Thursday, February 08, 2018

CPT | Lessons from George Forbes • Chaos in local Democratic ranks • Playing the Race Card

Cuyahoga Politics Today

Sometimes you can't tell the players even with a scorecard
Some time last century, when I was an observer if not yet a student of local politics, and certainly not a regular political reporter, I eased myself inconspicuously into an informal gathering on Cannon Road in Bedford Heights of a few dozen black elected officials.
I suspect it was in the early ‘90s, not long after George Forbes had closed the book on his three decades long electoral career with a knockout at the hands of Mike White in the epochal 1989 Cleveland mayoral campaign.
Forbes nonetheless dominated the room, much like Joe Louis would have even years after his ring destruction by Rocky Marciano. I found a space in the large room just off Forbes’ shoulder, and during a hiatus in the proceedings asked him a now forgotten question about how he had accomplished some particular political feat. He paused briefly, and then said unforgettably, “I never made my move too soon.”
Emboldened by my success in mining that nugget, I later in the meeting asked the political maestro another question about how he had managed to remain city council president for so long. His reply was pithy as it gets: “I could count,” he said.
Reflecting on those racially charged days of the late ‘70s and the decade that followed, coinciding as they did with the saga of court-ordered student bussing and the unsuccessful effort to eradicate at least sixty years of de facto segregation and both public and private discrimination in the “Best Location in the Nation”, Forbes said he knew he could always depend on the votes of every black councilman. Given the council’s racial makeup, Forbes said, he needed only to focus at critical times on getting the one or two votes he needed from white councilmen to maintain his power.
Narrow-minded tribal politics still dominates our political, commercial and professional spaces here in Northeast Ohio. Our gross insularity and collective sense of inferiority are primary to an understanding of why our Amazon bid was a vain exercise and why we continue to live in small minded and selfish ways amidst our abundant natural and historic assets. I suppose it also helps why so many in these parts cling to the faded image of Chief Wahoo, and why it took the modern day version of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis last month to ordain the icon’s banishment with all deliberate speed.
Irrespective of policy positions or level of government, a sense of timing and the ability to count that Forbes recalled are indispensable elements in the toolkit of any successful politician. Indisputably and lamentably, the events of the past few weeks in the run up to yesterday’s 4pm filing deadline for this year’s May 8th primary, underscore some pitiful realities of local politics.
First, racialized and tribal politics continue to bedevil Cuyahoga County. Nowhere is this truer than in our process for selecting judicial candidates and electing judges, areas where voters have too little information and even less understanding. County Democratic Party chair Shontel Brown famously declared the process of selecting judicial candidates “broken” last month at the party’s executive committee meeting.
Unfortunately, while her description was accurate, Brown stepped on her message in many ways. Following the lead of her acknowledged whisperer, the novice chair inexpertly put her fist on the scale while standing behind a threadbare curtain. She compounded her blunder by calling out the results of the process in a way that was guaranteed to make the problem worse, especially in the short term. While trying to speak of principle, she cast her argument in terms of race in a way that revealed an underlying hypocrisy: she would have been happy with the process had it yielded results to her liking.
This assessment is not meant to assail Brown. It’s the way we too often deal with race in America. We don’t have honest conversations on the subject. In fact, when a recent US Attorney General said as much, he was vilified for his audacious candor. Clear thinking about race is hard work.
At the meeting, Brown was able to secure a short-term victory for her handlers that avoided their total embarrassment and that of the party, that would have resulted if not even one of the half dozen capable candidates of color had secured endorsement in any of the four open seats.
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge would have been disastrously exposed by such a result. Not only had she cut a deal with southwest side party boss Bill Mason to ensure a different result; she had publicly declared her support for her two favored candidates: Andrea Nelson Moore and Deborah M. Turner.
The racialized gymnastics Brown indulged in her speech to avoid a humiliating defeat for Fudge may have secured the party endorsement for Moore, but a painful price will be paid for that fleeting success. Here’s why:
White politicians frequently try to score rhetorical points by claiming some black person “played the race card”, an assertion that race is improperly introduced into consideration of some issue. This is usually a vile maneuver that black people recognize as an attempt to deny voice to what is always omnipresent in America: the consequences of our history as a slave nation which even after the Civil War sanctioned all manner of racial violence and injustice in myriad personal, legal, formal and structural ways, practices that continue even today, albeit in more refined and subtle ways.
It therefore cuts deeply and sets back the pursuit of racial justice, equity and inclusion when naked appeals based on racial tribalism are privileged to the exclusion of excellence and merit. So when outstanding candidates like Karrie Howard who are African American strive and strain intensively over many months to cultivate support on the basis of merit, that work can be undermined by narrow racial appeals that facilitate personal agendas. The foes of racial justice and equity derive aid and comfort in the hypocrisy, and the public interest in a strong and competent judiciary is not served.
This leads to a second pitiful reality underscored by the past few weeks: the manic dysfunction of the county Democratic Party. It is of course chronically broke, but that is the least of its problems. More seriously, it is devoid of vision and leadership. Senior elected officials — county executive Armond Budish and Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson are prime examples — are content to use it but invest nothing of their considerable political resources into making it an effective instrument that articulates, harnesses or advances the collective will either of its members or those it purports to represent. 
Thirdly, this void at the top, and the thoroughly undisciplined and chaotic environment it permits, is an open invitation to ambitious and self-serving politicians to recreate the moral corruption of the Dimora-Russo era.
Fourthly, while there are more black elected officials in Cuyahoga County than ever in history, black people have less real collective political power locally than at any time since at least 1965. This has disastrous consequences for every public issue: health, education, transportation, public safety, workforce readiness, infrastructure demands, regional viability, you name it.

