So there were a couple of debates this weeks, and we have to say that DeSantis probably lost the week because he failed to put Luke away. Remember that in a tie in a debate, DeSantis basically loses; he needs to win people over everytime he opens his mouth. I still go back to Drew Weston's somewhat slimy but probably necessary book "The Political Brain". If Mr. DeSantis had lead his segments with a personal statement or a story about a real Pittsburgher, maybe he would have gotten more traction. But we have to remember that for all his technical experience and ability, this is his first race, his first effort at reaching out to the public. He is doing ok now, and I suspect people who hear him up close sense his sincerity and concern. But there are only so many people he can reach personally.
The Ethics Board is starting to fence with the Mayor on the issue of how much of a contribution from private companies for charitable events is acceptable. The Board wants the Mayor (and others) to only accept tickets from the charity itself. The Mayor wants to report any contribution made on the Mayor's behalf over $500 on his annual ethics form (so that he could get into a golf tournament). The Ethics Board is going to create a subset, a committee of two Ethic Board member, plus one member chosen by the Mayor's office, and one chosen from council. Annual Ethics Form. That is a document I would like to read. Maybe he records his hot dog receipts there.
I have been wondering lately about all the negative publicity that the Mayor has been receiving. I don't know how many Pittsburghers read the New York Times, but I did hear (second hand) one person say that "no thinking person could vote for Luke". Ravenstahl has had very little positive press recently, and it seems like every week he is linked to something bad. The 70% positive approval poll number is cited often, especially by the Mayor's supporters. Has anyone done a poll recently? You gotta wonder how much of a toll all these negative stories are taking on the Mayor's popularity.
Are the casino revenues part of next year's budget? If so, maybe someone better get around to amending the budget. Maybe that's what the Mayor will say in Harrisburg next week. We aren't going to have the casino bucks, so let us keep the parking revenue.
I wonder if Mark DeSantis will sneak into city hall next week and try out the Mayor's chair.
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4 comments:
Lets hope so.
You understand, Mon Cher, that I had something in mind like what Al Gore did in (apparently) December 2002. He went to the set of the West Wing, meeting Martin Sheen and John Spencer, and sitting in the President's chair in the mock Oval Office. The scene ends with the lights going down as Gore is still sitting there and my memory of it is fuzzy, but I'll bet he sighs in the dark, ... with contentment.
Anyway, we know the Mayor is going to Harrisburg Monday. Perfect time for DeSantis to go to City Hall, sneak up to the fifth floor (or where ever), and while Schultz creates a distraction ("look, it's Al Gore"), DeSantis can sneak into the Mayor's office and sit in the chair and ... sigh.
Oh, Al Gore did that as the host of Saturday Night Live, and hardly sneaked in, like he would have to for the real Oval Office.
Schultz will be out of town again this week!
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