Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

written by Tom Luken

198 of us newly elected precinct executives are gathering on Monday to proudly organize the Hamilton County Democratic Party for the next biennium.  We are proud to follow in the footsteps of Harry Truman, the patron of the little guy, and JFK who set the standard for civic contributions in selflessness in the words “Ask what you can do for your country.”

An issue we will take up on Monday centers around Democrat Chris Dole, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Crosby Township, whose name has become a household word since the Enquirer introduced him to the public with a headline “Someone Willing To Give Voters A Choice”.  Actually Chris was previously known to various Democratic elected officials, who, like David Pepper, remember Chris fondly for helping in David’s crucial suburban campaign which brought about a Democratic majority on the commission.  Perhaps that helpfulness was the reason almost all of the Democratic elected officials eagerly signed Dole’s nominating petitions to replace Republican Pat DeWine.

As the Enquirer continued, Chris got involved because he believed that “Democracy works best when the voters have real choices.” The editorial goes on “the real losers are the county’s citizens who have no choice and whose opinions clearly don’t matter to the bosses.”

When Chris saw the need there was little time for reflection.  He jumped into the daunting task of getting 5000 signatures on petitions with only volunteer circulators.  He fooled the naysayers who predicted he couldn’t succeed in such short of time, and filed 4,800 signatures on petitions that the Board of Elections employees described as “the cleanest petitions they had ever checked.”

Chris is the kind of guy who works the night shift so he has time during the day for his civic work and family. 

Chris hates to be negative, but he admits that Hartmann’s connections to the Bush-Cheney-Rove machine give him extra incentive to prevent handing over this county commission seat without a fight.

Mr. Burke, on the other hand, has published numerous statements in the past three months making, and then repeating, his dismal predictions that “It is unlikely that he (Dole) can win.” (Burke letter April 15th to precinct executives.).  I’m personally flabbergasted.  I have run for office more often than anyone, and usually as the underdog to Republicans who had a big majority in those days. 

Yet I never heard of a Democratic Chairman demeaning a Democratic opponent of a Republican by repeating prediction of victory for that Republican. Chris Dole is a great candidate, and even Mr. Burke has not been able to document any basis for his jaundiced view, except that Burke made a deal with Republicans not to support anyone but Hartmann.

Again, all I can say about these unfounded predictions is, if I had quit in the face of negative predictions I could not have won eight out of nine congressional races where I was outspent considerably. 

And, Chris won’t quit either.  He’s won everything he tried.

Strangely, Mr. Burke keeps repeating that Mr. Hartman has the support of labor.  How does Burke know?  In my experience, and I usually had the support of labor, labor is not monolithic, and most often doesn’t commit until late in the campaign.  Mr. Burke should explain just how he knows something different.

THIS Monday is the big day of decision. Another obstacle for Chris is that Mr. Burke’s insistance is on being in the chair, and has refused to recuse himself due to his passionate opposition to Mr. Dole and his commitment in the “deal” to oppose Dole.  Perhaps some fair minded precinct executives can persuade him to vacate the chair to a somewhat more neutral person.

Finally, under these special conditions most people would prefer a written ballot.  Why?  Mr. Burke is so partisan that he is consumed by this deal he has made, he insists on knowing how each of his fellow precinct executives votes, especially those close to him via boards and business.  There is no governing law on the method of voting.  In the most famous contest in Hamilton County history, almost 1200 elected precinct executives voted in the John Wiethe-Vince Beckman contest which was decided by a written ballot. 

Mr. Burke will be offended, of course.  I recall that two years ago at the organization meeting he got so excited that he threatened to resign if he did not get his way on a procedural matter.  But he’ll get over it, so let’s decide which is the fairest route for Hamilton Countians, not which one Mr. Burke prefers.  A written ballot will be popular.

And lets all have a good time because we’re celebrating democracy.

Tom Luken, 23K

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