# # #

The backlash from shortsighted and costly tactics employed to secure the Moore nomination were evident in every open judicial race, and even some non-judicial contests, leading up to yesterday’s filing deadline. Those tactics cost Howard an endorsement on his merit — he needed 60% approval but was held to 59.3% by Fudge allies. Consider the irony: a black man wins support from white people on the content of his character and his accomplishments ; meanwhile some black people fail to support him based on an agenda that has those same black people calling out white people for bias.
The situation, as we predicted, also brought a late flurry of “name” candidates into the electoral mix. Thus there were last minute filings by a Gallagher, a Russo, and a McGinty, all familiar ballot surnames. Meanwhile, another familiar ballot name — Kilbane — moved from one slot to another, and then back to her original slot, all within 48 hours.

We will have more to say on the primary races in our next post, and maybe also on the radio. Details on that later, if it comes to pass.


-->
# # #

Tuesday, February 06, 2018

CPT: Beachwood surprise, Progressive Caucus, precinct battles, Patmon redux

June Taylor swearing-in highlights Greater Cleveland’s cultural challenge


June E. Taylor is sworn in
as member of Beachwood
City Council, Feb. 5, 2018
After June Elizabeth Taylor was sworn in as the newest member of Beachwood City Council last night, she took the citizen’s podium to thank her supporters and to share some thoughts about her life, her appointment, and her philosophy.




Her new council colleagues selected Taylor last week after an open and transparent process to fill the vacancy created when then-council president Martin Horwitz defeated longtime mayor Merle Gorden.

Following the November election, Taylor was among 17 people who responded to an open call for applicants. Every applicant was granted an 18 and 1/2 minute interview.



When Taylor finished speaking, there was little if any doubt among the 100 or so people gathered in council chambers that the best candidate had been selected. She thanked a small battalion of friends and mentors for their friendship and support. A few of the more recognizable names she mentioned and that we were able to capture illustrate the depth and breadth of the support she carries, both within the city and across the state — Mal and Barbara Mixon, Jim and Debbie Wert, Ed and Mary Crawford, Amy and Rob Frost [County GOP chair], Shontel Brown [County Dem chair], Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, Gov. Kasich]. 
New councilwoman June E. Taylor, center, is surrounded by well-wishers,
L-R, Leon Anderson, Patricia Anderson, Tayloria Anderson, and Flossie Brisker.

None of these were idle or puffed references. In addition to her day job as president of the tech company, MAC Installations, Taylor chairs the Ohio Casino Control Commission and sits on the board of trustees for Cleveland State University. The public agency positions are both courtesy of Kasich appointments.

Taylor was also profuse in her appreciation of her neighbors, her daughter’s friends parents, and a host of others, including of course her family. Her prepared remarks were gracious throughout, and by turns politic and direct. She spoke of her own family values — her remark about her father wanting her to be smart in terms of book sense, common sense, and dollars and cents found an audible responsive chord — including education, preparation and excellence. She showed a respect for the city’s public employees and her own understanding that she was now an official public servant.

