vote.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
A TV News Geek's Dream
Now THIS is what I call cool. My friend Andrew Finlayson is the VP of News at WFLD-TV, the Fox station in Chicago. While there on a visit last fall he told me about a project they were working on called LiveNewsCameras.com, giving web users the opportunity to see the news from dozens, if not hundreds, of streaming sources thanks to the ability to pull in satellite feeds and video web streams.
This idea of a web aggregator is not new; satellite and cable systems basically provide the same service, but what makes this unique is it is web-based and allows users to watch the mundane to the sublime. From Al Jazeera (which has a technically proficient stream that loads quickly, even seeing the scrolling news updates in Arabic going from left to right as opposed to our version of right to left) to boats sitting in the bay on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles.
This is the new cable...
This idea of a web aggregator is not new; satellite and cable systems basically provide the same service, but what makes this unique is it is web-based and allows users to watch the mundane to the sublime. From Al Jazeera (which has a technically proficient stream that loads quickly, even seeing the scrolling news updates in Arabic going from left to right as opposed to our version of right to left) to boats sitting in the bay on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles.
This is the new cable...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Well, I Swear!
We're posting some of the segments available from Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's videotaped deposition in the Summit County GOP lawsuit challenging her decision to boot Alex Arshinkoff from the Board of Elections -- and, as reported, local Democrat boss Wayne Jones figures prominently.
This is old news to folks following at home on this blog, our reporting on AkronNewsNow.com, the Akron Beacon Journal and Eric Mansfield's reporting on WKYC (as well as his own blog) in what is becoming the best thing since Lost for local political junkies but now the actual video chunks are available.
As detailed earlier, Summit County Democrat Finance Chairman Jones figures prominently not only in the decision making process Brunner used to depose Arshinkoff and deny the Republican Party their hand-picked replacement (Brian Daley of Hudson) but also her choice to pick Bath Township attorney Don Varian to represent the local GOP on the Board of Elections. Jones, for his part, is unapologetic about his efforts to get Arshinkoff and Daley blacklisted -- even telling reporter Tina Kaufmann he'd like to see Arshinkoff and rival Kevin Coughlin "kill each other" in their ongoing struggle for control of the local party apparatus.
What will be interesting to watch is the feedback Brunner gets from all of this; after all, her Republican predecessor Ken Blackwell only suspended Jones from serving on the Board of Elections a few years ago after a ham-handed attempt by Jones and friends to use a trumped-up political committee operating out of a Cuyahoga Falls post office box to buy media time. Now one would think that kind of thing would be enough to trigger more questions from a Secretary of State looking into the conduct of the contentious Summit County Board of Elections -- one might even opine that the political infighting on Grant Street would be enough to trigger a sweep 'em all out mentality similar to Brunner's call to replace the entire Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, but this time apparently only the GOP gets that level of scrutiny.
A GOP source who claims to have discussed the suspension at the time tells me Blackwell didn't want to impose the ultimate sanction on Jones because he felt that would be overstepping his bounds over the wishes of local political organizations charged with electing their own representatives to serve on the board. Despite the frequent criticism Blackwell earned while in the state's top Elections Office, it bears noting he did understand more about due process than what Brunner's office apparently felt was necessary before giving long-time Jones rival Arshinkoff the boot and blowing off Daley's selection as irrelevant without as much as an open hearing for both to address and rebut the charges contained in the package of clippings hand-carried to her office by a subordinate.
This may very well have unintended consequences: Arshinkoff is getting exactly the kind of support he needs because he's now under the gun of what appears to be unfair and partisan administration of executive power from Columbus. Brunner is now forced to openly testify she doesn't need to define what "competent" is after applying the tar and feathers to two duly-elected representatives of the opposite party. Jones comes off looking like a brute, something even the most rough-and-tumble political leader should try to avoid when running roughshod over his rivals.
These things have a way of stacking the deck and refocusing the debate on the process, not necessarily the substance of any discussion on whether Arshinkoff and Daley are fit to serve. The central questions Jones wanted answered seem to be lost in the swirl of Roman Empire-esque intrigue worthy of Nero without the wine and fiddling.
This is old news to folks following at home on this blog, our reporting on AkronNewsNow.com, the Akron Beacon Journal and Eric Mansfield's reporting on WKYC (as well as his own blog) in what is becoming the best thing since Lost for local political junkies but now the actual video chunks are available.
As detailed earlier, Summit County Democrat Finance Chairman Jones figures prominently not only in the decision making process Brunner used to depose Arshinkoff and deny the Republican Party their hand-picked replacement (Brian Daley of Hudson) but also her choice to pick Bath Township attorney Don Varian to represent the local GOP on the Board of Elections. Jones, for his part, is unapologetic about his efforts to get Arshinkoff and Daley blacklisted -- even telling reporter Tina Kaufmann he'd like to see Arshinkoff and rival Kevin Coughlin "kill each other" in their ongoing struggle for control of the local party apparatus.
What will be interesting to watch is the feedback Brunner gets from all of this; after all, her Republican predecessor Ken Blackwell only suspended Jones from serving on the Board of Elections a few years ago after a ham-handed attempt by Jones and friends to use a trumped-up political committee operating out of a Cuyahoga Falls post office box to buy media time. Now one would think that kind of thing would be enough to trigger more questions from a Secretary of State looking into the conduct of the contentious Summit County Board of Elections -- one might even opine that the political infighting on Grant Street would be enough to trigger a sweep 'em all out mentality similar to Brunner's call to replace the entire Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, but this time apparently only the GOP gets that level of scrutiny.A GOP source who claims to have discussed the suspension at the time tells me Blackwell didn't want to impose the ultimate sanction on Jones because he felt that would be overstepping his bounds over the wishes of local political organizations charged with electing their own representatives to serve on the board. Despite the frequent criticism Blackwell earned while in the state's top Elections Office, it bears noting he did understand more about due process than what Brunner's office apparently felt was necessary before giving long-time Jones rival Arshinkoff the boot and blowing off Daley's selection as irrelevant without as much as an open hearing for both to address and rebut the charges contained in the package of clippings hand-carried to her office by a subordinate.
This may very well have unintended consequences: Arshinkoff is getting exactly the kind of support he needs because he's now under the gun of what appears to be unfair and partisan administration of executive power from Columbus. Brunner is now forced to openly testify she doesn't need to define what "competent" is after applying the tar and feathers to two duly-elected representatives of the opposite party. Jones comes off looking like a brute, something even the most rough-and-tumble political leader should try to avoid when running roughshod over his rivals.
These things have a way of stacking the deck and refocusing the debate on the process, not necessarily the substance of any discussion on whether Arshinkoff and Daley are fit to serve. The central questions Jones wanted answered seem to be lost in the swirl of Roman Empire-esque intrigue worthy of Nero without the wine and fiddling.
Monday, March 17, 2008
More From The Mud Pits...
A clarification and update this evening on the route the "anonymous" material targeting Alex Arshinkoff took from the law offices of Wayne Jones in Akron to the Columbus offices of Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
Brunner's videotaped deposition was released today on DVD; at over a gig of data it is unlikely we will post the entire piece but we are working on pulling excerpts.
An update on our report last Friday: the Secretary's man in Summit County is James Hardy. He was deposed last week and noted he dropped off the envelope after picking it up from the Jones office at Roetzel and Andress. In an email today, Hardy (also an Akron School Board member) offers additional insight and a correction to our report:
"One correction: I knew the package was about Arshinkoff, I just didn't read it. And I didn't read it on purpose. Craig probably heard me wrong and I don't blame him, when he called me I was still a little flustered from my deposition. I don't normally get deposed everyday.
But I knew as soon as I got in the car to go to Wayne's office that this probably had to do with Alex. But, it's my job to send information up and send information down the food chain, and that's what I did in this situation. But I didn't want you to read my deposition and say, "Hey, James said he didn't know the package was about Alex?"
In fact, I did the same thing for Alex a couple months before. Alex was having a hard time getting Senator Coughlin's campaign finance reports from our office and so I received a phone call from Angela McMillen, the Ex. Director of the Summit GOP, and asked if I could meet her for lunch. I did, and was more than happy to get the bureaucracy working for them so they could get the info they wanted. They were very happy with my services then (I still have the emails praising me), but I doubt they feel the same way now:)"
James added his own emoticon at the end; he's always been a straight shooter since we first met just ahead of his race for the school board. It's good to see he still has a sense of humour, even after going through the deposition mill.
I've gotten other interesting responses to this story, not all in the form to share (I'm always amazed by how some have such a dominating command of at least four letters of the English language) but would like to add at no time have I ever claimed there was any law broken. In fact, my previous post on playing hardball deals with the political strategies, not any legal liability. I don't believe there's anything illegal about using the shadows of "anonymous" to plant a pitchfork in the back of one's political rivals. I do think the folks doing the pitching, however, should face the consequences when people find out what they've done.
Does this mean Alex is a lock to retain his post as Chairman of the Summit County GOP? The conventional wisdom must be that any interference from the opposition such as Wayne's actions ought to help, especially in an environment where it pays to be paranoid. Critics of Arshinkoff's rule offer a grudging admiration of how this plays to his advantage, telling me they marvel at his ability to re-focus the debate away from their questions and attacks on his performance.
What is interesting is the political junkies here in Summit County are getting a rare, more open look at the kind of back-stabbing that goes on as the players in the game pitch hardball; it's the world we pretend is the poison of Washington politics right here at home.
Brunner's videotaped deposition was released today on DVD; at over a gig of data it is unlikely we will post the entire piece but we are working on pulling excerpts.
An update on our report last Friday: the Secretary's man in Summit County is James Hardy. He was deposed last week and noted he dropped off the envelope after picking it up from the Jones office at Roetzel and Andress. In an email today, Hardy (also an Akron School Board member) offers additional insight and a correction to our report:
"One correction: I knew the package was about Arshinkoff, I just didn't read it. And I didn't read it on purpose. Craig probably heard me wrong and I don't blame him, when he called me I was still a little flustered from my deposition. I don't normally get deposed everyday.
