Josh Mandel : The Last, Desperate Hope for the Ohio GOP
Submitted by Anthony Fossaceca on Thu, 05/28/2009 - 10:31am.
When I think of Josh Mandel, the first person that comes to mind is Marc Dann. Now, don't take this as yet another attack of Marc Dann. It's not. We've all gone through a year and a half of discussion on the topic and moved past it. I, for one, don't wish to prolong it. However, the similarities are frightening. The most obvious being two men clearly over their heads for the office they seek.
In Marc Dann's case, the task of managing the largest law firm in the state, was by his own admission, too far outside his experience level. Dann was an effective legislator in an overwhelmingly Republican body. He was able to move the ball on economic issues and had a pretty sharp grasp of where Ohio needed to go in terms of job creation and reinventing our state economy. Plus, his work in exposing the Coingate scandal opened the flood gates for Democrats in 2006. Where Dann got it wrong was by listening to the voice in his head (and the voices in his ear) telling him to reach higher than he was ready to climb. Josh Mandel, encouraged by similar voices, began his rise to political stardom today.
By announcing he's entering the race for Ohio Treasurer, Mandel, a Republican from the eastern Cuyahoga County suburb of Lyndhurst, puts his political career on the line by prematurely abandoning his seat in the state legislature for a higher office outside his skill set. Mandel, only 31, now seeks to unseat a very qualified Kevin Boyce, who became Treasurer following Richard Cordray's election as Attorney General. What Mandel truly brings to the office other than helping pass a tax rollback as a city councilman is hard to see.
Supporters of Mandel's will say his experience as a Marine serving two tours in Iraq have prepared him for this role. That's possible, but comparing the two is risky and naive. These are very different jobs with very different skill sets. If elected, Mandel will oversee a rather large statewide operation charged with a host of responsibilities he does not seem to be openly prepared for. To manage one of these departments as Treasurer, Attorney General, Governor, etc, one must come at the job with not only the credentials on paper that suggest a level of preparedness, but a life experience as well. Serving as a Marine in Iraq certainly can provide you with the leadership skills and ability to deal with adversity, but it doesn't necessarily mean you can comprehensively understand the daily financial struggles Ohioans face. Does this mean he wouldn't be an effective treasurer? No. Learning on the job is one of the things many politicians are forced to do. But with out economy teetering on the brink and real-world experience more important than ever, the last thing we need is a relatively inexperienced candidate whose sole purpose is a "cooler job title." One Marc Dann-like crisis was enough for awhile.
Experience and an agenda should always drive a candidate's decision to run for higher office. Can that candidate bring something to the table and is that candidate really running to serve in that role? These are the key questions surrounding Josh Mandel. Right now, the obvious answer is no on both. Mandel's own party chair, Kevin DeWine stated that experience matters when he said last March that "Ohioans need more than a city councilman to serve in the office of treasurer."
We couldn't agree more.
Kevin Boyce has the experience and has been incredibly impressive in his first few months on the job. To hand the keys over to an inexperienced candidate, focused on doing nationwide speaking engagements as he prepares to run for U.S. Senate (2012), seems reckless at best.
Ohio Republicans would be wise to use caution in their rush to place Mandel on the ticket. While fewer and fewer Republicans are willing to stick out their necks for a dying brand and disfunctional party, surely there is someone (anyone?) from any one of the 88 counties, truly qualified for the job. Right?
He brings "new fresh energy!"
"Protecting our tax dollars." "I was a Marine." "I served two tours in Iraq." "Look at me in my uniform!" "Did I mention I was a Marine?!"
I was just over a Joshmandel.com looking it over. This guy may be a fresh, energetic face but the particulars of his experience and accomplishments seem still to be lacking. I know he is young and attractive (and he served in Iraq!), but from other legislators I hear that his accomplishments there are minimal, and he hasn't been much of a leader or a go-getter. I'm particularly suspicious of any Republican taking over our treasury because they've all shown a tendency to mishandle money and Mandel isn't very experienced there. I am sure that GOP big-money donors will see this guy as a panacea for their future — devoid of solid positions or driving motivation for serving, and very ambitious.
Nice fantasy article about Mandel
over at conservative sight Powerline, fairly drooling over him as the savior of the GOP's future.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/05/023662.php
I agree he's an attractive package; it's a shame he has no content at this point. But did I mention he did two tours in Iraq? At least they're out of the closet, as far as presenting this as an actual credential to hold office, which is funny considering the number of GOP chickenhawks who have held sway in the last decade. It's almost as if they are holding him up as an amulet to neutralize all that.
