Wow, Propaganda Works!

People just really like to eat it like it was candy eat it like it was candy. Rob ate it. No wonder why people actually think Iraq was behind 9'11.

UPDATE: This is up to number #5 on Daypop's TOP40. Can you say "suckers?" Bush hugs a girl, and the crowd goes nuts. Bush misleads the country about the threat from Iraq and.....nothing, they don't care. Bush can do no wrong. This is coming close to a literal religious movement surrounding this guy. Now before the religious zealots starting throwing darts at me, look at the situation. Bush is not questioned by the right. He gets a little grief on this or that, but nothing serious. He is treated like a new messiah. I am sure I will piss people off for going so "over the top" on that, but 10,000 screaming Sally Simpsons paint a different picture.

Freedom?

I find it odd that people would go to a public courthouse to celebrate freedom of religion. Why not go to your church or private place and celebrate the fact that the government does not interfere with your religion. Instead they seek to use the government or its facilities to push their religion. Dare I say the "T" word? Dare I?

I was there for you

I remember seeing a photographer at the Enjoy the Arts/START program, but I did not expect the story to be about 'Friends.'

Follow-Up BushCo Puff Piece

Did not think Bush got enough positive coverage yesterday in the Enquirer? Well, your wish for propaganda is granted including a totally bullshit PR photo of Bush hugging a teenager. The name of the picture is even just called "hug."

"Liberal Media My Ass" is something the Enquirer should just put on its masthead. Come on! What are the editors thinking? Oh, right, I forgot, they are writing for West Chester. The rest of us just don't matter.

The New WOXY

Matt Sledge will be the new Program Director for X97.7, "New Music First." That station will have a alternative/modern rock format. I also believe the station's studios are leaving Oxford, but that tidbit I am speculating on based on some background info, that I could have totally misconstrued. Don't blame me if I am wrong on that. Well, blame me, but don't tear me a new one.

Day After Coverage

As a point of reference, I pulled out the links to compare the Enquirer's coverage of the Bush visit yesterday and Kerry's visit back on April 6th.

Here are the stories on Bush:
Bush shores up SW Ohio support
Bush says Maupin is in his prayers
What's in bus tour name? Apparently a lot
Photos of Bush Rallies
Transcript of 'Ask President Bush' event in Dayton
Transcript of 'Ask President Bush' event in Dayton

Here are stories on Kerry's Visit:
Democrat enters GOP den
Sandal whappers serenade Kerry

Do we get fair and balanced coverage here in Cincinnati? I have reported on one media outlet, you decide.

Remarks by Bush at Cincy Gardens

Here is lesson one in how bankrupt this president is, from his speech:

"We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. The culture of this country is changing from one that has said, if it feels good, do it, and if you've got a problem, blame somebody else, to a culture in which each of us understands we are responsible for the decisions we make in life. (Applause.) If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you are responsible for loving your child with all your heart. (Applause.) If you're worried about the quality of the education in the community in which you live, you're responsible for doing something about it. (Applause.) If you're a CEO in corporate America, you are responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your employees. (Applause.) And in the new responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves. (Applause.) "

Why hasn't Bush taken responsibility for the following:

1. Not finding WMD in Iraq.


2. Having No Plan for post war Iraq.


3. Having no clue who is going to run Iraq come July 1st.


4. Intelligence failures before 9/11 and taking terrorism seriously.


5. Identifying a CIA agent.


6. Claiming Iraq was linked to Al Qaeda.


7. Using 9/11 anger as the catalyst for a pre-emptive war.

Gay Marriage is the problem with Heterosexual Marriage after all. The culture makes you lie, cheat, steal, do anything to make a profit, even tax the middle class into the poor house.

My commute home rose from 25 minutes to 55 minutes thanks to Bush's campaign stop. Mind you it was a campaign stop, not an official Presidential visit, if there is a difference anymore.

I was surprised to hear 550 WKRC carrying the Bush Speech live from the Gardens. I am sure we will get Kerry's next campaign stop carried live on local Clear Channel Radio. (No, I will not be holding my breath on that.) I was also hope to hear from any Democrats who tried to enter but were denied entrance to the event. At one a day or so ago an old man was kept out of an event because when asked he said he was not a Bush Supporter. Best picture of Bush's trip was this one, Via Atrios, showing Bush riding in his French made bus, complete with French Flag.

I was disappointed that the anti-Kerry protestors last month got big coverage, but barely a word was said about those protesting Bush. I hope locals look and see how the media gushed over Bush here. There was not a critical word printed or said on local media (outside of the Buzz and CityBeat), any journalist.

