Report From the Front Lines

I hit my polling station just past 10 this morning and was out of there about 7 minutes later. There was no line at all. I just had to make sure I only voted for nine council candidates. Honestly, if you are not paying attention and rush it, you can vary easily get confused, especially since there was no order to the candidates in the "butterfly" style ballot.

The odd person left off my 9 person list was Laketa Cole. Eve Bolton got my vote instead. Cole will get on anyway, while Bolton is at best a sleeper candidate. Otherwise I stuck with my other picks.

I of course went for Mallory, Yes on 1 through 5, Yes on 8, No on 9.

The rest, well, lets just say I voted for the rest of the offices and leave it at that. We give so little attention to the School Board and Judgeships, why should I start on this late date, when I myself am ignorant on the detailed differences in those races.

The 1-K station was well staffed, had no lines, and had I think it had at least 5 booths.

One thing I hate about the location of the polling station is that they hold an "Election Day Dinner" almost every year. If you come to vote in the evening, parking is not easy. I think they reserve a few spots for voters near the front, but not that many.

I am off work today, which allows me to vote during the day, a much easier thing to do.

I hope two things happen, first that at least Issue 2 passes, opening up mail voting, and two, I want a National Voting Day. I want most businesses to close down, at least like they do on July 4th. Service industry folks will still work, which sucks for them, but with the mail voting made easy, they can vote early and make great tips when everyone goes out to eat and make great commission when everyone goes shopping after they vote.

If we want something interesting, why not make public schools into large voting centers, and then have special civics days where kids go vote with their parents, and then are given the opportunity (or even required) to take part in civic activities (debates, discussions, open houses, etc.)

I did see a police car drive through the parking lot as I came out of the polling station. The location is at a church, so I don't know if he was there to just make sure the three campaign workers were behind the lines, or if they come by regularly because there is a daycare center in the same location. Cop cars at polling stations are not good things. If this was at a church like say in OTR, then we might make the national news. In Mt. WASPington, we get me commenting on it, and that is all.

I hope everyone had an easy time at the polls, but chime in with any first hand or credible reports of rule breakers.

I’ll start: Paul McGee’s campaign was breaking the rules in Mt. Washington. They attached signs around the sides of the green garbage cans along Beechmont Ave right in Mt. Washington “Square.” That is against the rules, I am pretty sure, but the symbolism is fitting: “throw away your vote on McGee” is what comes to mind, but I am sure a real PR wiz could come up with something better.

In Case You Were Wondering

This is what racism is in its plain and simplest ugly form. It is right here in the tri-state area and along with the disgusting fliers being left around Price Hill, we must make this type of hate something everyone is stamping out.

Mayoral Predictions

So, Who is going to be our next mayor? Where there any local media polls done? I can't find any.

I believe this race is too close to call. Conventional wisdom gives Pepper the edge with the money and the 'bigger' endorsements, but who really wants to trust CW?

I have no prediction, other than it will be within 3% points. What say you?

Council Predictions

Who is going to win? This I don't know, but I will now give the levels of who is a lock down to a possible shot at winning. My analysis is based only on my perceptions and observations. There are no public polls out there that I have read on the council race, so objective data is not on my mind as I do this:

Locks:
Cole, Cranley, Tarbell

Almost Locks:
Crowley, Smitherman, Berding, Bortz

Very Likey:
Ghiz

One of these should get a spot:
Lynch, Monzel, Young, Thomas

Outside Shot:
Spencer, Herd, Eby, Bolton, and yes Malone

Visit The 513 Green PAC Digital HQ

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This post was made by Josh Nelson.

Tick, Tick...Boom! Extended

The Know Theatre's smash hit Tick, Tick...Boom! has been extended through Nov. 19th. For tickets call 513.300.KNOW or go online. It's a great show from a great group! Get out there now and see more local theater!

Enquirer City Council Endorsements

Here are the Enquirer's picks for Cincinnati City Council, and there are many new names:

Wendell Young, Democrat
Cecil Thomas, Democrat
Leslie Ghiz, Republican
John Eby, Republican
Chris Bortz, Charterite
Jeff Berding, Democrat
John Cranley, Democrat
Jim Tarbell, Charterite
Chris Monzel, Republican

One thing you can say about this group with little hesitation is that they are almost as conservative a group as the Enquirer could have endorsed. Sure there are more conservative nutcase independents out there, but the paper cannot and would not endorse them.

It appears also that Thomas and Young were the last to get on. They also appear to be close to what I would call an affirmative-action endorsement. The slate from the Enquirer is not very racially diverse, but it even less gender diverse, with Leslie Ghiz the only female. It amazes me most that they endorsed Thomas. I don't mind Thomas as a candidate, but honestly he is not really running a campaign, so why the paper endorsed him is a mystery.

The big winner here is Monzel. This might save him. With a last minute push of hand shaking in the right neighborhoods, he stands a much better chance of staying on council. This should put the final nail in Sam Malone's coffin. I was impressed with the way the Enquirer slammed him for his “discipline” campaign rhetoric. What a shameful candidate.

The only significant influence I see these endorsements having is on Republicans. This year’s election may prove true the theory that they only way a Republican can win a council seat, is with an Enquirer endorsement. Monzel didn't get it last time and lost. This time?