I don't find his actual legislative record that impressive.
My knock on this guy is that
My knock on this guy is that he is a charlatan and really has zero experience that qualifies him to be the Chief Financial Officer of the state.
From his non-announcement e-mail today: "I believe that, to change the direction of our state, we need new leaders who believe in good old-fashioned values like honesty, hard work and fiscal responsibility. I learned these timeless values from my family and they were reinforced in me by the Marine Corps."
I'm sorry, what? I completely honor Mandel's service in the military. But what lessons in "fiscal responsibility" were reinforced in him by the Marine Corps? Honestly, I'm asking - what does that mean??
But it gets worse. Undoubtedly anticipating pressure to prove he is in any way qualified to run the treasury of the 7th largest state in the country, Mandel reminds us that he voted for a tax rollback five years ago when he was a Lyndhurst city councilman: "I have a proven record of standing up for Ohio’s taxpayers, including spearheading one of the only municipal tax rollbacks in the State’s history as a City Councilman."
And that's it. The only other specific qualification he lists is that he "helped" an effort to reform Workers Comp a couple years ago.
Let's say it out loud: Josh Mandel's campaign is going to largely center around his status as a veteran. Again, I honor his bravery and his service. But he is completely and utterly unqualified to serve as the Treasurer of the State of Ohio.
Saying Kevin Boyce "has the
Saying Kevin Boyce "has the experience" to be Treasurer is laughable. All Boyce was before being appointed Treasurer was a Columbus City Councilman - a job where he was required to go to meetings only once a week. Democrats love to cite Boyce's tenure as the Finance Committee Chairman of Columbus Council as a reason he's qualified, but conveniently ignore that the Columbus budget was a disaster during his tenure as Finance Committee Chairman.
If experience is going to be the Boyce's talking point against Mandel, Boyce is going to get his butt kicked.
He's the Actual Treasurer.
Boyce actually has the job. You realize that, right?
I doubt Boyce makes experience the cornerstone, but where does Mandel go? A Lyndhurst tax rollback? Seriously?
Boyce can also point to
being a member of the fiscally responsible party, while the Republicans complain about the budget not being balanced while simultaneously demanding tax cuts that will bankrupt the state.
As for Mandel, I hear from other reps he's a do-nothing, which is born out by his record in the legislature. He's pointing to one bill he proposed divesting in Iran which was just silly showboating, not in the financial interests of Ohioans and didn't pass. He's taken the vaguest possible stands on crucial issues, which bothers me, especially given the amount of funding he's gotten from some very special special interests whose interests aren't those of most Ohioans.
And if he runs on "I was a Marine! Look at me; I served in Iraq," he will confirm my worst opinion of him.
Neither Party
Neither Party is fiscally responsible. As a longtime democrat and years in politics I can tell you that government just seems to prefer throwing money at "issues" (issues have no solution, problems do) as opposed to finding real solutions.
Rather than being creative it is much more impressive to constituents (and newsworthy) to find government funding and write a check. The larger the check, the bigger the headline.
The mounting debt in Columbus, Ohio and the nation tells the entire story about stewardship of resources.
The more money bureaucrats have, the more they will spend. The more they spend, the more layers of administration they need. It is the refinement of inefficiency. For example, I waited 2 nearly years for a State Roster of Elected Officials from the Secretary of the State. Nearly YEARS!
I work with Government frequently, I sometimes, when I make an appointment with an elected official, and they send a lacky to stand in for them, or on rare occasions stand me up completely but they always seem to show up for fundraisers and social gatherings. This is true of both democrats and republicans so I am making no distinction.
When I do get a meeting, they THEN hand off ALL responsibility for work to "interns." Don't believe me?
Remember this? "Disk with info on 64,000 state employees was taken from intern’s car"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19247094/
Schools need more money, police, fire department, Rec & Parks, all the city departments (in Columbus) are in trouble and politicians have figured out how to keep the money flowing scare tactics and taxes to keep their layers of inefficient bureaucracy functioning. http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/ohio-police-chief-warns-di...
I am warning ALL my democrat friends to watch the back lash against us. As fast as people demanded "change" once proposed policies are implemented, if "change" doesn't occur as promised, people will want to "change back" to find different solutions.
"Economy has stepped back from the brink?"
