Flag City Politico

Going Up...Going Down - 11/30/07

Farewell to November - it was truly an exciting month! Before we leave, let's see who is up/down..

	Tony Iriti Coming off the victories of RiverPlace and port authority (securing a legacy), one would hope that the mayor would be doing everything in his power to help make the transition to Pete Sehnert an easy one for the sake of the city. He still has a month left in office, I hope he decides to stay on the high road and leave office in style; the last impression is often the one that the community remembers.
	Pete Sehnert You think that Mayor Iriti not being helpful is an issue? Wait until you face your own 'RiverPlace'-type issue and then see what type of response you receive the community-at-large. Even if you are not receiving cooperation, rise above it and just do your best. Complaining about it in the news does not endear you to the community; it makes you seem like a whiner. You have a month until taking office - don't ruin your political reputation before you begin your new job.
	CNN Whether you believe or not that the questions the Cable News Network selected, or their methodology, were above board, one thing does not change. No matter who the person was asking the question - or whether they support someone else - candidates have to answer difficult questions (even if quite a few were irrelevent). If CNN would have truly not used a question or two if they knew more about who submitted them, then shame on them for not vetting the individuals fully.
	Hillary Clinton Planted questions...Obama catching (or passing her) in Iowa...polls showing Republicans would beat her head-to-head...receiving Streisand's endorsement...and now the hostage situation in Rochester. When you are in front, people find more faults because they are looking harder. But no matter how you look at it, this has not been a good week for her PR department.
	Mike Huckabee Just the opposite, it seems like the former governor of Arkansas can do little wrong these days. He is tied with or ahead of everyone in Iowa...he is surging in New Hampshire and South Carolina...almost every story I read/watched had him winning the YouTube debate...and Chuck Norris endoresed him. Despite the first attack ad of the season directed at him (and Romney - from Thompson), this has been a good week for his PR department.span>

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 11/16/07

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 11/09/07

It's been a few weeks, but like a faithful friend, GUGD is back.

	National Presidential Straw poll participants The group that got together tonight was small, but we discussed many serious issues. It was very encouraging to see people from different walks of life come together to share their opinions, and have an intelligent discussion about the things important to us and the Presidential candidates in the next position to tackle them. Even though there were a few differences of opinion, everyone was respectful, asked questions and listened...what a concept in this era of bitter, partisan politics. Coming out on a Friday night...to talk politics...right after an election (when people are usually tired of the subject; I cannot give enough credit to those who attended! I have never been part of a straw poll/caucus before, but after this experience I am looking forward to December.
	The answer: 71.41 The question: The percentage of Hancock County registered voters, who didn't.
	Pete Sehnert Since Findlay is a Republican town, his election was expected. Despite the victory, there are still plenty of skeptics about whether he is up to doing the job. With less than two months to go before he takes office, he needs to get his team in place and start planning. He may not be in a position to do anything about River Place or a port authority, but other issues are on deck and awaiting his leadership...and while he's at it, maybe keep the ball rolling on flooding.
	Latta-Buehrer I As bitter and mean-spirited as this thing got, don't believe that this thing is over. Latta may have won the battle, but the war is going to continue. There is a primary election right around the corner, and whether Latta defeats Robin Weirauch or not in December, these two gentlemen (even though they don't deserve that title) will be back at it in short order.
	The Tip Did she, or didn't she? Clinton's campaign said they left a $100 tip after a visit to a Toledo, Iowa restaurant. One of the waitresses said she never saw anyone from the campaign leave one. I'm not taking sides on the issue; I just can't believe that the media jumped on this and made it a huge story within hours. With all the other important, and nonsensical, issues that candidates deal with, is this really worthy of the column space and airtime it has taken? Just say no!

