Winburn Appears to Be In

Charlie Winburn is acting like he wants the GOP endorsement for Mayor. He is acting like a right-wing Republican when doing it. He is using abortion and gay rights as two of his issues to 'win.' How's that for equal opportunity bigotry? Black conservatives and white conservatives working together to oppress women and homosexuals. What a wonderful step towards racial harmony. What a backwards step for humanity. Nothing brings people together like hate.

Buying a Candidate?

I guess Mike Brown would have gotten a voice on the County Commission for the low, low price of $45,000. Campaign Finance reform is not universally desired because people like the wealthy being able to buy candidates?

Mayoral Cornonation? Nope

Queen City Forum has an overview of the Mayoral Race. At this point the field is still wide open. I got a chance last week to listen to Sen. Mark Mallory speak. I came away impressed with his on the ground campaigning. He has the tools of a real political talent. So far I see him as the most skilled politician in the race. That will not be enough though, because at this point he is not ahead in the money game. The primary is going to be a hard fought race. The test will be who gets the top two spots of course and if they are both Democrats, then the knives will surely be out.

Get on the Bus

I can't imagine that Cincinnati will actually lose Sunday bus service, but has it come to this? Are we only left to endure threats? It is not a new method in government, but it is so transparent. I am as risk-adverse as anyone you could meet, but even I could hold my ground in this game of chicken.

I smell a campaign issue. Who will benefit from it? Who has a transit solution among council/mayor candidates that can work without having to try and convince the suburbs that they don't need to fear mass transit, and the bus loads of "them" flowing into their strip malls. I have not found anyone with such a plan, yet.

Here's an updated Story from the Enquirer.

New Enquirer Web Page Format

Who likes the subtly different Enquirer web page? They are using a new software to manage stories, have added RSS feeds and I think today started a new format of updating the main page with breaking stories.

Trust

Peter you have to earn trust, you don't get trust for free, and the State in the form of Ken Blackwell set out from the beginning to limit voter turnout, block voter registration, and cancel as many urban votes as possible.

Here we have Peter Bronson, mouth of a uniter not a divider, sticking his tongue out at the other side after a kickball game.

If you want to work for something constructive Peter, why not look for solutions to the long lines on election day, like say early voting or increase voting by mail. Why not call for CLEAR and FAIR laws that allow people to vote easily, instead of allowing roadblocks?

Will the recount effort affect anything? If it can show the need to change the law, then yes it will and it's cost will be worth it. Truth should not have a price.

Goodbye Tavis, We Hardly Knew Thee

Tavis Smiley is leaving NPR and Kathy Y. Wilson's latest column discuss his departure and the state of NPR. I agree with Kathy's analysis that Tavis may have personal achievement in mind, not disappoint with NPR's efforts to "attract minority listeners," as his reason for leaving the network.

I think Kathy did make one factual error:

The Tavis Smiley Show was NPR's first black show in its 34-year history, airing daily since 2002 on 87 stations. It drew NPR's largest black audience as well as its youngest audience.

Now, I will not even get into what a "black show" is supposed to be, but Juan Williams hosted Talk of the Nation for over a year in 2000 and 2001. That show may not qualify as what Kathy means by "Black Show," but Tavis was not the first black person to host a show on the Network. Kathy does point out well that NPR's programming is as culturally diverse as any human beings can possibly be in America and still maintain a solid listener base. Only the BBC World Service does a better job, mainly because of the full support the UK government.

NPR is keeping American Culture, at least what I consider American Culture, alive and kicking.