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gYBbb2s0AF0oIofXogzD0L...
Yet, "Home sales flat; mortgage delinquencies rise"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30981452/
Politicians (in this instance I include Ben Bernanke even though he is appointed) tell us the economy is turning around, but the numbers aren't bearing that out.
A terminal and finite personality cult has been whipped up around President Obama. The speed at which democrats are sweeping in new policy and and writing checks should signal to observers that the Democratic party is aware that public opinion can and will quickly change.
If the economy doesn't turn around soon, 2010 will see more Republicans elected. Voters will not tolerate 10% unemployment for long.
Nor will voters tolerate for long, constant blaming of sometimes of past administrations, for current conditions.
I am already quite exhausted with "the dog ate my homework" excuses from Coleman, Strickland and Obama. "It isn't my fault", they are all saying.
2010 will prove very difficult for Ohio democrats, Fisher/Brunner will be at the mercy of public perception of Obama's economic policy success.
However, Boyce will mop the floor with this "kid."
Well Stated
So two mainstay arguments for Kevin Boyce have holes punched in them.
Experience. Boyce has only been Treasurer since January...five months experience...big deal. Prior to that he served eight years on Columbus City Council a post he was also appointed to in 2000. So from 2000 to 2008 Boyce probably only had to stand for election once or at most twice. With the fact that council members barely have to face electoral competition makes Boyce a fairly inexperienced candidate for state-wide office (Kind of like Janette Bradley was...know what I mean?).
Boyce has no statewide ballot experience...that is why Mandel can run with his lack of experience. He is barely known in Columbus as most council members roll through their time there just waiting for their next political job (usually through appointment to a higher office).
Just another career politico unfortunately.
Fiscal responsibility. Boyce was chairman of the finance committee of council. How long did he serve in that post? Certainly not for all eight years. Anyone who has lived in Columbus long enough knows that the person who really has the pulse of the City Finances is Hugh Dorian, the long time City Auditor. And since the budgets are generated from the Mayor's Administration and are usually rubber stamped by council, one wonders how much Boyce learned about government finance.
Hilarious.
Someone name ONE thing Josh Mandel has accomplished. One.
Accomplishment
(1) Ohio State University Student Government President, (2) Veteran of two tours in Iraq.
You said name one, I named two...
Probably not what you wanted to hear anyway...but then you didn't qualify the request.
Kevin Boyce's strengths
Kevin Boyce has some major strengths. He has a fantastic biography. His story of how he grew up has some serious adversities that he overcame and he is very well spoken.
The outstanding thing about his service in Columbus City Council is being competent.
Kevin's demeanor, his intonation and cadence of his speech, will translate well when it is time to put him on camera. He has a very deliberate way of public address and in 3 years of attending City Council meetings, I have not seen him make any gaffes, NOT ONE.
The problem that the ODP will perceive is winning in the non-urban areas, predominately white, and leaning conservative.
(Please don't reply to me how democrats don't consider race or age, that is just naive. The party wants YOU to not consider it, but the party FULL WELL DOES. Don't forget you are a proletariat, sit down and be quiet while the adults have a discussion) Just Kidding! It is well known in the party that ODP forwarded Strickland and it caused a major rift from those supporting Coleman.
Strickland endorsed Hillary over Obama because of his concern for the demographics of his base supporters, which are the same concerns that I am mentioning here and never did really get on board with Obama. He has his re-election to think about and can't risk offending his base if Obama doesn't work out in the future.
Sidebar - Ohio voters should also consider how federal stimulus money will flow (or not flow) to Ohio, considering that Strickland did not support the person signing stimulus checks. In other words Ohio, "Don't hold your breath." It is rumored that Barry has a long "hit list" of non-supporters and if you think he wouldn't have a list THAT is naive also.
Compared to this kid the GOP is forwarding, it will be quite "hilarious" because the kid could just look too young to make a serious run against Kevin Boyce. In my personal opinion race will not matter once ODP starts getting Kevin out in public view. Kevin is just too well spoken and put together to ignore and for this young guy to beat, regardless of his experience. Kevin just looks and carries himself more competently.
The least you need to know;
Ohio will not hand a checkbook to someone that doesn't know how to tie a tie and wears his shirt a 1/2 size to big. Did they not teach Josh to tie a tie in the Marine Corps?
So his ONE accomplishment seems to be making it through the Marine Corps without his tie being on it's gig-line.