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 10/12/07

	Candidate Information Here we are, less than a month away from the election, and people are still asking me for the names of the people running for various offices. I used to wonder how the public could not be aware of what is going on, until it dawned on me that I haven't seen much come from the candidates, scant information by the local media, and no support for a series of forums or debates amongst all the candidates. How is the public supposed to get educated about the people they are voting for?
	Hancock County Commissioners A sales tax increase? Whether you agree with it or not, it is probably inevitable that one will be needed to pay for the costs resulting from the flood and aftermath. A permanent increase...or just for 3-5 years? The temporary hike may be more palatable to voters who enjoy one of the lowest rates in the state. The next question is, what is the City of Findlay going to do?
	Al Gore After Winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his work warning of the threat posed by climate change and an Academy Award for 'An Inconvenient Truth', what else does Gore have to prove? That he can win the White House? Probably not...but deciding who to support makes him a potential king-maker and the most important person in the Democratic Presidential sweepstakes.
	Rudy Giuliani In polling done in early primary states, he has pulled even or passed Mitt Romney in all but Iowa and New Hampshire. It appears that the little fracas about certain conservatives bolting if he was the nominee hasn't hurt him too much. Or is he doing well because GOPers believe he is the only Republican candidate who is going to be able to challenge Clinton?
	October Cooler weather, leaves changing color, my birthday...and campaign signs appearing in yards. In another annual tradition, signs for candidates running in November are starting to pop up all over the city. The most I have seen so far are for Pete Sehnert and Mario Bower. A sign of things to come, or just early supporters? Let's check back in a few weeks to see how many others blossom.

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 10/05/07

Another special edition of GUGD...this time regarding the Presidential third-quarter fund-raising numbers. It's not necessarily about how much you raise, but managing the expectations game. That is why Ron Paul can feel better about how much he raised compared to candidates who raised almost twice as much.

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 09/28/07

	Bill Schedel Kudos to the 6th ward councilman who requested the town hall meeting about flooding and rebuilding. It is nice to see the city is going to have an open forum in an effort to get the community some answers. It seems that this sort of thing should have been done right after the flood (and a few times since), but better late than never.
	John Edwards Because of the financial reality he faces, Edwards was forced to accept public matching funds for his campaign. While this will keep him in the race during the January primary season, he won't be able to come near what Clinton and Obama can raise. The silver lining is that he can now start talking about campaign finance reform and point out that you shouldn't be able to buy the Democratic nomination. Side note: does this mean he starts going to MasterCuts? I have a coupon!
	Giuliani, Romney, McCain, Thompson By not showing up at Thursday night's minority issues debate at Morgan State University, these four perpetuated the stereotype of a party driven by stodgy, older white men. On the heels of the Univision debate being canceled because no one except McCain agreed to participate, these individuals need to look inside themselves and see if they will truly represent the entire country.
	Newt Gingrich This may be the wild card we were waiting for to shake things up. With Thompson not wowing Christian conservatives like everyone thought he would, Newt is poised to fill the void. If he can raise $30 million in October, Republicans will have their savior: an older, white, male (known to be grumpy) running for President.
	National Presidential Caucus Have you heard about this? Your opportunity to participate in grass-roots democracy, and a great chance to meet new people from the area and talk a little politics. For more information, check out this posting, and then go here to sign-up for the fun on November 9th.

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 09/14/07

	Mario Bower and Thomas Knopf They both received the first endorsements of the local campaign season, receiving support from the local United Auto Workers CAP council. Is this a sign of widespread support and validation of their message and ideas, or is it because they are Democrats and this was a union doing the endorsing?
	Latta, Buehrer and Weirauch Is this the newest law firm forming in northwest Ohio? No - it is the group of candidates who have currently announced they are running for the 5th District Congressional seat. It will be interesting to to see how this evolves due to the accelerated and unique nature of the race. The only question I have is, should Buehrer win, how do the dominoes start to fall (John Kostyo, Mike Gilb or Tony Iriti in Columbus?).
	George W Bush approval rating At 36%, his approval rating is at it's highest point since April. Even though this number is incredibly, it has risen slowly since July. Is this a sign that the public is slowly warming to him again with signs the surge in Iraq may be working, or was it because of the recent reminders of September 11 and people remember how things used to be?
	Congressional approval rating No matter how bad things are for the President, they are worse for Congress. With their approval rating at 24%, it ties for the second lowest since February this year. Is this a sign of Democrats failing to do what voters wanted last November (get the troops home), or a temporary blip because of the less-than-horrific report about Iraq?
	"Don't Tase me, bro!" Words uttered by Andrew Meyer as he was pinned to the floor by police after he disrupted a Q&A session during John Kerry's recent trip to UF (that's the other UF...the University of Florida). If you haven't heard of this story or seen one of the many videos...where have you been? The phrase is already entrenching itself into pop culture as much as the Star Wars Kid. The first time I see this phrase on a t-shirt or bumper sticker, the arrow is turning red.

