Politicians get no respect

I’m kind of a packrat. (And there are those who would edit “kind of” from that sentence.)

So when I tell you that I’ve been sitting in on endorsement interviews for Ohio gubernatorial candidates for 20 years, I can also tell you that the briefing papers from the 1990 election are sitting on a shelf in the next cubicle.

Recently I blew a light coating of dust off the binders holding a few hundred pages of pre-election proposals and white papers for Anthony J. Cele brezze Jr., the Democrat, and George V. Voinovich, the Republican, in the 1990 race. It was a race without an incumbent, since Gov. Richard F. Celeste had served his maximum of two terms.

In 20 years as an editorial page editor and more than 40 years in the newspaper business, I’ve met hundreds of politicians — from dozens of township trustees to a few presidential contenders, and I can tell you that by and large they are a much more honorable lot than people think. Some folks who haven’t had a 30-second conversation with a state representative or a congressman are quick to proclaim all politicians crooks. Throw the bums out, they suggest; vote for anyone but an incumbent. I’ve voted for a lot of challengers in four decades of going to the polls and a lot of incumbents — but not on the basis of incumbency or lack thereof.

Both sides of the fence

Are there crooks and schemers and charlatans in office? Sure. But there are also crooks and schemers and charlatans trying to get into office. And this may come as a surprise: I’m not convinced that the infamous Mahoning Valley is the worst of the worst — despite the long list of politicians and hangers-on who have been indicted, forced from office, convicted and done time.

A few years ago, some of my colleagues in Cleveland were looking down their noses at the Mahoning Valley and its history of corrupt politicians. Cut to two weeks ago when two Cuyahoga County judges and a county commissioner were led away in handcuffs, and suddenly their moral high ground has eroded. And how about Chicago, New Orleans, even sunny California, which gave us Randy Cunningham, an ex-congressman who admitted taking more than $2.4 million in bribes, and who followed our James A. Traficant Jr. to the federal pen. Speaking of California, Bell City has been in the headlines. Ten city officials and employees are accused of bilking a town with a population of about 35,000 and a median income of about $35,000 a year, out of more than $5 million. The city manager managed to pay himself $800,000 a year. (The scandal is the inspiration for today’s editorial cartoon.)

But for every crooked politician, there are hundreds doing their jobs — some at extraordinarily high levels, others at marginally acceptable levels.

That 1990 race, pitted Voinovich, a down-to-earth and truly likeable politician, against Celebrezze, who I thought had one of the quickest minds of anyone I’ve interviewed. Which is not to say that Voinovich isn’t bright, or that Celebrezze wasn’t likeable.

Those campaign briefing books — between them they are more than 3 inches thick — are remnants of a political age that, I fear, is disappearing.

Briefing books have largely been replaced with a suggestion that the curious check the candidate’s website and positions are being replaced with platitudes and catch phrases. If the voters are convinced that no politician can be trusted, every campaign devolves into TV spots designed to make the opponent seem less trustworthy than the guy buying the ad (or the guy for whom some virtually anonymous special interest is buying the ad).

It is becoming difficult even in the context of traditional campaign processes — interviews and debates — to get straight answers. And yet we try.

Got a question?

I’ll be representing The Vindicator next Thursday, Oct. 7, at the second gubernatorial debate between Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger, John Kasich. It will be held in Toledo and is being sponsored by the Ohio News Organization, an association of the eight largest newspapers in the state.

If you’ve managed to read this far, I have a deal for you. If you have a question that is important to you, send it to me at letters@vindy.com. Keep it focused; the candidates only have a couple of minutes to answer.

I’ll try to work in one or two suggestions. And I hope the candidates give us a straight answer. At the first debate, both did a lot of bobbing and weaving.