But I knew as soon as I got in the car to go to Wayne's office that this probably had to do with Alex. But, it's my job to send information up and send information down the food chain, and that's what I did in this situation. But I didn't want you to read my deposition and say, "Hey, James said he didn't know the package was about Alex?"
In fact, I did the same thing for Alex a couple months before. Alex was having a hard time getting Senator Coughlin's campaign finance reports from our office and so I received a phone call from Angela McMillen, the Ex. Director of the Summit GOP, and asked if I could meet her for lunch. I did, and was more than happy to get the bureaucracy working for them so they could get the info they wanted. They were very happy with my services then (I still have the emails praising me), but I doubt they feel the same way now:)"
James added his own emoticon at the end; he's always been a straight shooter since we first met just ahead of his race for the school board. It's good to see he still has a sense of humour, even after going through the deposition mill.
I've gotten other interesting responses to this story, not all in the form to share (I'm always amazed by how some have such a dominating command of at least four letters of the English language) but would like to add at no time have I ever claimed there was any law broken. In fact, my previous post on playing hardball deals with the political strategies, not any legal liability. I don't believe there's anything illegal about using the shadows of "anonymous" to plant a pitchfork in the back of one's political rivals. I do think the folks doing the pitching, however, should face the consequences when people find out what they've done.
Does this mean Alex is a lock to retain his post as Chairman of the Summit County GOP? The conventional wisdom must be that any interference from the opposition such as Wayne's actions ought to help, especially in an environment where it pays to be paranoid. Critics of Arshinkoff's rule offer a grudging admiration of how this plays to his advantage, telling me they marvel at his ability to re-focus the debate away from their questions and attacks on his performance.
What is interesting is the political junkies here in Summit County are getting a rare, more open look at the kind of back-stabbing that goes on as the players in the game pitch hardball; it's the world we pretend is the poison of Washington politics right here at home.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Pigs In Mud
The phrase "play hardball" isn't just about America's unique game; it denotes the winner-take-all mentality and whatever it takes to win mindset we voters love in our sports teams but say we don't want from our elected leaders -- but the results speak differently.Supporters of Presidential candidates employ a constant mantra of apologies and resignation for ill-tempered, foolish outbursts designed to grab 20 seconds of air time; the candidates themselves play political pinball evading denunciation of the nonsense that erupts from the lips of friends and family, trying not to give aid to their enemies while spanking the exuberance of their allies.
A powerful state's Governor fades into exile after investigators of money-laundering hit the mother lode of sex, money and power -- even to the point of wiretapping the bedroom and phone calls of lovers. We've learned nothing from the kill 'em all impeachment pain of ten years ago. Everyone loses, but the powers-that-be continue to think as long as they lose less they win.
The latest chapter in the Summit County "Elephant Wars" battle between Alex Arshinkoff and Kevin Coughlin has now officially turned into a three-ring circus; a menage a trois of local political heavyweights that now includes Democrat Party boss Wayne Jones, thanks to his behind-the-scenes no-longer "anonymous" sniping at Arshinkoff. Both AkronNewsNow.com and the Akron Beacon Journal have provided quite a chronicle of the spectacle, a not normally seen view of what happens behind closed doors on an unfortunately fairly routine basis.
I was reminded of all this when going over some of our recent coverage, of all things, from Winter Haven and the Indians getting ready for the 2008 campaign. Manager Eric Wedge -- now with two children, a Manager of the Year award tucked in his belt and that oh-so-close season last year says he tells his players the game "Isn't your life; it's not your wife."
This is not to say Wedge doesn't want to win; it's pretty apparent he wants to bring that World Series gold to fans and a community spending far too much time as the butt of jokes from outsiders. It is a reflection of a man who's come to terms with the things that really matter in life and the journey it takes to get there. Former Indians third baseman and now Mahoning Valley Scrappers Manager Travis Fryman tells a similar tale of how the game almost destroyed his marriage, his family, and the life he worked so hard to build. Only when he realized the destructive power of such single-minded pursuit was he able to turn things around and save the people closest to him.
I admire Wedge, Fryman, and the entire Indians organization for their pursuit of a championship while keeping an eye on the core values they believe will get them to the promised land. The mindset clearly filters from the top office to the players, even down to the folks who keep the machinery of baseball's business rolling in the background, away from our view.
What does it say about Summit County's level of discourse when the whispering campaigns of political abuse, campaign shenanigans and even sexual preference (and that brush doesn't just paint one side, I must add) leak out as "evidence" placed in "anonymous" Manila folders hand-delivered by a state employee from a party boss's law office to the state official? When Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, ultimately charged with determining what "competent" means, can hold such "evidence" in higher regard without the due process of holding hearings in the open before tossing aside the wishes of the citizens who elected their duly-appointed representatives?
This entire case speaks of Gulag-type kangaroo courts employed by Soviet-style tyrants; should Ohio's business of managing elections and political parties really come down to which side does a better job of Khmer Rouge-style slash and burn attacks or is our expectation that, once elected, our public officials do the people's business with dignity and responsibility without the stench of the partisanship that got them to the dance? At what point do the bricks really start flying toward the glass houses these holders of our public trust live behind, and do we as an electorate really want to see that kind of game? When it's our game being played don't we hold the way it is conducted as high as the results?
"It's not your life; it's not your wife," says a leader of men we cheer for to bring honor and a championship back to Northeast Ohio in a game designed for boys. There have been enough attempts, especially in the past nine months, to use sleazy, shadowy attacks behind the curtain of "anonymous" as if that somehow make the attackers clean in Summit County's game designed by old men.
It doesn't.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Wayne's World, Party On!
In my last blog I asked if Jennifer Brunner was hiding anything with repeated attempts to block making her deposition in the Summit County GOP's lawsuit against her public -- the answer is, maybe she should have.
This is not exactly a pretty sight; the Democrat Ohio Secretary of State explaining the advice she was getting from the Summit County Democratic Party finance boss on how to blow out the Republican Party Chairman from the local board of elections. This could turn into a real mess and a real headache for Brunner, who to date as managed to avoid the uber partisan label that helped tag Ken Blackwell into a think-tank gig rather than the Governor's Mansion. The transcript reads less than favorable; when the video gets out it'll be worse, especially as fodder for the next statewide election when Brunner will have to better explain why four Republicans were bad enough elections officials in Ohio's 88 counties but no Democrats?Our story details just some of the issues arising from the transcript of Brunner's deposition, as well as a key part of the story which had been missing: who dropped off the "mystery package" from Mr. Anonymous that led so quickly to Arshinkoff's unseating? It now appears it was Brunner's man in Akron, local school board member James Hardy, who told us he did indeed deliver a package (he says he didn't know what was inside) from Wayne Jones to the Secretary of State's office in Columbus. From law office to Elections Officer, hand-delivery; great service if you can get it, and in this case local Democrats targeting local Republicans got the gold standard.
The most honest individuals in this case of a political knife-fight are the two who all of this really centers around: Arshinkoff says they're trying to ruin him (they are) and Jones proudly says yes he did want his bitter rival out and even hopes Arshinkoff and GOP challenger Kevin Coughlin "kill each other" in their fight for control of the Summit Republican Party.
This latest round of blasting away may have some unintended consequences; for Brunner, it casts a shadow on her ability to remain impartial and above the fray. For Arshinkoff, it may be just the ticket to alert Republican Central Committee members that the barbarians at the gate should be turned away and in turn his leadership retained at the top of the local party. This strengthens his charges that putting him in the cross hairs has been nothing but a Jones-inspired scheme to hold real control over both parties.
There's an old adage: if it waddles like a duck, smells like a duck and sounds like a duck, it's a duck.
Quack.
Is She Hiding Something?
The ruling yesterday by the Ohio Supreme Court denying the third bid by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to slip out of having her decision yanking Alex Arshinkoff off the Summit County Board of Elections speaks volumes -- even though the state's top elections officer wants to remain remarkably quiet.
The latest is the videotaped deposition by the Secretary where she has to answer questions from her detractors, namely Arshinkoff and the Summit County GOP on just what led her to take the unique position of removing him from the Board. Just what in particular did he do to warrant this action? Arshinkoff has many detractors, most objecting to what they say is his heavy-handed use of power (or abuse of power depending on your perspective) but any decision to tell any local party their choice can't serve must be followed up by a clear, public disclosure of what the issues were.
Arshinkoff, no stranger to the machinations of hardball politics given his history of trying to build patronage jobs loyal to GOP office holders, says his woes lie at the feet of nemesis Wayne Jones (also no stranger, one must add, to hardball politics) and the alleged conspiracy of state Democrat and local Democrat banding together to control Summit County's Republican Party.
Now I'm not saying Arshinkoff is right; but I am a firm believer in the observation that"...just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." Does it strike anyone, honestly, as a stretch to think that Jones and other Democrat power-brokers would take advantage of more friendly ears in Columbus to rid themselves of a more-often-than-not over-the-top pain in the neck like Alex? From a political power building perspective, it absolutely makes sense they would work hard to minimize their opponent's impact and power base and clear the way for their slate of candidates (and issues and cronies) to do better at the ballot box and in the halls of government. That's not corruption; it's politics, played by adults who fully understand the stakes involved and what it may take to win.
Hopefully, now that the Ohio Supreme Court has decided yet again that sunshine pokes it's rays even into the Secretary of State's decisions, we'll get an honest and clear review of just what's in that file that caused Brunner to pull the trigger on Arshinkoff and the party's properly-elected representative to replace him.
Questions we'd like to see answered:
The latest is the videotaped deposition by the Secretary where she has to answer questions from her detractors, namely Arshinkoff and the Summit County GOP on just what led her to take the unique position of removing him from the Board. Just what in particular did he do to warrant this action? Arshinkoff has many detractors, most objecting to what they say is his heavy-handed use of power (or abuse of power depending on your perspective) but any decision to tell any local party their choice can't serve must be followed up by a clear, public disclosure of what the issues were.
