Print This Post
Dec
8
I’m empathetic to what happens when someone faces law school exams. Been there, done that.
So it’s with smiles that I see what looks like 11th hour procrastination, or maybe just taking some breathers between books, on Jerid’s part at Buckeye State Blog. I’ve also been busy with numerous projects, personal and professional, and so, even from just a selfish perspective, BSB’s spate of posts yesterday (including this one by Tim Russo which I really like because of how it’s made me talk back to my screen: we should not be surprised by what’s happening in OH-05 because what’s happening is a direct consequence of very specific behavior and how people, humans, don’t like to be used and abused and fooled and thought of as dumb – conservative or liberal) is a boon for me.
My favorite post because it is the most disturbing item that needs to be analyzed: alleged evidence that Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman, who announced his candidacy for the OH-10 primary earlier this week, has bought the URL for what would have been a potential campaign website name of one of his opponents.
When I see stuff like that, here’s what I think:
Is it true? Because if it is, I don’t like it. I don’t care about fighting hard. You want to talk about how things have turned around in OH-05? Just keep doing stuff like this and you’ll be sowing the seeds for the same in what seem to be safe Dem places (yeah yeah, OH-10 is safer than safe – so that justifies doing sleazy things that you want to say are just smart? No can do. People see through that. People who care anyway).
AAPC – where are you on this kind of thing? What do your ethics say? (sidebar: American Association of Political Consultants has the same acronym as American Association for Pastoral Counselors)
Who is running Cimperman’s campaign? And whose idea was it? Did Cimperman say it was okay? Does he support this kind of handicapping (or kneecapping?) your opponent?
What does a move like this really say about a candidate? No – I mean really. Not that he’s “more electorally savvy” as BSB says. I don’t read it that way and if Cimperman wants to use his integrity card, based on performance in Cleveland City Council, he can’t be doing junk like this.
How does it make the Plain Dealer editorial board feel? They gave him an endorsement only two days after he announced. Do they really want to be aligning that strongly with someone who does stuff like this in campaigning?
I’m going to be interviewed on Monday for Your Billion Dollar President – a project of a new WNYC show. And I can assure you that I’ll be addressing campaigning tactics when we talk about how to redesign the election process, if we could scrap and start all over.
You want to talk about media literacy? People need to have it when they absorb information from any source. These are the kinds of questions they should be asking, if the information is to have any real meaning. They’re also the questions that readers deserve to have answered – but that’s a whole ‘nother blog.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:15 am December 8th, 2007 in Blogging, Campaigning, Elections, Government, Media, Ohio, Politics
Comments
14 Responses to “Law school dread results in blog posts galore; Cimperman’s strategies”
Leave a Reply
2010 WE Magazine 101 Women Bloggers to Watch
Category Specific RSS
Pepper Pike Cleveland+ Politics Women Ohio Elections Law Jewish
by Tips and TricksNews Now
Jill I am soooo with you on this. Of course it’s legal. I’ve heard of lots of people in my industry alone going out and snapping up urls’ so they can sell them for good money once people ‘get on board’ with blogging and websites. But I don’t like it. In the political arena, it tells me what does not surprise me. That he will be willing to be snarky when necessary. There is so much I like abou him and what he has done, but he is the only one who has gotten me in a shouting match….which means he’s also aggravating. I heard a story about how he held a campaign coffee in the community room of his opponents’ condo complex. Ballsy and somehow not very nice. But what do I know
And Jill, what time do I have to get up on Monday? lol. I want to hear the show!
Hi Carole – I guess I just wonder, a lot, whether we SHOULD be paying more attention to that kind of behavior, because if we don’t, and it translates into the same but on a bigger scale as the people involved get more responsibility, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. So shouldnt we be saying: we like you, we will vote for you, you don’t need to do that kind of crap?
Jill, because of that old adage about power corrupting absolutely you are spot on. As the stakes increase and the feeling of infalability increases…the dilemma is, how do you ever really know unless someone is outed about this stuff?
And the responsibility is ours because we (the larger we) have given over our (or up on) participation, and then we get what we paid for so to speak. Does that make sense?
Thanks for making not feel alone when I feel this way about this kind of thing. Chris Redfern said, at a presentation I saw about a year ago, the withholding donations to people you might otherwise support is best the way to send a message. I think it’s one way, but not the only one. Expression is a good thing too.
Carole – totally makes sense. We need to not feel like things will never change.
Look – if the hamantash can win, anyone can!
I just decided a few months ago, I’m going to keep talking to people. I want to find a venue, for lack of a better word, to affect change. That’s why I am so excited to hear more about this program you are working on or speaking on or investigating!
Well – I agree with you, Carole about finding venues. I’m not getting any younger and I don’t feel like the systems I’d like to see improve are getting better – but where are the pressure points we can affect? That’s what I have to figure out and go toward.
[...] The brains behind Joe Cimperman’s stealing of Tom O’Grady-oriented URLs? Why, someone from Frank Jackson’s office. Lovely: He’s a Cleveland Executive Fellow [...]
Hello to all, I enjoyed reading this post and the analysis that went along with them. For my part, integrity and honor are non-negotiable. I grew up that way, then a career as a military officer reinforced these same ideas. I have advised young people who are entering politics that they must win an election based upon their qualifications and vision. If they must resort to dirty tricks, then they were never worthy of the office to begin with. Best to all of you, and please maintain that integrity and faith that has made this the best government on our planet. With best wishes, North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady
[...] I’m still verifying, but Mayor Tom O’Grady or someone who appears to be speaking (well, writing) for him left a comment on WLST. [...]
It’s him. Call him at city hall to verify if need be. He is class all the way as I have known him for years.
Thanks, Res. I’ve emailed him and the person indicated as being responsible for registering the domain name “ogrady08″ but I’m guessing it most probably is him. Being a blogger, you know – I just want to imagine that I can be trusted.