[WINNER]
Tea Party: Credit must be given to the Cincinnati Tea Party for stepping up to the plate and condemning a suggestion by The Whistleblower online newsletter to stage a protest at U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus’ home in West Price Hill. The newsletter urged people to show up March 28 and vent their ire for Driehaus’ support of the health care reform bill recently approved by Congress.
Given the nastiness associated with recent protests, having an angry mob near the congressman’s three children isn’t a good idea, and neither is bothering his neighbors. Local Tea Party leaders agreed and urged followers to stay away. All is not so rosy, though…
[LOSER]
Tea Party: Tea Partiers can’t be too happy with the findings of a recent Quinnipiac University national poll about their movement. It found that just 13 percent of respondents identified themselves as belonging to the Tea Party. And in a face-off between generic candidates from the various parties, the presence of a Tea Party candidate benefits Democrats. If there’s a Tea Party candidate on the ballot, the Democrat would get 36 percent to the Republican’s 25 percent, with 15 percent for the Tea Party candidate, according to the poll. Shades of Ross Perot!
[???]
Cecil Thomas: We’re not sure what to make of Cecil Thomas’ recent appearance at a candidates’ forum hosted by a bevy of right-wing groups like COAST, the Cincinnati Tea Party and Right to Life. Thomas, a Cincinnati city councilman, is running in the Democratic primary for the chance to be the party’s nominee in the Hamilton County Commission race this fall.
Maybe it’s a genuine attempt to reach out to others or maybe it’s just a cynical political stunt trying to convince people he’s really a conservative. Either way, as blogger Brian Griffin noted, probably 99 percent of the audience were Republicans and won’t be voting in the Democratic primary anyhow. Thomas’ campaign needs to get smarter if hopes for a victory in May.
[LOSER]
Political Impersonators: We’re not too crazy about Twitter around here, believing it to be the new millennium’s version of the citizens band radio fad of the 1970s. Still, it’s nice that politicians try to reach out to constituents using the hyper-abbreviated service. Until, that is, someone starts posing as them.
Last October, someone with the name “GOPBoehner” and a headshot of House Minority Leader John Boehner tweeted a nasty message about health care being a privilege which shouldn’t be granted to people who “gangbang & listen to rap.” But it wasn’t Boehner; he only uses the handle “GOPLeader.”
Enough with the sleazy tactics. Let’s stick to debating actual comments and ideas, shall we?