I hope Stephanie Dunlap was let into the Bush rally, or someone from CityBeat. It would be nice to get someone point out that Bush has no plan for the next four years except "stay the course," the most clich? political image known to man, even more than kissing babies. It was funny that only really cheerful people where interviewed on WLWT on their way to the rally. I wonder if they work for the Ohio or National Republican Party.

Ohio in Play

The Post's Editorial Board leans toward putting Ohio in Play. This is from a newspaper that endorsed Bush in 2000. Yes, for the conservatives out there, your "liberal" local press were Bush supporters.

Bush's standing in Ohio depends most on how he does in Cincinnati and Columbus. He will win the rural areas, but loose the rest of the big cities. Bush must win Columbus and must clean up in the Cincinnati metro area. Bush will win our area, but if he does not get great voter turnout around here, he will find it hard to win the state.

His tour through the area will not really do much at this point. If Bush has to come to Cincinnati in late October or even early November, then he can write of Ohio and likely the election. I would guess Bush will need to be in Ohio heavily in October. Kerry better start living here in Ohio come Labor day. Kerry gets the Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown and Dayton areas, and gets them at 60% plus, he should win the state.

I see June as the defining period in politics. Most uninformed people get an image of the candidates at that point that will stick. That first image or first impression sticks, and influences perceptions, which are then attacked by the media and advertising all Fall.

Mariemont Drinkers

A federal judged dismissed the lawsuit against the school by parents of kids suspended for drinking beer while on a trip to Germany.

I don't know the legal standing the suit was based on, but the judged seemed to toss it out fairly quickly, so it must have had little federal merit.

It is still just amazing that rules of a public school reach beyond the walls of the school or other public schools. If a kid does something that is not a violation of the law, but is a violation of school policy, how is that not a violation of the kid’s rights? How can a school make laws to punish students when what they did was not against the law and was not even on school property or reasonable sphere of control?

More on Disturbance/Mini-Riot

The Cincinnati Post has a full report on the mini riot in Winton Terrace last night. Tension is simmering in parts of the city. Are people just waiting to riot and attack police at the first sign of a shooting? Was this just bad timing mixed with a few idiots spreading rumors and bunch of fools listening to rumors?

More from ONN.

Both Sides of His Mouth

Today Bronson claims the NAACP is living in the past, but nearly every other column Peter writes on social issues he advocates a "lifestyle" better kept in a 1950's TV Show, than in a modern and free society. Bronson, I think you have been living in the past all of your adult life. It might do you some good if you stopped trying to mold the world in the fictional world of your youth.

Springer for Governor?

Lisa Abraham of the Beacon Journal seems to think he is running, or at least appears like he is running.

Disturbance/Mini Riot in Winton Terrace

WCPO was on the scene of the aftermath of a suspect who shot himself after being pulled over by police. Shots were reportedly fired at police, rocks thrown at cars, and a WCPO vehicle was set on fire.

UPDATE: About 300 people were outside yelling claiming the police killed the man. Police indicate they fired no shots. Police fear rumors being run around town and are trying to get the word out that he committed suicide.

Wes Flinn's Ohio Statehouse Report

Make sure you check out Wes' Polstate.com post on Ohio politics.

Big City Eyes, Little Mind

Joe Shaw of the UC News Record writes, or should I say laments, on living in Cincinnati after graduation. He pines for living in great city like Chicago, New York, or LA. Those truly are great cities. What bugs me is that Joe is foolish enough to compare Cincinnati to those cities and say we don't have what they have. No shit, Sherlock. We are not a Mega-Metropolis. That should have been obvious after your first week in town. We are also not Buttlick, Kansas either. We are a big city, with great attributes. We do have our problems and we maybe at a crossroads, where we become a confederation of suburban fiefdoms, or regain some glory as a great city as in past days of the 19th century.

Now Mr. Shaw really has a problem to contend with. He ends his screed with, "Cincinnati pretty much sucks. It's best to get out while you have the chance." What he must remember, when he has to say where he went to college either he lies or tells the truth and UC. That by itself may be worth lying about, but that is another story (only joking UC folks.) What Mr. Shaw must admit, after being logically ask, is why he was foolish enough to and live in Cincinnati at all? If he was born here why did he stay and go to college here. If you can get in UC, you can surely get into OSU, so he could have spent his time in CowTown. He could have spent his time in hot and sticky Gainesville Florida, hours from the beaches, and in the middle of humidity. Why not try college in Nebraska or Arkansas or what is so great about Lexington and UK?