Arshinkoff, no stranger to the machinations of hardball politics given his history of trying to build patronage jobs loyal to GOP office holders, says his woes lie at the feet of nemesis Wayne Jones (also no stranger, one must add, to hardball politics) and the alleged conspiracy of state Democrat and local Democrat banding together to control Summit County's Republican Party.
Now I'm not saying Arshinkoff is right; but I am a firm believer in the observation that"...just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." Does it strike anyone, honestly, as a stretch to think that Jones and other Democrat power-brokers would take advantage of more friendly ears in Columbus to rid themselves of a more-often-than-not over-the-top pain in the neck like Alex? From a political power building perspective, it absolutely makes sense they would work hard to minimize their opponent's impact and power base and clear the way for their slate of candidates (and issues and cronies) to do better at the ballot box and in the halls of government. That's not corruption; it's politics, played by adults who fully understand the stakes involved and what it may take to win.
Hopefully, now that the Ohio Supreme Court has decided yet again that sunshine pokes it's rays even into the Secretary of State's decisions, we'll get an honest and clear review of just what's in that file that caused Brunner to pull the trigger on Arshinkoff and the party's properly-elected representative to replace him.
Questions we'd like to see answered:
- Just what did she say in her deposition? We'd like to hear and see ourselves, not only the tape but a transcript as well;
- What role did local Democrats and State Senator Kevin Coughlin's camp play in desposing Alex from his empire, if any? They are clearly stakeholders in this fight -- Democrats in ridding themselves of a bitter rival, the New Republicans to benefit from Arshinkoff's diminished stature;
- Does that anti-Alex file include letters from Arshinkoff critics speaking for themselves or does it resemble more a Google search of newspaper articles? Example: should an opposite-party Secretary of State really base such a decision on the controversial Free Times article alleging trolling in Highland Square, or was her investigation more substantive than a collection of clippings?
The honeymoon on Brunner should be long past on forcing the process out in the open, much as it was when she explained her reasoning for replacing the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. In that case, she was able to make a clear and compelling case that their mismanagment put the state's largest block of voters at a disadvantage and hurt the system we need the most confidence in; but in the Arshinkoff case using as an excuse an abrasive and sometimes abusive personality should require more than just saying he's a jerk and other elected officials don't like him.
Can anyone imagine Republican Ken Blackwell getting away with removing duly-elected Democrat local party representatives from local political boards because they weren't liked? Just how long would those howls of indignation have lasted?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Death Penalty, GOP Wars and The Don's War Chest
The verdict is in from the jury: life in prison for Cameron Williams, no parole for 30 years the recommendation after more than a full day of deliberations. Despite the yapping from the pundits following the Bobby Cutts, Jr. case the decision to levy the ultimate is something no juror takes as an easy decision. A prominent member of local media, I am told, served as a member of the jury and it will be interesting to note his thoughts on the process behind the closed doors of the jury room once some of the dust settles.
- - -
There's a move afoot by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to put under lock and key her videotaped deposition in the ongoing fight over her decision to yank Alex Arshinkoff from the Summit County Board of Elections -- and deny the local GOP's choice as a successor, Brian Daley. Why? Shouldn't the voters who still have decisions to make in this ongoing saga get a more complete understanding of how she made her decisions, by what prompting, and with what evidence? The file on Arshinkoff ought to be displayed in public view as well so the people deciding his fate as chairman of the Summit County GOP -- those hundreds and hundreds of local Central Committee members -- gain a perspective on how their representative lost the post and why their choice to replace him didn't make the grade according to Brunner. Seeing her deposition and the tale told under oath may shed more light on whether charges of Democrat cronyism and intrigue between Akron Democrat bosses and the Statehouse hold water or are just hot air in a political fight to the death on the other side of the aisle.
- - -
The pain in Mayor Plusquellic's keester -- besides this blogger and others who attract his ire from time to time -- has most consistently been the American Friends Service Committee, which today unveiled a report charging the Mayor's 2007 re-election effort set a record for ignoring the campaign spending "reforms" Akron voters clearly put on the books. Here's a spreadsheet from the AFSC -- you'll need Excel or Open Office Calc to read it -- of the folks with deep pockets the group charges exceeded the $300 limit. I asked AFSC's Greg Coleridge about his definition of "fundraising season", since the Mayor's supporters have split those hairs in the past by insisting there are two seasons: primary and general election:
"The original law (Subsection B) titled “Fundraising Season” says that candidates for Mayor and Council can only raise funds for an election or re-election from December 1 prior to a General Election to the Thursday preceding the General Election. That’s one season. The limits established by the law (Subsection D) were $300 for mayor and at-large council and $100 for ward council. We believe when you add these 2 together, a candidate can only raise $300 or $100 maximum from any stipulated source (i.e. person, PAC, party and campaign committee, but not company) since the “season” encompasses both the primary and general elections. Hope this is clearer than mud."
The Mayor's office was quick to weigh in -- after all, this is becoming a routine with every city election:
"Every time there’s a campaign, Mr. Coleridge sings the same tune. Our law director has said repeatedly that Akron’s Code of Ordinances specifies that the campaign contribution limit is $300 per person, per election. That means per primary and per general election. In 2007, I was a candidate in both. The U.S. District Court found that the ‘fundraising season’ was unconstitutional. Coleridge agreed and stipulated in that court that it was unconstitutional, yet he continues to misrepresent and whine about this after every election."
I've always believed there are two election seasons, so a check for $600 ought to be legal when covering the two periods. To be fair, any candidate running for Mayor should err on the side of caution and get two checks -- one for the primary, one for the general, each for $300 -- if they want to make that argument, but then Greg is right on the money in one aspect: this stuff is all clearer than mud, and a great example of what happens when politicians and lawyers write laws covering themselves. Should have had a bricklayer do it -- at least it would stand up.
Post updated 5:29pm with Plusquellic response
- - -
There's a move afoot by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to put under lock and key her videotaped deposition in the ongoing fight over her decision to yank Alex Arshinkoff from the Summit County Board of Elections -- and deny the local GOP's choice as a successor, Brian Daley. Why? Shouldn't the voters who still have decisions to make in this ongoing saga get a more complete understanding of how she made her decisions, by what prompting, and with what evidence? The file on Arshinkoff ought to be displayed in public view as well so the people deciding his fate as chairman of the Summit County GOP -- those hundreds and hundreds of local Central Committee members -- gain a perspective on how their representative lost the post and why their choice to replace him didn't make the grade according to Brunner. Seeing her deposition and the tale told under oath may shed more light on whether charges of Democrat cronyism and intrigue between Akron Democrat bosses and the Statehouse hold water or are just hot air in a political fight to the death on the other side of the aisle.
- - -
The pain in Mayor Plusquellic's keester -- besides this blogger and others who attract his ire from time to time -- has most consistently been the American Friends Service Committee, which today unveiled a report charging the Mayor's 2007 re-election effort set a record for ignoring the campaign spending "reforms" Akron voters clearly put on the books. Here's a spreadsheet from the AFSC -- you'll need Excel or Open Office Calc to read it -- of the folks with deep pockets the group charges exceeded the $300 limit. I asked AFSC's Greg Coleridge about his definition of "fundraising season", since the Mayor's supporters have split those hairs in the past by insisting there are two seasons: primary and general election:
"The original law (Subsection B) titled “Fundraising Season” says that candidates for Mayor and Council can only raise funds for an election or re-election from December 1 prior to a General Election to the Thursday preceding the General Election. That’s one season. The limits established by the law (Subsection D) were $300 for mayor and at-large council and $100 for ward council. We believe when you add these 2 together, a candidate can only raise $300 or $100 maximum from any stipulated source (i.e. person, PAC, party and campaign committee, but not company) since the “season” encompasses both the primary and general elections. Hope this is clearer than mud."
The Mayor's office was quick to weigh in -- after all, this is becoming a routine with every city election:
"Every time there’s a campaign, Mr. Coleridge sings the same tune. Our law director has said repeatedly that Akron’s Code of Ordinances specifies that the campaign contribution limit is $300 per person, per election. That means per primary and per general election. In 2007, I was a candidate in both. The U.S. District Court found that the ‘fundraising season’ was unconstitutional. Coleridge agreed and stipulated in that court that it was unconstitutional, yet he continues to misrepresent and whine about this after every election."
I've always believed there are two election seasons, so a check for $600 ought to be legal when covering the two periods. To be fair, any candidate running for Mayor should err on the side of caution and get two checks -- one for the primary, one for the general, each for $300 -- if they want to make that argument, but then Greg is right on the money in one aspect: this stuff is all clearer than mud, and a great example of what happens when politicians and lawyers write laws covering themselves. Should have had a bricklayer do it -- at least it would stand up.
Post updated 5:29pm with Plusquellic response
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tuesdays With Alex
Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff did something he usually never does today: a sit-down with reporters, an actual, honest-to-God news conference to talk about the counting from his vantage point of Central Committee members who will decide the direction of the party.
This is the election that keeps on giving; members of the Central Committee will be the ones to elect the local GOP Executive Committee, which in turn elects the Chairman. That's the way it's been for the better part of three decades with Arshinkoff at the helm, either as the saviour of the local Republican effort or the devil taking the local party down (depending on your point of view.)
Just about a third of the more than 450 committee posts were contested in last Tuesday's primary election and Alex says his side picked up 87; he says rival State Senator Kevin Coughlin's troops took 72 with four still ties. No decision on when the Central Committee as a whole meets, says Arshinkoff, until the primary numbers are certified by the Summit County Board of Elections. When I spoke with Coughlin last Wednesday he expected such a meeting could come as early as the end of March but much depends on final counting at the BOE. Nice to see both sides agree on something here.
AkronNewsNow's Tina Kaufmann has posted her story here, complete with audio from Arshinkoff and Coughlin reaction. However, we can note a couple of things to watch for:
This is the election that keeps on giving; members of the Central Committee will be the ones to elect the local GOP Executive Committee, which in turn elects the Chairman. That's the way it's been for the better part of three decades with Arshinkoff at the helm, either as the saviour of the local Republican effort or the devil taking the local party down (depending on your point of view.)
