tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post5811316700185436073..comments2023-10-24T11:19:37.236-04:00Comments on Cognitive dissonance in Pittsburgh and beyond: Tonight's debateEdHeathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-48108830771117885642007-11-01T12:37:00.000-04:002007-11-01T12:37:00.000-04:00Yeah, Admiral, one reason why I didn't specify who...Yeah, Admiral, one reason why I didn't specify who said what was I was too lazy and uninspired and uninspirational to look. It seems to take me about an hour or so to do one of these posts. I usually wait until my wife goes to bed, so I give up an hour or so of sleep. My commute is fairly short, btw. Still, I’m not going to post so much after the election. Anyway I didn't feel like fumbling through old blog entries for who said what, even though I had vague sense that I ought to. I may have been one of the people predicting DeSantis would out debate Ravenstahl. Obviously I was wrong, at least two people I know of have expressed a preference for Ravenstahl over DeSantis. But someone recently called me thoughtful and honest, so I thought I would give the Mayor credit in a blog where I thought credit is due. And then rake him over the coals for other things. Heh.EdHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-62239835797591332822007-11-01T09:42:00.000-04:002007-11-01T09:42:00.000-04:00Two things, Ed. First of all, I didn't blog on it...Two things, Ed. First of all, I didn't blog on it because I'm just too damn busy. I watched the debate, and I even had things I wanted to say. But the commute is killing me here in my new city, and it's very hard to find the time.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, I do give Luke Ravenstahl a great deal of credit. Based on what we saw during the primary, I really thought that he would avoid debating DeSantis, as he clearly avoided debating Bill Peduto.<BR/><BR/>But he didn't, and there have been plenty of debates. So good for him.<BR/><BR/>And I never predicted that Luke would do poorly at these debates. In fact, my memory during the debate ducking days of the primary is that I said something along the lines of, "why isn't he just agreeing to debate? He would probably do far better conventional wisdom thinks he would."<BR/><BR/>So there were no "wipe the floor" predictions coming from me.Richmond K. Turnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03261676128947313640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-32018082982537761302007-10-31T17:36:00.000-04:002007-10-31T17:36:00.000-04:00I didn't watch it. No blogging about it for me.I didn't watch it. No blogging about it for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-38201464671838190642007-10-31T16:00:00.000-04:002007-10-31T16:00:00.000-04:00It's debate fatigue, Ed. Also, it's easier to blog...It's debate fatigue, Ed. Also, it's easier to blog on Sunday than Tuesday night.<BR/><BR/>To Schultzie: <BR/>Luke is like the PC in the Mac commercial that needs to be rebooted. <BR/><BR/>I think DeSantis had the most memorable line of the debate when Luke asked him how he expected to work with all these big-time Democratic politicos. DeSantis quipped, "I don't care what politicians think about me."CapitolMANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01476182773614523648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-25710668494188049392007-10-31T13:15:00.000-04:002007-10-31T13:15:00.000-04:00And you know, Ed, Luke has admitted he has done so...And you know, Ed, Luke has admitted he has done some recent polling. He was asked about the results by Honsberger (I think)and gave some lame excuse as to why he didn't want to share them.<BR/><BR/>Now you know if the results had been good ..... Luke would have been shouting them from the rooftops simultaneously rubbing the Post Gazette's nose in them.<BR/><BR/>But he's been quiet.<BR/><BR/>I'm not at all suggesting Luke will lose. I am thinking that the results might be close enough to be an embarrassment to even Luke.<BR/><BR/>As for the black vote..... they are not as determined, consistent and reliable of a voting block as are the seniors. And if they happen to be a key demographic this time around ......Luke has dissed them multiple times in his 13 month tenure.