The attempts by the local GOP and Pachyderm speaker to trivialize the wins of their non A List members is comical. Why not congratulate your GOP winners, instead of presenting far-reaching for excuses.
This week Attorney Kliner and Roy Exum have been engaged in a blame game of how media coverage is responsible for election losses, referring exclusively to the Times Free Press. I offer you both a GOP elephant-sized crying towel, and a factual timeline analysis.
Let’s examine the notions of Attorney Kliner and Exum that the media is responsible for the election outcomes starting with the state Senate 10 race “scathing” editorial they reference as paramount to the loss. Both Kliner and Exum hang on to this August 1st editorial as the kiss of death for the Vital campaign. The “scathing” editorial was published on August 1st, after early voting was completed on July 28th.
It is a fact that during early voting July 13th through July 28th with historic turnout, Vital was endorsed by both editorial sides of the Times Free Press. Yet, early voting in the Hamilton County Senate 10 race was a win for Todd Gardenhire. The “scathing” editorial referenced by Kliner and Exum was not published until after early voting on August 1st, and Todd Gardenhire won early voting in Hamilton County. Attorney Kliner and Exum’s attributing the loss to the August 1st editorial, just doesn’t account for the timeline.
Both Kliner and Exum also attribute the win of Gary Starnes for Session Court Judge to media accounts of Judge Norton’s illness. The Norton campaign released a formal press release that he could not serve if elected on July 26th. The Times Free Press coverage followed after early voting ended on July 28th. Yet the early voting returns show a landslide win for Gary Starnes. Yet, again Attorney Kliner and Exum blame the media accounts of his illness.
If the “scathing” editorial of August 1st and Norton campaign press release of July 26th would have preempted early voting, maybe the analysis of Attorney Kliner and Exum would hold GOP water. This race was won in early voting.
Roy Exum, I am still a huge fan.
April Eidson