Party endorsement draws a blank stare

What if you asked people to attend a party with the enticement that something good could happen to them, but no one really cared to show up or declined to attend because of a lack of interest?

The Mahoning County Democratic Party finds itself in that position.

The party’s precinct committee members in April 2006 approved a return to endorsing candidates in the primary. The party had eliminated endorsements in 1994 when the Democrats for Change movement took control of it.

The return of endorsements occurred because local Democratic leaders felt the party had lost some of its influence and power by staying neutral during primaries.

But with its first opportunity to endorse candidates in countywide elections staring them in the face this year, the party is in all likelihood not going to move ahead with them.

Why?

Those running for office are indifferent to obtaining the endorsements, said Kenneth A. Carano, the party’s executive vice chairman. Most don’t care one way or the other and there are some who are adamantly against the process, he said.

Probate Court Judge Mark Belinky summed it up for a number of candidates when he said, “This would be one less endorsement process that would take me away” from doing his job.

On top of that, there are several precinct committee members who don’t want to vote on endorsements.

Because endorsements were added to the party’s constitutional bylaws, the members are going to have to meet shortly to vote on not voting to endorse in this election.

It was a little over a month ago that Chairwoman Lisa Antonini felt so strongly about getting the endorsement that she was set to relinquish her responsibilities of leading the party on a temporary basis to obtain it.

So how does she feel now?

“I’ll abide by the wishes of the candidates,” Antonini said. “I don’t care either way... Maybe some [candidates] may be afraid with the outcome.”

There are many potential reasons for the decision to not endorse.

First, the party isn’t nearly as active in politics as it was years ago. That’s led to it being weakened. Except when the precinct committee members have to fill a vacancy, the party is essentially irrelevant so an endorsement from the members wouldn’t mean much.

The endorsement issue is one the party has wrestled with for years. It eliminated endorsements 14 years ago. There was a failed attempt to revive them in 2001 and 2002. Endorsements were reinstated two years ago largely because Carano, who is very influential in the party because of his ability to be seen by most as their political ally, pushed for them.

The party is very fractured and endorsing candidates would only further divide it. In a presidential election year, the last thing the party needs is hard feelings which could lead to apathy among a group of people who are already largely apathetic.

Another possibility has to do with Antonini’s not so great relationship with Gov. Ted Strickland and his administration. Strickland appointed Judge Belinky and Judge Timothy Franken of the county common pleas court. If there are endorsements and the two appointees don’t receive them, well, to be kind, it wouldn’t improve that relationship.

And the risk of the two judicial appointments not getting the party’s endorsements certainly exists. The precinct committee members rejected Judge Belinky last year when he ran for the vacant county recorder seat and Judge Franken failed to get the party’s endorsement to run for a common pleas court position in 2004.

Also, for those wondering, Carano didn’t resign as the party’s executive vice president. The original plan in late November was for Antonini to temporarily step aside from running the party and giving that power to Carano, the governor’s regional director for the Mahoning Valley.

Strickland’s administration nixed the idea, saying it could pose a conflict of interest — and Carano agreed to resign as the party’s No. 2. Carano asked them to reconsider and the administration agreed to let him keep his political appointment as long as he doesn’t run the party.