Just about a third of the more than 450 committee posts were contested in last Tuesday's primary election and Alex says his side picked up 87; he says rival State Senator Kevin Coughlin's troops took 72 with four still ties. No decision on when the Central Committee as a whole meets, says Arshinkoff, until the primary numbers are certified by the Summit County Board of Elections. When I spoke with Coughlin last Wednesday he expected such a meeting could come as early as the end of March but much depends on final counting at the BOE. Nice to see both sides agree on something here.
AkronNewsNow's Tina Kaufmann has posted her story here, complete with audio from Arshinkoff and Coughlin reaction. However, we can note a couple of things to watch for:
- Just how much of a battle can we expect over the four ties?
- Arshinkoff says a handful (seven) committee positions could actually be claimed by both sides as supporters -- folks on the Alex-Kevin fence;
- Just what will the rules be in the actual voting? Coughlin indicated he thinks he will pick up quiet support from members if they cast secret ballots.
All interesting issues to consider ahead of the next round in what we've been calling the "Elephant Wars" in this classic struggle for control of the party that realistically doesn't stand a chance of achieving dominant wins with half the county (Akron) still 9-1 in the blue but the suburbs more to the purple or red.
Summit County is important to state Republicans because it's one of those gateway counties; to the north lies the Democrat Fortress of Solitude in Cleveland, to the south the GOP's promised land of rolling hills, farms, and subdivisions. When Coughlin talks about how Summit GOP candidates should do better he's talking about the suburban races the Republicans actually have a chance of winning; when Arshinkoff talks about staying competitive he's really talking about keeping the Democrats at no more than 60-65% which means a Republican candidate has a chance when the 'burbs and rural areas start to kick in.
At least, that's been the model that worked for the past three decades -- maybe this year will be different with the first election since 1952 to feature a Presidential ticket led by candidates with virtually zero true government executive experience. Even in the Reagan v Mondale, Bush 41 v Dukakis and Clinton 2 v Dole races at least one of the candidates had a clue on what holding the big office really means -- statewide or nationally.
This election, though, is different. No clear decision on who has more real experience, no matter how many times Hillary's red phone rings at three in the morning and McCain draws on his heroic history. I get a sense from listening to supporters (and detractors) that this election has more to do with who the heart says to vote for instead of the brain, and that may be enough to short-circuit the traditional wisdom of how to build a winner in Ohio -- and make no mistake we've earned our role as a microcosm for the rest of the country. It is also why the 35% solution for the GOP in Summit County may be a strategy outdated by the unique nature of candidates we're expecting to choose based on whether they uplift, repulse, or follow despite core value misgivings.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Election Watching From Florida
Personal note to my pal Diana Keough in Atlanta: I know, I know...no posts post-election? Hold on a minute, there's a good reason -- sort of.
The reason is I've been workin' here in Winter Haven field producing WAKR's Ray Horner Show during Wahoo Week. We had the honor (thanks to the Indians) to call yesterday's 4-1 Cleveland-Atlanta spring game, unfortunately a near-no hitter broken up by Danny Sandoval with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Here's the call as Danny got the hit we were waiting for.
The reason is I've been workin' here in Winter Haven field producing WAKR's Ray Horner Show during Wahoo Week. We had the honor (thanks to the Indians) to call yesterday's 4-1 Cleveland-Atlanta spring game, unfortunately a near-no hitter broken up by Danny Sandoval with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Here's the call as Danny got the hit we were waiting for.at right: The only reason I'm puffin' away on a Rocky Patel Sungrown puro is to chase away the mosquitos swarming the tent before the sun rises along the banks of Lake Lulu at the ballpark.
Kids, don't try the dangerous behavior at home...these things are best left to the professionals.
Our game broadcast was great fun, with Indians VP Bobby DiBiasio, Akron Beacon Journal Indians beat reporter Sheldon Ocker and Indians Network producer extraordinaire Jim Rosenhaus joining us for the coverage.
Wednesday was also hectic with WAKR's post-election coverage earlier that morning, with live interviews including County Executive Russ Pry, State Senator Kevin Coughlin, school officials from Stow, Coventry and Barberton as well as KSU's Steven Hook and UA's John Green. The Summit County GOP battle between Coughlin and Alex Arshinkoff (the "elephant wars") continue with the next 30-45 days critical in determining the direction the local party takes after the anti-Alex faction scored impressive wins in contested central committee races.
More later...back to slappin' skeeters...
Friday, February 29, 2008
Political Suck-Up
Tick Tick Tick...only hours, really, as the campaigns try to convince us they are our only hope. I'd normally says this is what separates the men from the boys but that's a tad bit outdated...
Chelsea brings a busload of Hillaristas to the University of Akron campus to showcase the "Women for Change Tour", all the big guns they can muster for that one last push in what is geographically the center of the Northeast Ohio war for the Democratic Presidential Nomination (DPN). It'll be interesting to see the contrast from Obama's six-thousand strong standing-in-the-cold crowd a week ago at the convention center named after Akron's most illustrious First Amendment journalist. Will it showcase his best appearance to win the hearts and minds on a campaign built on our jobs and wallets?
Bill Clinton came through the area today as part of the DPN push for Hillary; the campaign won't admit it but it is clear to the naked eye his contribution has been better relegated to smaller, more intimate events -- or they just wanted to avoid any repeat of South Carolina or that quickie quote ABC's Charlie Gibson pointed out a week ago, telling Hillary supporters Obama hasn't really been part of anything good in the recent past. Today the FFH (future or former First Husband based on how the vote turns out Tuesday) visited Wayne County and New Philadelphia as part of his tour along Routes 224 and 30 through the Heart of it All; four days to go and the best the ex-President gets is south of the voter-heavy snowbelt? What a difference three months make since those snows of Iowa...
Obama is holding another Town Hall meeting, of all places in Parma, a city with a rick history of not seeing there really isn't a difference between black and white on so many levels. It is a hotbed of Democrat politics (to be a Republican in Parma is living in Seven Hills) and Hillary's best support has some from older Democrats, according to some of the demographic analysis of Ohio voters we've seen. Will he outdraw the First Daughter and FFH?
Best voting bribe so far: Eat'n Park is offering free coffee to anyone sporting an "I voted" sticker Tuesday. A voting stub will work, too if you remember to ask for one.
Chelsea brings a busload of Hillaristas to the University of Akron campus to showcase the "Women for Change Tour", all the big guns they can muster for that one last push in what is geographically the center of the Northeast Ohio war for the Democratic Presidential Nomination (DPN). It'll be interesting to see the contrast from Obama's six-thousand strong standing-in-the-cold crowd a week ago at the convention center named after Akron's most illustrious First Amendment journalist. Will it showcase his best appearance to win the hearts and minds on a campaign built on our jobs and wallets?
Bill Clinton came through the area today as part of the DPN push for Hillary; the campaign won't admit it but it is clear to the naked eye his contribution has been better relegated to smaller, more intimate events -- or they just wanted to avoid any repeat of South Carolina or that quickie quote ABC's Charlie Gibson pointed out a week ago, telling Hillary supporters Obama hasn't really been part of anything good in the recent past. Today the FFH (future or former First Husband based on how the vote turns out Tuesday) visited Wayne County and New Philadelphia as part of his tour along Routes 224 and 30 through the Heart of it All; four days to go and the best the ex-President gets is south of the voter-heavy snowbelt? What a difference three months make since those snows of Iowa...
Obama is holding another Town Hall meeting, of all places in Parma, a city with a rick history of not seeing there really isn't a difference between black and white on so many levels. It is a hotbed of Democrat politics (to be a Republican in Parma is living in Seven Hills) and Hillary's best support has some from older Democrats, according to some of the demographic analysis of Ohio voters we've seen. Will he outdraw the First Daughter and FFH?
Best voting bribe so far: Eat'n Park is offering free coffee to anyone sporting an "I voted" sticker Tuesday. A voting stub will work, too if you remember to ask for one.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Back Home -- And Voting
Yes, it's been an extended hiatus away from the blog keypad for yours truly, as my friend Diana Keough in Atlanta (formerly The Plain Dealer) so kindly reminded me over pasta and salad during lunch last week. Those newspaper people -- deadlines, always deadlines! I must note, however, that Southern living agrees with her; she looks younger!
Random thoughts:
- I took advantage of the early voting in Summit County today (it would be cheating to say who) but one thing struck me as potentially confusing for some: when you cast your votes for your favorite Presidential candidate, note you are choosing delegates to the national convention. It isn't exactly rocket science to figure it out but I wouldn't be surprised if some were distracted because they're just looking for a "vote for this candidate for President" line instead of choosing delegates to the convention.
- that said, what a Godsend early voting is! At last report over the weekend 15,000 were expected with 10 days to go and folks at the Board of Elections (all smiles and helpful, by the way-- good job!) told me they figure the crush will really be on when the weather gets better and more people figure out they can do their duty today without worrying about a week from now.
- flying into Atlanta last week I was struck by all the empty truck shipping depots on the arrival into the airport runway zone, but of course the rest of Atlanta seems like an orgasm of construction cranes, highway expansion and economic development. How unlike Northeast Ohio.
- three days away from the phone where every surrogate, public interest group or soul with an opinion has been calling to pitch their piece of wisdom on WAKR. It is a wonderful reminder of how incredibly narcissistic one must be to run for office, or at least their campaigns. That old practice of making sure there was a slave in Caesar's carriage whispering how fame and fortune are fleeting should be required personnel for any candidate.
- speaking of why you aren't hearing the former Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for Development of Underwater Resources on the air waxing poetic about Hillary/Barack/John/Mike, it's been our practice to require candidates to actually speak for themselves first before we open the floodgates to all those well-meaning folks who want to speak on their behalf. This has worked well in limiting the "spin" on our station to real voters with an opinion rather than the professional campaign apparatus. In 2004 John Kerry was the only candidate to speak with us; maybe that's why the others just send invitations to these canned photo ops posing as a campaign voters can use.
