Double Debate Disappointment

This September presidential debate was supposed to be the pinnacle of my budding journalism career path but it was canceled (and moved to alternate location) back in mid-July.    

Like other significant emotional events we humans experience in our lives, I can vividly recall where I was when I first got word about Wright State University's 19 July decision to back out of the first presidential debate that was supposed to happen practically in my own backyard a few weeks from now. I was on a business trip out to North Dakota and was checking email on my smartphone after lunch before stowing it inside my car before entering a secure military facility. The cryptic teaser from the Dayton Daily News' app said that a "major announcement" was scheduled for 2pm that afternoon at the campus (I was an hour behind in the Central Time Zone) but no supporting information was provided prior to the event. It wasn't until I stepped out about an hour later to check for messages that I got to see just how devastating that press conference would be to the school, the local area and, on a personal level, to me.

A/V: Clinton/Kaine Coach Cavalcade Concludes in Columbus

Democratic running mates Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine wave to supporters at the end of their bus tour rally at the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus, Ohio on July 31.

On July 31, Ohio's capital city played host to the conclusion of the Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine post-convention three-day bus tour swing through the nation's Rust Belt. Starting in the Philadelphia suburbs on July 29th, the nominees made several stops in central and western Pennsylvania before crossing over into the "Buckeye State" late on the evening of the 30th for a rally in Youngstown. After an impromptu stop at a Cleveland-area church and another at Ashland's Grandpa's Cheesebarn for a quick food break, their two buses rolled into the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center to an estimated crowd of over 5,000 enthusiastic spectators who waited nearly two hours beyond the scheduled start time.

A/V: Dems Debut Determined Dynamic Duo

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (left) locks hands with Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren at the start of a campaign rally held at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal on June 25th.

In a move that belies the importance of Ohio's role in the upcoming general election for president, the Democratic Party offered up two of their most influential members during a 90-minute campaign rally at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal this past Monday. Presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton, making her third appearance in the Buckeye State within a two-week span, was greeted by an overflow capacity crowd that had already been warmed up by fiery remarks from the campaign's most recent and most progressive surrogate, Massachusetts freshman senator Elizabeth Warren.

A/V: Clinton Castigates Competitor's Corporate Credentials

Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivers an economic speech that savaged her Republican opponent's business record on Tuesday at the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus, Ohio.

In a national display to show just how important the "Buckeye State" is for the Democratic Party keeping control of the White House for the next four years, its capital served as their presumptive presidential nominee's venue to stake her claim for being a better steward of the nation's economy than her expected Republican rival come the fall. Employing a delivery style that featured both snark and sobriety, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton provided a sharp lambasting of the business resume of her general election challenger, New York businessman Donald Trump, during an address given Tuesday afternoon at Columbus' Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center.

A/V: Buckeyes Feel the "Bern" at Sanders' Columbus Rally

Vermont senator Bernie Sanders addresses enthusiastic attendees at his rally at the Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center on Sunday evening in Columbus, Ohio.

Just two days before a potentially close and contentious Ohio primary election, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders held an enthusiastic rally in Columbus on Sunday evening to capitalize on the momentum gained in last week's surprise victory in neighboring Michigan. Already in the state's capital for two other events later in the evening, his campaign hosted this gathering for over 7,000 supporters at the Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center to advocate his own political positions as well as contrast them against those held by the Republican presidential candidates and his own party's primary opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

A/V: Buckeye Boss Buoyed by Balloting Bounce

Ohio governor John Kasich begins his town hall event in support of his recently surging presidential campaign at the Fuyao Glass America plant in Moraine, Ohio on Friday evening.

Encouraged by improving polling data that indicates a tightening of Ohio's Republican presidential primary race, Governor John Kasich started a 4-day, 10-event trek across the Buckeye State in a bid to continue his White House bid past next Tuesday's elections. After a visit to Lima earlier in the day, the candidate made a stop in the Miami Valley on Friday evening to conduct a town hall meeting attended by over 800 people at the Fuyao Glass America plant located in the Dayton suburb of Moraine.

A/V: "Big Dog" Barnstorms for Bride

Former President Bill Clinton stumps for his wife's presidential campaign at the Montgomery County Democratic Party's annual Frolic for Funds dinner in Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday night.

In the first of several high profile political visits to the Miami Valley prior to next Tuesday's Ohio presidential primary, the Montgomery County Democratic Party welcomed former president Bill Clinton to speak at the start of its annual Frolic for Funds dinner at the Dayton Convention Center on Wednesday night. This event was the last of three appearances Clinton made in the state throughout the day in support of his wife's current Democratic presidential campaign that is running in a competitive race against that of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. Mayor Nan Whaley provided brief remarks to the overflow crowd prior to introducing the meal's guest speaker.

Soap Box: The Fall Race We Deserve (But Probably Won't See)

While Clinton and Kasich are their respective parties' most qualified candidates this campaign season, their capabilities are being eclipsed by voters' preference for style over substance.

