OK, is anyone shocked that I'm endorsing Betty Sutton in Ohio 13? The only real surprise is that it's taken this long.
I was actually considering a post calling for no preference between Betty and Whoever Can Beat Cafaro. I'm feeling a little more confident after the last poll. Honestly, if a last poll comes out this week showing Cafaro looming at the finish line, I may vote for whoever looks in best position to keep her out. For now, Betty Sutton has my vote, has a swatch of my lawn for her unfortunate sign -- Hell, she has a fair amount of my money.
As to why, basically I liked her message from the first time I saw her. You can read that first post to catch up. I like that she's talking about running the government well instead of proposing a Unified Theory of Everything as a legislative agenda. I think that her "Who's Minding the Store" theme meshes well with the campaign themes that would work best for the Democrats this fall. Also, check out my MTB post that highlights more of what I like about Betty.
By way of additional explanation, and perhaps disclosure, I've spent a total of a couple hours with her, including an hour long coffee which consisted mostly of me talking about education policy and her and her researcher taking notes. A cynic would say that she was trying to work over an influential blogger. A realist -- like one who sees my SiteMeter reports -- would say there are easier ways to get at the handful of voters that make up my audience. I love you all, but there just aren't that many of you. I found her to be genuinely curious about what I had to say, much like her inquiry of George during MTB. She had me at "Tell me about that."
Having said all that, I could live a long happy life without reading the words "Tom Sawyer" and "junket" in the same sentence again. I'm sure the EM-List hired DC gurus could show me focus group data and internal polls showing that this is a wonderful strategy. And I would still think they are wrong. I think she should have done in Lorain with Capri what she has done in Akron with Sawyer. The strategy worked temporarily at least as an attention-getter, but it's gone on at least three mailers too long.
But I get that it's politics and I can deal with it. Within the past five years I walked away from a promising State Senate campaign because the candidate sent out a mailer that was bullshit. And it was, but I was wrong to walk away. It's politics. It would be wonderful if political discourse happened even at the modestly high level of this blog, but it doesn't. I can live with that now; I can live with the decision to go after Sawyer, even as I feel the need to disinfect my hands after reading the latest mailer.
Campaign strategy aside, I believe Betty Sutton would be a solid candidate in the General and an excellent Representative. I am endorsing Betty Sutton for the Democratic nomination in Ohio 13th.
RIP, JOHN OLESKY
5 months ago
9 comments:
I agree. Wonderful post. Looks like Capri will be packing her bags to run in a new district in a couple of years. Better yet, how about using her riches to just volunteer and donate time and money to organizations because her resume really only qualifies her for this kind of work.
Great post, I wish I could cast a ballot for Sutton next week.
Nicely done, Pho. Yeah, this district really has it all when it comes to the types of folks that are drawn to politics.
You are so right, and explain it so well. I, too, wish I could vote for Sutton.
Another thought I've been having lately is that it really is time for a new generation of leaders, people establishing a track record now for future higher office. Our side needs them. And whatever else is good or bad about Sawyer, he is not the next generation. (And Cafaro is young, but she's got no future.)
Apparently a good deal of those polled in the 13th district in multiple polls believe Capri has a very promising future. There are obviously several different languages being spoken here, and most prevalent "Akron Blog-ese." Maybe blogging should have a foreign language requirement so the Akron Bloggers don't die of a heart attack when Capri wins next week. It's like they all live on on island somewhere pretending nothing else is happening elsewhere in the district.
Randall Schneider
Lorain
I should have said "no upside potential" instead of "no future."
BTW, I just posted an open letter to Bill Grace on my blog, asking him to withdraw and endorse Sutton, or at least anybody-but-Cafaro, to save the District from such an awful fate. Think he will be noble and fall on his sword?
Anon, you're done. I have a high tolerance, but I will not brook personal and vulgar comments leveled at visitors to the site. I won't have you turn my blog into a bathroom wall. Find somewhere else to troll
Randall, it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see Cafaro win on Tuesday. First off, she has major bank. In fact it's pretty much a humiliation that she's not running away in the polls, given the magnitude of the jack she's spread around the place.
Second, her demagogury on trade is a perfect platform in Lorain Co. where workers are desperate to believe that somehow things can go on or even go back. I get all that.
What will flat out shock me is if she wins in November then becomes a Representative who isn't a complete embarassment to the region. That would be a definite surprise.
Happy voting.
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