- watching all the fervor of this week's TV ads (and hearing them on the radio as well) reminds me how wimpy we've become as a nation when it comes to truly hardball politics; Hillary goes off on Barack because he says she loved NAFTA once but now scorns it because she's running for President this time (instead of her husband, who followed up Bush 41's lead and got NAFTA passed way back before it became organized labor's rallying cry.) This is hardball? This stuff draws tears, sharp breaths, and angry fist-shaking? Too bad Andrew Jackson's not around to recount suffering bigamy charges, Grover Cleveland's to recount smears over his alleged illegitimate child, or even Ohio's Warren Harding to discuss the Shadow of Blooming Grove whispered racial lineage to show 'em some real dirty politics.
What's really counting for me on this eve of what we hope will be the final Democratic Presidential Debate: the YouTube vote. Obama Girl's got it running away, more than six million views to Hot4Hill's less than 1.3 million.
Here's what you've been missing from the pro-Hillary video:
And with that I figure Diana will be glad the next time I go two weeks without a post.
Random thoughts:
- I took advantage of the early voting in Summit County today (it would be cheating to say who) but one thing struck me as potentially confusing for some: when you cast your votes for your favorite Presidential candidate, note you are choosing delegates to the national convention. It isn't exactly rocket science to figure it out but I wouldn't be surprised if some were distracted because they're just looking for a "vote for this candidate for President" line instead of choosing delegates to the convention.
- that said, what a Godsend early voting is! At last report over the weekend 15,000 were expected with 10 days to go and folks at the Board of Elections (all smiles and helpful, by the way-- good job!) told me they figure the crush will really be on when the weather gets better and more people figure out they can do their duty today without worrying about a week from now.
- flying into Atlanta last week I was struck by all the empty truck shipping depots on the arrival into the airport runway zone, but of course the rest of Atlanta seems like an orgasm of construction cranes, highway expansion and economic development. How unlike Northeast Ohio.
- three days away from the phone where every surrogate, public interest group or soul with an opinion has been calling to pitch their piece of wisdom on WAKR. It is a wonderful reminder of how incredibly narcissistic one must be to run for office, or at least their campaigns. That old practice of making sure there was a slave in Caesar's carriage whispering how fame and fortune are fleeting should be required personnel for any candidate.
- speaking of why you aren't hearing the former Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for Development of Underwater Resources on the air waxing poetic about Hillary/Barack/John/Mike, it's been our practice to require candidates to actually speak for themselves first before we open the floodgates to all those well-meaning folks who want to speak on their behalf. This has worked well in limiting the "spin" on our station to real voters with an opinion rather than the professional campaign apparatus. In 2004 John Kerry was the only candidate to speak with us; maybe that's why the others just send invitations to these canned photo ops posing as a campaign voters can use.
- watching all the fervor of this week's TV ads (and hearing them on the radio as well) reminds me how wimpy we've become as a nation when it comes to truly hardball politics; Hillary goes off on Barack because he says she loved NAFTA once but now scorns it because she's running for President this time (instead of her husband, who followed up Bush 41's lead and got NAFTA passed way back before it became organized labor's rallying cry.) This is hardball? This stuff draws tears, sharp breaths, and angry fist-shaking? Too bad Andrew Jackson's not around to recount suffering bigamy charges, Grover Cleveland's to recount smears over his alleged illegitimate child, or even Ohio's Warren Harding to discuss the Shadow of Blooming Grove whispered racial lineage to show 'em some real dirty politics.
What's really counting for me on this eve of what we hope will be the final Democratic Presidential Debate: the YouTube vote. Obama Girl's got it running away, more than six million views to Hot4Hill's less than 1.3 million.
Here's what you've been missing from the pro-Hillary video:
And with that I figure Diana will be glad the next time I go two weeks without a post.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Justice
The pundits will now move on, the center ring slowly emptying outside the Stark County Courthouse as the snaking cables from live trucks are rolled back into their hiding places, ready to unfurl at a courthouse or crime scene to be named later. Bobby Cutts, Jr. is guilty.
The questions most of us will ask the jury will likely center on just what
they talked about during their 27 hours of deliberations -- about half as long as the total testimony they heard inside Judge Charles Brown's courtroom. How did they decide against finding for aggravated murder in Count One, the murder of Jessie Davis? Was is Bobby's tears or did they find plausible attorney Fernando Mack's opinion that the death was a horrible accident, the intersection of a powerful elbow and soft tissue?
What plays loudest in the follow-up to the State v Bobby Cutts, Jr. is the apparent view of jurors forged by what seems to have been a lifetime behind closed doors, a dozen people charged with deciding life or death: the adults in this tragic play were held to a different standard than the one player who never had a voice to speak her side. Baby Chloe's only story could be told through the evidence, gruesome photographs simply too graphic to show on TV or the web. It was in consideration of her, two weeks shy of entering this world, that the jury found murder was more than just murder, it was enough to call aggravated and now triggers the next step.
The gag order continues for the lawyers and family members; no commenting, please, despite the calls coming in from New York to feed the media hunger when tonight's viewing audiences watch the evening after Nancy shared tragedy of school killings, OJ's girlfriend and other cases with her babies in the studio to spend some of Valentine's Day with mom. The so-called penalty phase will determine the measure of justice for Bobby Cutts, to be spelled out by the still promise of his unborn daughter.
The questions most of us will ask the jury will likely center on just whatthey talked about during their 27 hours of deliberations -- about half as long as the total testimony they heard inside Judge Charles Brown's courtroom. How did they decide against finding for aggravated murder in Count One, the murder of Jessie Davis? Was is Bobby's tears or did they find plausible attorney Fernando Mack's opinion that the death was a horrible accident, the intersection of a powerful elbow and soft tissue?
What plays loudest in the follow-up to the State v Bobby Cutts, Jr. is the apparent view of jurors forged by what seems to have been a lifetime behind closed doors, a dozen people charged with deciding life or death: the adults in this tragic play were held to a different standard than the one player who never had a voice to speak her side. Baby Chloe's only story could be told through the evidence, gruesome photographs simply too graphic to show on TV or the web. It was in consideration of her, two weeks shy of entering this world, that the jury found murder was more than just murder, it was enough to call aggravated and now triggers the next step.
The gag order continues for the lawyers and family members; no commenting, please, despite the calls coming in from New York to feed the media hunger when tonight's viewing audiences watch the evening after Nancy shared tragedy of school killings, OJ's girlfriend and other cases with her babies in the studio to spend some of Valentine's Day with mom. The so-called penalty phase will determine the measure of justice for Bobby Cutts, to be spelled out by the still promise of his unborn daughter.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Pimping For The Truth
A sad day indeed as reporters walk on eggshells and contemplate acting as robots watching the news unfold because political campaigns are much better at using words to cynically manipulate the press. The issue: just when does "pimping" come into play?
I ask this question as Chelsea Clinton is scheduled to take a stage and podium (and likely a microphone, too) to campaign for Mom at the University of Akron. We've all seen the hue and uproar stemming from MSNBC's David Shuster unfortunate slip of the tongue in describing the use of Chelsea to make support phone calls to fat cats as "pimping", and Hillary's camp wrapping themselves in the flag of protective political motherhood to protest such a term being used to describe young Chelsea. It was a fine display of a political protection order, cowing the Ohio media lest we lose the 18th debate between Hillary and Obama. Leave my little girl alone!
At 28.
Double standard here because the Clintonistas are much better at bullying the debate than others? After all, most of us had a snicker or two at Billy Carter's beer belly in the 70s, Mama Carter's occasional pronouncements, the derring-do of Bush 41's progeny (including now-43) and Roger Clinton's occasional snorts with the law. The media, for the most part, leaves the children of Presidents alone with a few exceptions (such as boozy Bush daughters employing the typical rites of passage that come with college life; Chelsea herself had a few run-ins along those lines as well with the British tabloids) but for the most part the rule has been under 18, keep it clean.
Happier days in the big house
But Chelsea's not 12 anymore, the age when Dad moved the family to 1600 Pennsylvania; she's not in college anymore, as the Bush twins were; she's earning her own living, making her own way, and stumping for Mom like there's no tomorrow.
Except when she's treated like an adult, and then it's hands-off my daughter!
Just what IS the definition of pimping for political purposes? Let's be honest: these candidates and their families know full-well what comes with putting everyone on the platter for public consumption during the obligatory "we are family" moments. Spouses and children are part of the display, part of the show, part of the sell to convince voters that O, and H, and J, and B are all regular folk with regular family lives.
But they aren't. Your kids, most likely, aren't part of the process when you make a presentation to your boss or board of directors. Unless I miss my guess most kids aren't calling big donors and appearing on candidates behalf at fundraisers and business events. Families take pains to keep those worlds separate, and for good reason: this is rough trade, asking for our votes. We expect campaigners to talk with us, answer questions, and make the case on why we should vote for Mom or Dad.
John Kerry's kids did it four years ago; the Kennedy's do it so much we take it for granted; the Bush nieces and nephews and grandkids do it on camera during national conventions; McCain's daughter has a running blog that drives his buttoned-up campaign staff crazy.
It's time to acknowledge a truth in this campaign: Chelsea isn't a teenager anymore, she's just like us: an adult, pushing a product, trying to get us to love that product enough to vote for her March 4th.
Welcome to politics, where one puts another on display to gain a benefit. To sell or not to sell, still the question.
I ask this question as Chelsea Clinton is scheduled to take a stage and podium (and likely a microphone, too) to campaign for Mom at the University of Akron. We've all seen the hue and uproar stemming from MSNBC's David Shuster unfortunate slip of the tongue in describing the use of Chelsea to make support phone calls to fat cats as "pimping", and Hillary's camp wrapping themselves in the flag of protective political motherhood to protest such a term being used to describe young Chelsea. It was a fine display of a political protection order, cowing the Ohio media lest we lose the 18th debate between Hillary and Obama. Leave my little girl alone!
