Comments on: Blade’s General Assembly Endorsements compared to 2006

By: LisaRenee

LisaRenee — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:57:41 +0000

DeeDee, they did the fourth and fifth yesterday.

They don’t endorse Latta or Mays, though they are more negative towards Latta than Mays and comment on Weirauch not running. and they endorse Kaptur.

Mark, I realize that it’s water under the bridge, but I also think if we don’t continue to focus on the selectivity that’s being demonstrated then we have even less accountability.

On the school funding issue, as has been previously pointed out, there are quite a few of our local elected officials Democrat and Republican alike who have not led on that issue. Hopefully once this election is over, the excuses can end and the work can finally begin.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:01:55 +0000

Voice of Reason – #1 In your quote, “powerful and honest Republican”, you only have it half right. Or maybe not at all. A powerful legislator would use his influence to address Ohio’s school funding dilemma. To date, the District 2 incumbent has not.

I would consider Colin Powell to be the embodiment of a “powerful and honest Republican”, not so much for Mr. Wagoner.

As for Lisa’s original point, it is spot on. But it is also water under the bridge. It appears there were no “profiles in courage” on the Blade’s editorial board in 2006, and it does seem that Barbara Sears is an easier target (less known, less than effective campaigner). I guess in 2006 voters in District 46 deserved ” unconscionable campaign tactics and failure to ‘fess up to them”. What a difference two years makes!

At any rate, the point is no less valid in 2008 than it was in 2006. It’s a shame that the Blade does not appear to have enough reporters to fully cover a general election, only skirting the surface of most of the races.

By: meghan

meghan — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:55:45 +0000

Didn’t the new LCRP Chairman say something like how refreshing it will be for the republican party to have a good relationship with the blade and how helpful that will be for our candidates? Looks like it is working! Good job stain, keep up the awesome job, I know the dems are counting on you!

By: DeeDee Liedel

DeeDee Liedel — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:16:37 +0000

To look at the Blade’s lack of logic when it comes to making endorsements, I go back to 2004 when the races were as follows (incumbent listed first):

9th: Kaptur (D) v. Kaczala (R)
5th: Gilmore (R) v. Weirauch (D)
4th: Oxley (R) v. Konop (D)

In 2004, The Blade endorsed Weirauch and Konop saying that Gilmore and Oxley had been in DC too long, and a fresh perspective was needed.

Then they turned around and endorsed Kaptur saying our region needed her experience.

Huh?

I haven’t seen an endorsement this year for the 4th, but they finally have a new face in the 5th (Latta) and the Blade thinks he should go already.

By: runner

runner — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:06:13 +0000

I no longer see a difference between The Blade’s editorial board and the front page. The editorial page and front page are the same BS. Look at the stories they publish. They are pushing an agenda and use the paper to keep that agenda in your face. And people buy this crap. Just dump the paper – quit buying it. Also, everyone knows Szollosi is just a union hack. Look what he did with legislation he sponsored when it came to Judge Cubbon. Remember her tires. Get rid of these people.

By: Voice of Reason

Voice of Reason — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:31:08 +0000

I think that Mark Wagoner would get elected with or without the Blade’s endorsement, and the Blade recognizes this fact. He’s too strong a candidate to be pushed around and that puts the Blade in the rare position of having to make nice with a powerful and honest Republican.

You are absolutely right, Barb is an easier target and the Blade will take on any oppostion candidate regardless of whether or not it makes them seem disingenuous. Many of their readers aren’t paying close enough attention to notice the hypocracy.

The fact is that there will be a lot of legislation coming out of the next session in Columbus that will affect health insurance concerns for all Ohioans. Barb has been a health insurance agent in NW Ohio for many years and understands the industry. Too many times laws are passed that negatively affect one industry or another, and these laws are written by legislators who don’t fully understand the details of the legislation they propose and how it would impact businesses and citizens. Barb’s perspective is an absolutely necessity if we want to avoid the all-to-common unintended consequences than comes from poorly written legislation.