Our copy of The New York Times arrived on the driveway early yesterday morning and, because of the  current internet-based paradigm of "pushing" news before it's seen in print, I already knew what it contained regarding today's Iowa caucuses. On the eve of this long-awaited start to the 2016 presidential primary process, the paper's editorial board announced its choices for endorsements--the time-honored political practice of publicly bestowing support to or approval of a person or position. With a long history of endorsing presidential candidates that goes back to Abraham Lincoln's first run for the White House in 1860 (and an overall 61 percent--24  out of 39 times backing the winner--accuracy rating for those general elections), the receipt of  "The Gray Lady's" auspicious sanction was seen by many politicians as a needed boost to a flagging campaign or as yet another example of the inevitability of their cause or candidacy to the voting public. In today's social media-dominated world where everyone can have a platform and express an opinion, newspaper endorsements have diminished in importance but are still seen as "bellwethers" to gauge support within the media "establishment".

My "Journo-less" Summer...So Far (Part 7 of 8)

This is the seventh installment for my personal journalism-related observations of the current summer season...as promised, the passing of a conservative publishing icon with whom I actually shared a core commonality.

7. The passing of Richard Mellon Scaife:

Richard Mellon Scaife holds up a copy of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's first Sunday edition in May 1974. (file photo courtesy of Trib Total Media) 

During this blog's run, I have done tribute pieces for two widely respected journalists (Andy Rooney and Helen Thomas) on the occasion of their passings. While Scaife was not a content producer, his activities within the overall periphery of journalism earned him at least a mention here. The 82-year old billionaire died on July 4th of an untreatable form of cancer that he announced through his own newspaper, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, on May 18th. Grand-nephew of Andrew W. Mellon--the renowned industrialist/philanthropist as well as a former US ambassador to the United Kingdom and US Treasury Secretary, he grew up in an affluent family and formally took control of the vast Mellon fortune when his mother died in 1972. A staunch supporter of conservative and libertarian causes, his personal views often crossed over into that newspaper and other journalistic ventures with which he associated himself--normally in a financial role.

My "Journo-less" Summer...So Far (Part 5 of 8)

This is the fifth installment for my personal journalism-related observations of the current summer season...as promised, a posthumously released, thinly veiled "tell all" novel kept media tongues wagging for the early part of the summer but it also drew new attention to a career--and a life--that ended way too soon.

5. "The Last Magazine":

With all of the books I have set aside for reading and the many boxes I have stacked up in my garage, it would take a lot of hype and buzz to get me to read one that has just been released. Michael Hastings' posthumous "novelization" of world and personal events during his time working at Newsweek in the early 2000s was one of those books. Although he was killed in an auto accident in June 2013 at the age of 33, his unfinished manuscript was found in a desk drawer and was released by his widow with little editing on June 17th to a host of critical acclaim. Coming in at 299 pages in its electronic form (352 in hard cover), it wasn't a long read but it was one that required frequent referrals to my own recollections of that time period or visits to Wikipedia for refreshers on the circumstances Hastings was retelling.

I Probably Should've Skipped This One

An advertisement for Mrs. Clinton's book signing event in last Sunday's Dayton Daily News.

Over the years (has it really been that long?), I have shared my adventures and milestones in exploring and practicing journalism in my local area and at a few places away from home via this blog. During that time, I have had the opportunity of covering events involving politicians, celebrities and national heroes with 2012 being my "banner year" due to Ohio's importance during the recent presidential election cycle and the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders heroic exploits during World War II. I've had some remarkable successes (gaining press credentials for both a VP and POTUS campaign event) and a failure or two along the way (turned down for an Air Force One arrival and the Obama campaign kick-off event in Columbus). I chose to forgo a rather significant event in the 2012 general election campaign (the joint Romney-Ryan appearance) for which I openly regretted not making the effort to attend. It was in the spirit of that last "no-show" that I decided to try and cover a potentially significant event leading up to the upcoming 2016 presidential race--a local appearance of the presumptive Democratic nominee, former First Lady/US Senator/Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a bookstore in the greater Dayton area. Regrettably, after you read what I provide below, you will probably agree with me that this was an event where I should've just stayed home.

In Appreciation: Randi Rhodes

Liberal radio talk show host Randi Rhodes called it a career this past week (photo courtesy of PhoenixNewTimes.com).

On Friday afternoon, I had to say goodbye to a frequent visitor into my daily life for the fourth—and probably final—time over the past six years but this one was on such good terms. Liberal talk radio host Randi Rhodes, deciding that it was time for her to walk away from her 30-year profession, finished up her last three-hour program on Premiere Networks just before 6PM—normally referred to as “beer o’clock” by her and other on-air talent. She made the announcement to her listeners and fans back in April, stating that it was her decision to leave just six months after facing a termination situation before securing support from the corporate syndicator/producer of The Randi Rhodes Show. The other two times prior to that November 2013 concession happened back in 2008 and 2009 when she left Air America Radio and Nova M Radio, respectively, under questionable contractual-related circumstances.