At 28.
Double standard here because the Clintonistas are much better at bullying the debate than others? After all, most of us had a snicker or two at Billy Carter's beer belly in the 70s, Mama Carter's occasional pronouncements, the derring-do of Bush 41's progeny (including now-43) and Roger Clinton's occasional snorts with the law. The media, for the most part, leaves the children of Presidents alone with a few exceptions (such as boozy Bush daughters employing the typical rites of passage that come with college life; Chelsea herself had a few run-ins along those lines as well with the British tabloids) but for the most part the rule has been under 18, keep it clean.
Happier days in the big houseBut Chelsea's not 12 anymore, the age when Dad moved the family to 1600 Pennsylvania; she's not in college anymore, as the Bush twins were; she's earning her own living, making her own way, and stumping for Mom like there's no tomorrow.
Except when she's treated like an adult, and then it's hands-off my daughter!
Just what IS the definition of pimping for political purposes? Let's be honest: these candidates and their families know full-well what comes with putting everyone on the platter for public consumption during the obligatory "we are family" moments. Spouses and children are part of the display, part of the show, part of the sell to convince voters that O, and H, and J, and B are all regular folk with regular family lives.
But they aren't. Your kids, most likely, aren't part of the process when you make a presentation to your boss or board of directors. Unless I miss my guess most kids aren't calling big donors and appearing on candidates behalf at fundraisers and business events. Families take pains to keep those worlds separate, and for good reason: this is rough trade, asking for our votes. We expect campaigners to talk with us, answer questions, and make the case on why we should vote for Mom or Dad.
John Kerry's kids did it four years ago; the Kennedy's do it so much we take it for granted; the Bush nieces and nephews and grandkids do it on camera during national conventions; McCain's daughter has a running blog that drives his buttoned-up campaign staff crazy.
It's time to acknowledge a truth in this campaign: Chelsea isn't a teenager anymore, she's just like us: an adult, pushing a product, trying to get us to love that product enough to vote for her March 4th.
Welcome to politics, where one puts another on display to gain a benefit. To sell or not to sell, still the question.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Not A Good Night's Rest
The jury heads home for the night -- as long as you consider home a hotel paid for by the State, a location where they've set up dinner for everyone at the same time. No side trips to the Bell for a quick burrito, no slipping out to Rockne's even for a Firestone salad.
Chris Keppler has an excellent sidebar posted on AkronNewsNow on what it's like for the men and women making up the jury hearing the murder case against Bobby Cutts, Jr. It's no picnic and it is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives regardless of what their verdict is.
Right now the decision is of guilt or innocence; the jury could accept the manslaughter charge, it could find aggravated murder or it could even acquit; these things are never the guarantees the pundits expect them to be. How many times have you turned on those programs and gotten an earful of "wow, what a surprise!" from the experts?
Tina Kaufmann was clearly exhausted after all the adrenalin of courtroom coverage the past seven days; last night she was on Fox with Greta, tonight she's on CNN Headline with Nancy. Eric Mansfield tells me MSNBC has been calling him as well and I know Phil Trexler's phone has been also ringing off the hook at the Akron Beacon Journal during his coverage of the story. I believe the local reporters have done a credible and responsible job reporting what's been happening in the courtroom, and note the public interest in this case hasn't hijacked the coverage to the point where we've seen a Judge Ito moment (or a Cochran or Clark moment from the lawyers, either) and justice seems to have been served well by the broadcast and webcast coverage of the trial. Even the usual suspects have been keeping their eyes on the ball and presenting the story in fairly straightforward terms and tone.
Another day of deliberations start bright and early for the jury and given tonight's forecast they can at least be thankful someone else is taking care of their ride into work tomorrow morning.
Chris Keppler has an excellent sidebar posted on AkronNewsNow on what it's like for the men and women making up the jury hearing the murder case against Bobby Cutts, Jr. It's no picnic and it is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives regardless of what their verdict is.
Right now the decision is of guilt or innocence; the jury could accept the manslaughter charge, it could find aggravated murder or it could even acquit; these things are never the guarantees the pundits expect them to be. How many times have you turned on those programs and gotten an earful of "wow, what a surprise!" from the experts?
Tina Kaufmann was clearly exhausted after all the adrenalin of courtroom coverage the past seven days; last night she was on Fox with Greta, tonight she's on CNN Headline with Nancy. Eric Mansfield tells me MSNBC has been calling him as well and I know Phil Trexler's phone has been also ringing off the hook at the Akron Beacon Journal during his coverage of the story. I believe the local reporters have done a credible and responsible job reporting what's been happening in the courtroom, and note the public interest in this case hasn't hijacked the coverage to the point where we've seen a Judge Ito moment (or a Cochran or Clark moment from the lawyers, either) and justice seems to have been served well by the broadcast and webcast coverage of the trial. Even the usual suspects have been keeping their eyes on the ball and presenting the story in fairly straightforward terms and tone.
Another day of deliberations start bright and early for the jury and given tonight's forecast they can at least be thankful someone else is taking care of their ride into work tomorrow morning.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Will Tears Work?
In a stunning reversal of strategy the defense team for Bobby Cutts, Jr. put their client on the stand to plead his own case to the jury considering the capital murder case against him.
Fernando Mack's thoughts may have been the testimony in the prosecution's case may have been so damning last week that the defense had only once chance to keep Cutts out of the death chamber, and that was to make the jury feel sorry for him. After five straight days of graphic testimony and images surely seared in the brains of the jury will this afternoon's tears be enough to put the benefit of a death-row doubt in their hearts?
Cutts painted a confusing picture of Jessie's last night on earth, complete with another woman and claims he accidentally killed her when his elbow caught her in the throat. He could barely answer questions during the defense testimony without breaking down and crying but now that the prosecution is asking questions he's noticeably guarded in responding to the State. As a cynic I question the changing mood, but also admit he may simply be emotionally drained at this point after two hours before the cross examination begins.
If it was the decision of the defense team to put Cutts on the stand -- what a risky move. Just about any defense attorney you speak with will note the absolute worst thing most defendants can do is open their mouths, especially with the chance for prosecutors to take aim and come after their target and that's exactly what is happening now with a question on whether Cutts had a cold because prosecution lawyers really didn't see any tears. That may be enough to plant the seed in a wavering juror's mind to question what he or she has just witnessed as to whether it was sincere and the truth. If no, the strategy backfires in the worst possible way but then many question whether Cutts has anything to lose.
Fernando Mack's thoughts may have been the testimony in the prosecution's case may have been so damning last week that the defense had only once chance to keep Cutts out of the death chamber, and that was to make the jury feel sorry for him. After five straight days of graphic testimony and images surely seared in the brains of the jury will this afternoon's tears be enough to put the benefit of a death-row doubt in their hearts?
Cutts painted a confusing picture of Jessie's last night on earth, complete with another woman and claims he accidentally killed her when his elbow caught her in the throat. He could barely answer questions during the defense testimony without breaking down and crying but now that the prosecution is asking questions he's noticeably guarded in responding to the State. As a cynic I question the changing mood, but also admit he may simply be emotionally drained at this point after two hours before the cross examination begins.
If it was the decision of the defense team to put Cutts on the stand -- what a risky move. Just about any defense attorney you speak with will note the absolute worst thing most defendants can do is open their mouths, especially with the chance for prosecutors to take aim and come after their target and that's exactly what is happening now with a question on whether Cutts had a cold because prosecution lawyers really didn't see any tears. That may be enough to plant the seed in a wavering juror's mind to question what he or she has just witnessed as to whether it was sincere and the truth. If no, the strategy backfires in the worst possible way but then many question whether Cutts has anything to lose.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Ethics Question: When Is It Enough?
Quite a bit of discussion this morning in the newsroom on the graphic testimony from Dr. Lisa Kohler, the Summit County Medical Examiner, on the condition of Jessie Marie Davis' body when it was discovered after nine days of exposure. This is coverage you will not hear on our radio stations, and that's our choice.
The audio from today's testimony in Stark County Common Pleas Court in The State v Bobby Cutts, Jr. is very specific and not at all atypical of what any Medical Examiner or Coroner would testify to on the condition of a body and resulting autopsy procedure; anyone who's watching any of the CSI programs can figure that out. The difference is real versus Hollywood, and whether it really matters that those of following the Cutts case through broadcast reports (radio and television) should hear this testimony.
We will not use the graphic, disturbing autopsy audio on our broadcast reports. This material (condition of organs, viewing of Jessie's unborn child, etc.) doesn't leave much to the imagination and for the purposes of the official court record that's a good thing. For the purposes of reporting the case to the general public outside the courtroom, however, I'm not sure it is appropriate.
The testimony, while necessary for the jury, can be paraphrased for the sake of an audience that doesn't have the ability to control whether or not they hear or see it. If you are monitoring the case through online reports, you are in control of listening; when you are in the car a "...this graphic audio may be disturbing..." with a two-second warning to hit the switch offers little if in fact no choice at all for the listener.
The key issue in Kohler's testimony is not the condition of the body; we get that. If you don't, wait until summer and perform your own experiment by leaving dinner outside for nine days. The key issue is just why it has been so difficult for the experts to pinpoint the exact cause of death, and those questions can be answered in a fashion that doesn't require us to have advanced medical degrees or a lust for the excessively disturbing. It's a criminal trial, not another episode of the SAW movies.
Bottom line: if you want to hear it, you choose to click on the link; if you are in the car, washing the dishes, or listening at work we don't need to invade your space with the nitty-gritty. The content depends on the context it is presented in this case, and our judgment is to err on the side of the listener.
That difference of control is paramount.
The audio from today's testimony in Stark County Common Pleas Court in The State v Bobby Cutts, Jr. is very specific and not at all atypical of what any Medical Examiner or Coroner would testify to on the condition of a body and resulting autopsy procedure; anyone who's watching any of the CSI programs can figure that out. The difference is real versus Hollywood, and whether it really matters that those of following the Cutts case through broadcast reports (radio and television) should hear this testimony.