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 09/14/07

Coming up next...a very special edition of GUGD.

	General David Petraeus For months, we have been waiting on his report. It was interesting watching him before the U.S. House and Senate; even with his impartiality and motives questioned, Despite tough questioning and being in such a difficult position, I think he handled the moment fairly well. With the next update coming in early 2008 (presumably after both party's nominees for President are locked-in), the political fervor will be at a fever pitch.
	MoveOn.org Whether you agree or disagree with their ulterior motives, the attack on General Petraeus as General 'Betray Us' was widely regarded as being wrong. For someone who has spent a lifetime defending their country, the general (and every other service person) deserves our respect. Let's hope this situation does not degrade into one similar to how soldiers were treated during/after Vietnam.
	Democrats So, what's the next move? They agreed to wait on Petraeus' report, and the news was too good. Key members of the party admit that they do not have the votes to force any more action by the administration. MoveOn's actions have moved the debate from the war to how the Democrats are now being classified as being in concert with the far left. Where is the leadership from Pelosi/Reid/Dean?
	Republicans What a windfall this week has been for a lot of the party members. They have been against the ropes since last year's election, but a semi-favorable report by Petraeus combined with MoveOn's attack ad energized the base (and talk shows). Presidential candidates swiftly moved the talk from the war to why the Dem candidates would not denounce the ad. Expect this to be part of a few campaign ads over the next 15 months.
	President George W Bush He received a little reprieve against criticism about the war with the Petraeus report. His action of announcing a cut back in troops seemed to reflect that the surge has worked. With the Dems not able to do much to derail him, it appears that he is holding all the cards despite dismal approval ratings. He has 17 months left to secure his legacy and prove that he can manage a 21st century conflict...we'll see if this plan involves taking on Iran.

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 09/07/07

	Flood Blame Game I told you a few weeks ago that this was going to happen. We have moved past the emergency stage, and the finger pointing has begun. So, who is to blame: The Army engineers who didn't have this area as a priority? City council and the mayor for not doing anything preventative? The citizens for not demanding action be taken? Global warming? Immigrants? The guy who shot the police dog? See how stupid this starts to get? Let's fix the problem(s) and move on. Nothing gets accomplished by name calling and shouting...let's just get this taken care of so by 2101 flooding won't be an issue.
	John Edwards A great week for Edwards, as he gets endorsements from Transport Workers Union, United Mine Workers and United Steelworkers. As long as these announcements continue, and they translate into support (financial and votes) when the new year rolls around, he will be sitting pretty (and that was not a haircut joke).
	John McCain Or should we call him Lazarus? All of the pundits whom said his campaign was dead should take back their words after seeing the reaction McCain received from the on-site audience and the focus group at this week's Republican debate. Even though GOPers may not agree with him on immigration, his leadership and presence are enough to bring people back into the fold.
	Fred Thompson Well, he is now in the thick of it. The 'outsider' announced on the Tonight Show and his website after the Republican debate was over Wednesday night. He certainly has the Presidential presence, but now that he has to stand side-by-side with the rest of the candidates, does the shine come off a little? We'll find out at the next debate on the 27th.
	Paul Gillmor Thank you and Godspeed.

-RSKnopfJr

Going Up...Going Down - 08/31/07

	Thomas Knopf and Pete Sehnert Both have been wooing those attending the Hancock County Fair. I wonder what people were talking to them about? Could it have been the 'f' word; around these parts, that stands for flood! People are waiting to hear their planned course of action, and it had better be good.
	Mike Huckabee and Chris Dodd They receive surprise endorsements from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (Huck) and International Association of Fire Fighters (Dodd). Just goes to show how little the initial polls mean.
	Senator Larry Craig Once you plead guilty, it doesn't matter what you say. If you're willing to admit you did something to save your hide from a worse sentence, then you probably deserved it.
	Rove, Gonzales and Snow GWBush's top strategist, attorney general and press secretary are all leaving. Good riddance or happy trails? As with this President, only history will tell.
	GWBush and Ted Strickland Thanks for approving Hancock County and Findlay as disaster areas. Let's hope that we fare better a year from now than others recently helped by FEMA.

-RSKnopfJr