Conspicuous by its absence was any direct mention of Taylor’s race. There were likely more African Americans in council chambers last night than perhaps ever in that city’s history, but I heard not one reference by anyone that Taylor is the first African American ever to sit on Beachwood City Council.

That is more than likely something traceable directly to the candidate. As some good church folk say, the new councilwoman is unmistakably and unapologetically black. But Taylor chose in her remarks to focus on personal relationships, values, and standards, and the room took heed from her stance.

James Pasch, council vice president, seemed to confirm as much in a telephone call following the meeting. He added that he felt Taylor came to the applicant interview extremely well prepared and full of creative ideas on ways to improve municipal performance.

It seemed a rare moment in the county's Byzantine politics, when matters of race and ethnicity were subsumed by discussion of standards and values and community benefit.

 # # #

Progressive Caucus holding forum today for eastside State House candidates

Group also preparing to file for 100s of Dem precinct slots; Bill Patmon files for District 21 Senate seat


The Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus continues what has become its leadership role in presenting candidates to the public at numerous public forums all over the county.

Today at 6p, the Caucus is sponsoring what it had announced as a forum for State Senate District 21 and House Districts 10 and 12. The event is being held at the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Center, 3450 Lee Road, in Shaker Heights.

The event may have broadened significantly because last-minute requests for CCPC endorsements have come in from State Sen. Kenny Yuko [D-25] and State Rep. Kent Smith [D-8].

A caucus spokesman said the deadline for seeking CCPC endorsement is tomorrow, which is also the filing deadline for candidates wishing to be on the May 8 primary ballot.

Yuko is Senate Minority Leader but was recently denied the Cuyahoga County Democrats’ endorsement in the primary, at least partially because of issues being churned by the unsettling alliance between US Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-11 and regressive political forces best represented by former county prosecutor Bill Mason and his allies, most notably Cleveland City Council president Kevin Kelley. 

The Fudge-Mason alliance seems to be clashing for primacy with new forces within the Democratic Party, represented in part by the Caucus and also with the emergence of new candidates who don’t always feel the need to kiss the rings of party elders. The results can be be seen in how the endorsements came down late last month and in the shifting of lanes in county judicial races that may continue until tomorrow's 4PM deadline.

And of course the ever-present elements of race, class, gender and geography are always a part of these party dynamics. It certainly makes for more exciting and complicated politics than the Republicans experience. For them, underneath all the high-falutin’ discussions of states’ rights, limited government, individual freedoms, and strict interpretations, it’s almost always just about the Benjamin$.

At least until the summer of 2015, when, thanks to a certain candidate, it began to be more about race, ethnicity AND money.

But tonight, there will likely be a steady effort by almost all of the candidates to introduce themselves or in the case of Yuko and Smith, remind their constituents of what great service they are providing. Rep. John Barnes, D-12, who is challenging Yuko for his Senate seat, told RDP he is in Columbus preparing for a committee hearing tomorrow and will not attend tonight.

The following candidates are expected to participate this evening:

Senate District 21: Jeff Johnson [his opponent, Sen. Sandra Williams, did not RSVP.]
House District 8: Kent Smith
House District 10: Kyle Early, Aanand Mehta, Andrew Schriver, Billy L. Sharp
House District 12: Yvonka Hall, Dmitri McDaniel

 Democratic Central Committee contests

Every four years, all precinct committee seats appear on the ballot. GOP central committee seats are on the ballot in even years, alternating with the Dems.

With the filing deadline for all races at 4pm tomorrow, insiders are looking closely at files for the roughly 920 seats available countywide. It is these central committee slots that can influence a party’s direction.

The Progressive Caucus may run as many as 200 candidates for these seats. And we are hearing that the Mason forces are up to their old tricks. When Mason served as county prosecutor, his office served as a political factory. Despite electoral promises made in 2016 by then candidate Michael O’Malley, we are receiving reports that Prosecutor O’Malley’s office is doing a brisk business circulating candidate petitions during business hours.

LATE BREAKING NEWS:


-->
State Rep. Bill Patmon, D-10, who is term-limited from running for the House again this year, filed today for the 21st District State Senate seat currently held by Sen. Sandra Williams. 

In other news, we hear Mueller Tire is doing a brisk business in retreads.

Monday, February 05, 2018

On White Evangelicals: Telling it Like it T-I-IZZ

Read this to see why Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Pitts paid its author the highest praise one writer can give another: “Damn! I wish I’d written this!”