<BR/><BR/>Oh yea, Luke likes to trot Harper out as proof of his "inclusiveness". But I think your average African-American in 2007 knows patronizing behavior when he sees it.Charhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06725494226277483936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-1136910032913415942007-10-31T12:06:00.000-04:002007-10-31T12:06:00.000-04:00I still think that people without prior strong opi...I still think that people without prior strong opinions prefer to watch Luke talk than Mark. Both make funny mistakes - I think Mark called Mark Roosevelt "Lieutenant Roosevelt" instead of superintendent. And I heard Luke say “development broom”. Desantis crinkles his forehead when he concentrates, I think, or perhaps when he’s nervous, giving rise to the several comments about him looking like he is about to cry. Luke raises his eyebrows sporadically, and of course sounds like a kid. <BR/><BR/>Of course, if anyone is <I>listening</I> to the totality of the debates, they should be catching the fact the Luke has ducked several questions, simply refused to answer them. Bob Mayo’s first question in the Heinz Center debate stands out. That should be far more important than Luke’s appeal as a person, someone you might want to share a beer with at a cookout.<BR/><BR/>To be sure, Mark has harped on the “gift” Luke received in being allowed to play golf with the big boys, and it could be argued Luke received nothing of actual substance, so gift might be the wrong word. That’s an important distinction which the ethics board <I>got</I>, but the ethics board also did not let Luke off Scot free. The fact that they recommended changes in the ethics code is an indication that the Mayor found a technicality to excuse his behavior. At least the Mayor has stopped sounding happy when he says that he thinks the Ethics Board is so important he was the first person to appear before it. <I>Its not a good thing to be called before the Ethics Board, Mayor.</I> <BR/><BR/>I think you are on to something, Char. The coverage of the Mayor by the press has been so uniformly negative that I think it has eroded a lot of his voting base. Luke actually needs to put DeSantis away in the debates or through advertising, and just hasn’t. There’s polling going on now, but I haven’t heard any results so far. The mystery is how the African American vote will go, whether Desantis’ proposal for a minority development partnership will out weigh his call for Nate Harper’s suspension. On the other hand, the Mayor’s statement that he wants more African American cops and firemen is pretty insulting, I would think.EdHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-18548804326867931952007-10-31T06:38:00.000-04:002007-10-31T06:38:00.000-04:00I watched the debate then ran out to do my "Man On...I watched the debate then ran out to do my "Man On The Street" poll.<BR/><BR/>I've had more than my fill of Ravenstahl, so its hard for me to objectively say how well he did. To my eye and ear ..... he did an average job ....as did DeSantis. Neither blew it, neither hit it out of the park.<BR/><BR/>I know common wisdom normally says (especially around here) the race is the incumbent’s to lose and the challenger’s to win. And if DeSantis didn’t hit it out of the park, then by default DeSantis lost. <BR/><BR/>Again, maybe I’m no longer objective, but maybe the rule is not so cut and dry this time. In fact, since Ravenstahl has done nothing so far but show a lack of judgment and ethics ……Maybe it is he, not the challenger, who needs to knock the ball out of the park to redeem himself and I don’t think he did.<BR/><BR/>Put another way ….. Was either performance strong enough to win over someone truly undecided? I don’t think so. But Ravenstahl has pissed off, horrified, freaked out a huge number of people with his shenanigans. In my wanderings around the city, I’m hearing from more and more little old ladies who “Don’t Like Luke” anymore. Many of them stepped off the Luke Train with the SUV incident and I don’t think any of Luke’s debate performances thus far will convince them that he’s anything but a smirking, lying, big-headed twit who still has not learned his lesson.<BR/><BR/>I think in this unusual set of circumstances, the incumbent may have just as many votes to “win over” as the challenger. Maybe even more.Charhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06725494226277483936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30020334.post-34684117920921970052007-10-31T00:11:00.000-04:002007-10-31T00:11:00.000-04:00Just finished watching the debate on kdka.com. I ...Just finished watching the debate on kdka.com. I thought it went well but as Jon Delano said DeSantis didn't deliver a "knockout punch." <BR/><BR/>Let's face it. Luke is a robot. Did you notice the point where he even skipped like a robot? "Significant, Significant....." And then he looked like a deer in headlights when he thought he was out of time. DeSantis can score big points when he throws Ravenstahl off his talking points, as he did in the last debate when DeSantis schooled him on getting creative with the non-profit contributions.Schultzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15081403187993259643noreply@blogger.com