I can understand why people don't like Cincinnati, but I don't know why they would have been stupid enough to come here or as to why then if they are so brilliant to not get out sooner. Did someone chain him to his dorm room desk? Could he not have fled this horrid town sooner?

My little town in Western, NY would likely be considered hell on Earth for Mr. Shaw. We honesty had no jobs and no chance for growth and hour plus outside of dying Buffalo.

What better opportunity could any human have than to try and change a city as it hovers in a crossroads? I guess I would have trouble hiring Mr. Shaw, he seems to want to run from a challenge and stick to the sure thing. Mega pond, microfish. Big Pond, little fish. I will take little over micro, if you please.

Appeasement to Prudes

If you listen to local AM talk radio on a Clear Channel Station you would after a while hear a host or a caller belittle anyone who appeases a foreign power or group. France is made the target of scorn most often. Now, however, when you think of appeasers, think of Clear Channel. Rick Bird reports in the Post that WEBN is believed to be on a 7 second delay like most AM talk radio stations. AM stations have unknown callers to worry about, FM stations only have their DJ to worry about or the occasional guest. The need for it is suspect, and will it cost advertisers more in the long run?

Clear Channel fears the new FCC (the one on a puritanical crusade) and is trying to appease the beast by requiring all FM Stations to go on a delay. Listeners will notice relatively little change, but there will be some.

I will just be laughing whenever I hear a Clear Channel talk show host say or agree with comments against anyone even appearing to be appeasing someone. The beast pays homage to the beast, how fitting, yet how sad.

Flip-Flop Protestors

I did a little bit more research into the flip-floppers who protested at the Kerry Rally last month and I ran into this column in the Dayton Daily News. It appears one Cornel TerreBlanche, age 18, of South Africa was one of the anti-Kerry protestors (insurgents?) who appeared at the Kerry Rally here in Cincinnati back on April 5th. In that column we learn:

TerreBlanche said she is a college student in southwestern Ohio, but asked that her school not be identified. She heard that College Republicans at her school planned a protest and she wanted to join in.

Based on that information I did a simple Google search on Cornel TerreBlanche and the only the hit that came up was at this location. That's a website for the Alpha Psi Omega group, the Cedarville University's psychology department club. Cedarville University is the Bob Jones University of Ohio, located in Cedarville, OH south of Springfield. I would then surmise that the group of rowdies all came from Cedarville.

This surprises me. I had assumed this group was from UC or maybe Miami. Lynne Cheney was the keynote speaker at their graduation yesterday. I wonder if the folks at Cedarville know about her 1981 book called Sisters? I wonder if it meets their "ethical" standards in the student handbook.

Protest Bush on Tuesday at 5:30 PM

Jene Galvin, local Democratic activist is reporting on the Jerry for Ohio Blog that a protest will occur outside the Cincinnati Gardens an hour before Bush is set to appear.

Will Si Lies be out in full force? Will anyone get arrested? I hope it is peaceful. I would like to see a good turnout and one that can be heard, and not banished to the far side of a parking lot across the street from the Garden.

Interesting protest ideas: In the thought of "flip-flops" used by some young GOP foot soldiers at the Kerry Rally last month, what are some thoughtful and striking protest ideas? The flip-flop is so lowbrow. I wonder if it was some smart marketing major or if they got talking points about it from the GOP?

The Dean of Cincinnati Looks at AliciaReece.com

The "Dean" has a look and comes down hard on Cincinnati Vice Mayor Alicia Reece's website. The Dean pulls no punches in his criticism of the website calling the article "How To Recognize Political Manipulation." I guess I don't expect political websites to be much more than propaganda tools. The only issue that has been raised about this site is whether it is a campaign site or her personal site. That is a legal distinction that only matters in campaign financing that may or may not be in technical conflict of the law.

Driehaus Wins House Race

Well, not officially yet, but with Witte leaving the race for the 31st Ohio House seat. I assume Witte felt he could not win, so he just gave up to avoid going into debt. Terry Deter's name was thrown out there, but according to the article he will not run because:

Deters confirmed that there had been talks, but said Driehaus is a conservative pro-life Democrat who deserves to be re-elected.

"If it weren't Steve, I'd run," he said. "We like Steve."

you know you a DINO when Terry Deters endorses you. Driehaus is one who supported DOMA in Ohio. I don't think Witte or Deters would be that much different on many social issues. So this is good news for Democrats in only so much as the GOP stranglehold on the state government will not gain in this district. How can you gain when you get help on issues already?