We will not use the graphic, disturbing autopsy audio on our broadcast reports. This material (condition of organs, viewing of Jessie's unborn child, etc.) doesn't leave much to the imagination and for the purposes of the official court record that's a good thing. For the purposes of reporting the case to the general public outside the courtroom, however, I'm not sure it is appropriate.
The testimony, while necessary for the jury, can be paraphrased for the sake of an audience that doesn't have the ability to control whether or not they hear or see it. If you are monitoring the case through online reports, you are in control of listening; when you are in the car a "...this graphic audio may be disturbing..." with a two-second warning to hit the switch offers little if in fact no choice at all for the listener.
The key issue in Kohler's testimony is not the condition of the body; we get that. If you don't, wait until summer and perform your own experiment by leaving dinner outside for nine days. The key issue is just why it has been so difficult for the experts to pinpoint the exact cause of death, and those questions can be answered in a fashion that doesn't require us to have advanced medical degrees or a lust for the excessively disturbing. It's a criminal trial, not another episode of the SAW movies.
Bottom line: if you want to hear it, you choose to click on the link; if you are in the car, washing the dishes, or listening at work we don't need to invade your space with the nitty-gritty. The content depends on the context it is presented in this case, and our judgment is to err on the side of the listener.
That difference of control is paramount.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Akron's New World of Politics
Everybody has an opinion. Why not share it?
The experiment continues on Ohio.com's The Point political blog which raises questions on just what the role of blogging is and what should it be this election cycle? Even though half of the team is operating under editorial restrictions because of "old media" ethical considerations, just when does the "new media" part kick in?
Mind you, I freely admit on my blog I hate the term "new media"...because I don't consider blogging "new" by any stretch, and much of what's new comes out of "old media", AKA mainstream media. The field of commenting on politics is hardly new; Thomas Paine figured it out hundreds of years ago. Thank Gutenberg for the first giant leap toward making the media the business we can all share in.
The only thing remotely fresh here is the use of a new platform (the Web) in spreading the ideas and words to a broader audience.
LINK to the AkronNewsNow blog with audio of this morning's interview
When we were setting up this morning's interview segments with Ben Keeler and Kyle Kutuchief on WAKR's Ray Horner Show part of the fun was the ongoing discussion with both Ben and Kyle on just what's going on here; do we consider the Web and projects such as The Point and even Cleveland.com's defunct Wide Open competitors?
My response: no. As noted before, you don't add to a discussion by subtracting voices and ideas. Adding alternate viewpoints to the political mix in Akron can only be healthy, especially given the one-party rule of the City and what looks increasingly like one-party rule of the County as well with the exception of a handful of offices.
What I find fascinating is the simple power of blogs to stimulate thinking; even with the restrictions posed by Ben's candidacy for the Summit GOP Central Committee, Alex Arshinkoff's objections and Ohio.com's ground rules after the flap he's still able to articulate his views on his own website The Keeler Report; Kyle certainly has the same opportunity to handle his opinions both on Ohio.com as well as his own independent website The Chief Source he administers with six others. It's the free flow of information that drives the American political process, and what the web had clearly done is to take the flow from the fingers of the few and expanded the reach more democratically.
It powers Senator Kevin Coughlin's attempt to unseat Arshinkoff with his New Summit Republicans site, allowing him and his supporters greater reach. Arshinkoff supporters have the same opportunity with their Keep Summit County Republicans Strong site but now instead of limiting the debate to those who can finance the printing presses and broadcast transmitters anyone can utilize the technology to make a difference, no matter what their perspective may be.
The experiment continues on Ohio.com's The Point political blog which raises questions on just what the role of blogging is and what should it be this election cycle? Even though half of the team is operating under editorial restrictions because of "old media" ethical considerations, just when does the "new media" part kick in?
Mind you, I freely admit on my blog I hate the term "new media"...because I don't consider blogging "new" by any stretch, and much of what's new comes out of "old media", AKA mainstream media. The field of commenting on politics is hardly new; Thomas Paine figured it out hundreds of years ago. Thank Gutenberg for the first giant leap toward making the media the business we can all share in.
The only thing remotely fresh here is the use of a new platform (the Web) in spreading the ideas and words to a broader audience.
LINK to the AkronNewsNow blog with audio of this morning's interview
When we were setting up this morning's interview segments with Ben Keeler and Kyle Kutuchief on WAKR's Ray Horner Show part of the fun was the ongoing discussion with both Ben and Kyle on just what's going on here; do we consider the Web and projects such as The Point and even Cleveland.com's defunct Wide Open competitors?
My response: no. As noted before, you don't add to a discussion by subtracting voices and ideas. Adding alternate viewpoints to the political mix in Akron can only be healthy, especially given the one-party rule of the City and what looks increasingly like one-party rule of the County as well with the exception of a handful of offices.
What I find fascinating is the simple power of blogs to stimulate thinking; even with the restrictions posed by Ben's candidacy for the Summit GOP Central Committee, Alex Arshinkoff's objections and Ohio.com's ground rules after the flap he's still able to articulate his views on his own website The Keeler Report; Kyle certainly has the same opportunity to handle his opinions both on Ohio.com as well as his own independent website The Chief Source he administers with six others. It's the free flow of information that drives the American political process, and what the web had clearly done is to take the flow from the fingers of the few and expanded the reach more democratically.
It powers Senator Kevin Coughlin's attempt to unseat Arshinkoff with his New Summit Republicans site, allowing him and his supporters greater reach. Arshinkoff supporters have the same opportunity with their Keep Summit County Republicans Strong site but now instead of limiting the debate to those who can finance the printing presses and broadcast transmitters anyone can utilize the technology to make a difference, no matter what their perspective may be.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Sitting On The 50
While Nature Girl and I sit on the couch watching the Super Bowl -- she's scanning cookbooks, I'm surfing the Internet and both of us are thinking: we should send Rupert Murdoch a nice note thanking the network for scotching any political ads the rest of the nation's 20+ states with primary and caucus votes coming up next week are likely watching.
The rest of our conversation in this spousal communication:
- What's the difference between a sack and a knockdown? Sack is when you still have the ball; knockdown is when they want to make you pay for getting rid of it a half-second earlier.
- Go online and see why the Danika Patrick video was too much for Fox to run! It isn't because of anything -- or lack thereof -- when she unzips her jacket. It has to do with the beavers the other models are showing and yes, I mean beavers (see the photo, left) in context with Ms. Patrick's observations on the charms of GoDaddy.com.
You might also want to take a moment to check out the director's cut of the White Light GoDaddy commercial as well; I'm over 50 but must admit those ads make me feel like 14 was worth it.
- Nature Girl's favorite commercial in the first half: when the Budweiser dog helps Hank the Horse reclaim his rightful place leading the Clydesdales hauling beer over America.
- Nature Girl's least favorite commercial in the first half: the Doritos ad where the guy sets a mousetrap and snacks on chips while waiting, only to have a man-sized mouse come out of the hole and beat the snot out of him. "Too violent," she says, but she didn't seem to think watching Tom Brady go down under a pile of Giants was too violent. She did like the GoDaddy beaver commercial, however, because they are cute.
- Where's Jerrod the Subway Guy, she wants to know? What kind of Super Bowl ads are these?
- I really liked the $40,000 commercial for the University of Akron; it was cool watching Luis Proenza toss around lightning bolts like he was auditioning for a Highlander sequel.
- FINALLY a halftime show worth a damn. The sound was a bit hollow -- and Tom Petty looks a bit too much like Gregg Allman with that beard for my taste -- but at least we didn't have to worry about middle fingers (Kid Rock) and Tom's jacket coming off.
The rest of our conversation in this spousal communication:
- What's the difference between a sack and a knockdown? Sack is when you still have the ball; knockdown is when they want to make you pay for getting rid of it a half-second earlier.
- Go online and see why the Danika Patrick video was too much for Fox to run! It isn't because of anything -- or lack thereof -- when she unzips her jacket. It has to do with the beavers the other models are showing and yes, I mean beavers (see the photo, left) in context with Ms. Patrick's observations on the charms of GoDaddy.com. You might also want to take a moment to check out the director's cut of the White Light GoDaddy commercial as well; I'm over 50 but must admit those ads make me feel like 14 was worth it.
- Nature Girl's favorite commercial in the first half: when the Budweiser dog helps Hank the Horse reclaim his rightful place leading the Clydesdales hauling beer over America.
- Nature Girl's least favorite commercial in the first half: the Doritos ad where the guy sets a mousetrap and snacks on chips while waiting, only to have a man-sized mouse come out of the hole and beat the snot out of him. "Too violent," she says, but she didn't seem to think watching Tom Brady go down under a pile of Giants was too violent. She did like the GoDaddy beaver commercial, however, because they are cute.
- Where's Jerrod the Subway Guy, she wants to know? What kind of Super Bowl ads are these?
- I really liked the $40,000 commercial for the University of Akron; it was cool watching Luis Proenza toss around lightning bolts like he was auditioning for a Highlander sequel.
- FINALLY a halftime show worth a damn. The sound was a bit hollow -- and Tom Petty looks a bit too much like Gregg Allman with that beard for my taste -- but at least we didn't have to worry about middle fingers (Kid Rock) and Tom's jacket coming off.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Feeding The Habit
The litany of "thanks to me" releases are making their way into the newsroom as anyone who's anyone in Congress (the House, at least) trumpets their support of the economic stimulus package. Maybe this should also be called the "feeding the crack addict more crack" bill.
I know it's probably un-American to say this but this rush to give taxpayers $600 of their own money -- borrowed from their own tax refunds next year -- is exactly one of the reasons why the perception of the economy is trouble, trouble, and more trouble.
Just why are we tanking? The subprime mortgage crisis is a big reason, say the experts, with a half-million Americans losing their homes to foreclosure and more to come in 2008. What we're paying lip service to is that banks didn't do their jobs making sure the loans were repayable and the borrowers (that'd be us, folks) didn't quite grasp the American Dream actually had to be paid back. The lenders were the crack dealers and the consumers were the crack addicts.
Whatever happened to "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is?" or is that just the postscript on Better Business Bureau news releases?
The answer from Washington doesn't really ding the lenders and the scores of high-paid subprime geniuses who likely cashed in on huge bonuses during the greed-glory years, although the sinking stock prices are a nice reminder that stockholders still hold the bag. The answer isn't a call for a financial come-to-Jesus for consumers to wake up and realize adults do have to pay attention to the fine print and you really shouldn't expect to get something for nothing. The solution marked bipartisan: borrow from next year's taxes so people think they're getting a gift this year. You are likely excited at the prospect of hundreds of dollars by summer but as that check lands in the mailbox remember it's your money, so a couple of ideas ahead of the splurge:
YES, America is now a consumer and service economy but the health and welfare of Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Sears and Macy's really isn't more important than your own economic health. Instead of making the plasma screen your top priority (thereby increasing the trade deficit) how about making your personal deficit a higher priority and paying down some debt? Not sexy, not as much fun but a better way to improve your personal finances in the long run.
SURE, consumer spending is important to jump start the economy but consider for a moment going to the grocery store, paying utility bills, making needed home improvements to improve the value of your home and maybe even taking those college classes you've thought of but couldn't afford are also "consumer spending", but a far better investment in you than in Sony, Panasonic, and Toshiba.
SPENDING isn't a bad thing as long as you use smart think; would you buy that big-ticket item if you didn't get the $600 bucks and more importantly is it a question of want or is it a question of need? We've gotten to the point where American society is being defined by what we're buying instead of what we're doing and that's a step toward the Pax Americana signaling the beginning of the demise of the U.S. era.
It won't be a sudden overnight event; it'll take time, and the slide will be in cents rather than dollars until we wake up and find the banks all run by someone else overseas. Buy into the dealer's argument that we need the drug to keep the neighborhood alive and the only one who prospers is the dealer, and even then without the customers in the long run he won't have much of a future. Blowing our own money in a gigantic consumer spending orgasm this summer is a down payment not on a stronger economy but just a momentary fix until the next pangs of hunger strike.
I know it's probably un-American to say this but this rush to give taxpayers $600 of their own money -- borrowed from their own tax refunds next year -- is exactly one of the reasons why the perception of the economy is trouble, trouble, and more trouble.
Just why are we tanking? The subprime mortgage crisis is a big reason, say the experts, with a half-million Americans losing their homes to foreclosure and more to come in 2008. What we're paying lip service to is that banks didn't do their jobs making sure the loans were repayable and the borrowers (that'd be us, folks) didn't quite grasp the American Dream actually had to be paid back. The lenders were the crack dealers and the consumers were the crack addicts.Whatever happened to "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is?" or is that just the postscript on Better Business Bureau news releases?
The answer from Washington doesn't really ding the lenders and the scores of high-paid subprime geniuses who likely cashed in on huge bonuses during the greed-glory years, although the sinking stock prices are a nice reminder that stockholders still hold the bag. The answer isn't a call for a financial come-to-Jesus for consumers to wake up and realize adults do have to pay attention to the fine print and you really shouldn't expect to get something for nothing. The solution marked bipartisan: borrow from next year's taxes so people think they're getting a gift this year. You are likely excited at the prospect of hundreds of dollars by summer but as that check lands in the mailbox remember it's your money, so a couple of ideas ahead of the splurge:
YES, America is now a consumer and service economy but the health and welfare of Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Sears and Macy's really isn't more important than your own economic health. Instead of making the plasma screen your top priority (thereby increasing the trade deficit) how about making your personal deficit a higher priority and paying down some debt? Not sexy, not as much fun but a better way to improve your personal finances in the long run.
SURE, consumer spending is important to jump start the economy but consider for a moment going to the grocery store, paying utility bills, making needed home improvements to improve the value of your home and maybe even taking those college classes you've thought of but couldn't afford are also "consumer spending", but a far better investment in you than in Sony, Panasonic, and Toshiba.
SPENDING isn't a bad thing as long as you use smart think; would you buy that big-ticket item if you didn't get the $600 bucks and more importantly is it a question of want or is it a question of need? We've gotten to the point where American society is being defined by what we're buying instead of what we're doing and that's a step toward the Pax Americana signaling the beginning of the demise of the U.S. era.
It won't be a sudden overnight event; it'll take time, and the slide will be in cents rather than dollars until we wake up and find the banks all run by someone else overseas. Buy into the dealer's argument that we need the drug to keep the neighborhood alive and the only one who prospers is the dealer, and even then without the customers in the long run he won't have much of a future. Blowing our own money in a gigantic consumer spending orgasm this summer is a down payment not on a stronger economy but just a momentary fix until the next pangs of hunger strike.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Do Bloggers Get A First Too?
Here it is Monday and we still can't get "The Point" -- at least today, but it IS coming back, so what's the point? It's the First Amendment.
The editors down on Exchange and South Main now say they will restore The Point, the political blog on Ohio.com's new politics website that's been on hiatus since it was yanked off the web after Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff launched complaints that blogger Ben Keeler shouldn't be able to make his point since he (Keeler) is a candidate for the county GOP Central Committee on the slate that wants to give Arshinkoff the heave-ho. Thanks for getting open debate opened up again.
This may sound very confusing but in reality it's pretty simple: just how willing is the media to extend the First Amendment to those who contribute political content online, and what unique power to stifle debate should politicians have?
What is interesting is how this hasn't really surfaced beyond a couple dozen blog notes, this one included, in questioning why a media organization (in this case the Beacon Journal, owner of Ohio.com) didn't use the occasion to respectfully remind Alex of Keeler's right to his own opinion and political views as not only a blogger but also as a candidate, and encourage Arshinkoff to use the occasion to respond or challenge Keeler directly.
In their own terms of use the new political feature on Ohio.com notes it doesn't "...control, and is not responsible for, any Content made available through the Site by members." Doesn't Keeler's opinion and the thoughts of fellow bloggers and responses fall into that category? The Point's very own disclaimer also makes it clear Keeler and opposing view blogger Kyle Kutuchief have their own opinions and neither the ABJ nor Ohio.com are tied to any opinions or endorsements.
Alex Arshinkoff is absolutely right to note Keeler's bias (just as Keeler did himself) as a matter of his personal opinion, but using the complaint to pull the blog is the absolute wrong decision by the folks at Ohio.com, which should be commended for encouraging open debate and discussion on public issues and setting up a site devoted to politics.
Critics of the way things are done in Summit County often talk about how we in the media fail to illuminate the shortcomings of the elected and powerful, relegating the real decision making to power lunches at the Portage Country Club or downtown restaurants known as political watering holes. Anyone taking in a tasty bite at Bricco can attest to the movers and shakers who meet over a plate (full disclosure: me included) to talk strategy. This decision only reinforces and gives credence to that criticism.
I'm glad the posting will start up, sometime next week according to the update. In the meantime how about not losing sight of the fact that the real point is to generate enough heat to shed light on the way the people's business is decided?
(First Amendment image from www.reedexpo.com; it's a t-shirt from booksellers promoting the First Amendment and you can buy it for $25 bucks through this link.)
The editors down on Exchange and South Main now say they will restore The Point, the political blog on Ohio.com's new politics website that's been on hiatus since it was yanked off the web after Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff launched complaints that blogger Ben Keeler shouldn't be able to make his point since he (Keeler) is a candidate for the county GOP Central Committee on the slate that wants to give Arshinkoff the heave-ho. Thanks for getting open debate opened up again.
This may sound very confusing but in reality it's pretty simple: just how willing is the media to extend the First Amendment to those who contribute political content online, and what unique power to stifle debate should politicians have?Arshinkoff's argument (we can only surmise since Alex isn't talking for himself, as usual) is that Keeler is biased since he's openly running on the New Summit Republicans platform to make a change in the county GOP. That bias is no surprise since Keeler made the point openly and honestly in his own blog from Day One. Apparently no good deed goes unpunished because Keeler was shut down, according to management's original posting, after Arshinkoff complained.
Their point is that someone might argue paying the bloggers might constitute support from the Beacon Journal and Ohio.com despite the frequent disclaimers posted all over the blog posts and site on how neither the ABJ nor Ohio.com are responsible.What is interesting is how this hasn't really surfaced beyond a couple dozen blog notes, this one included, in questioning why a media organization (in this case the Beacon Journal, owner of Ohio.com) didn't use the occasion to respectfully remind Alex of Keeler's right to his own opinion and political views as not only a blogger but also as a candidate, and encourage Arshinkoff to use the occasion to respond or challenge Keeler directly.
In their own terms of use the new political feature on Ohio.com notes it doesn't "...control, and is not responsible for, any Content made available through the Site by members." Doesn't Keeler's opinion and the thoughts of fellow bloggers and responses fall into that category? The Point's very own disclaimer also makes it clear Keeler and opposing view blogger Kyle Kutuchief have their own opinions and neither the ABJ nor Ohio.com are tied to any opinions or endorsements.
Alex Arshinkoff is absolutely right to note Keeler's bias (just as Keeler did himself) as a matter of his personal opinion, but using the complaint to pull the blog is the absolute wrong decision by the folks at Ohio.com, which should be commended for encouraging open debate and discussion on public issues and setting up a site devoted to politics.
Critics of the way things are done in Summit County often talk about how we in the media fail to illuminate the shortcomings of the elected and powerful, relegating the real decision making to power lunches at the Portage Country Club or downtown restaurants known as political watering holes. Anyone taking in a tasty bite at Bricco can attest to the movers and shakers who meet over a plate (full disclosure: me included) to talk strategy. This decision only reinforces and gives credence to that criticism.
I'm glad the posting will start up, sometime next week according to the update. In the meantime how about not losing sight of the fact that the real point is to generate enough heat to shed light on the way the people's business is decided?
(First Amendment image from www.reedexpo.com; it's a t-shirt from booksellers promoting the First Amendment and you can buy it for $25 bucks through this link.)
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