24-Hour Dorman
Polling the Candidates
Posted on Oct 20, 2009 by Todd Dorman.
Last night, during a forum for five candidates running for two at-large seats on the Cedar Rapids City Council, the hopefuls were asked who they support in the hotly contested race for mayor.
Three candidates, Chuck Swore, Donald Karr and Nick Duffy said they support Ron Corbett.
Swore said he’d love to have Corbett’s top rival, council member Brian Fagan, as his own ”son,” calling him “a peach.” But he wouldn’t support his “son” for mayor.
I predict some awkward moments at hypothetical Thanksgiving.
Karr provided an even more, uh, enthusiastic endorsement of Corbett. “Ron Corbett has a big tool box, almost as big as mine,” Karr said.
Robert Bates said he’s “tired of Corbett” but did not endorse his rivals, Fagan or P.T. Larson. At-large candidate Aaron Saylor said he could work with either Fagan or Corbett.
After Saylor’s attempt at political diplomacy, someone in the audience yelled “Typical politician.” Ouch.
Frankly, it’s none of our business who will get their secret ballot. But that hasn’t stopped us from asking,
It’s a question we’ve asked every city candidate who stopped by The Gazette’s editorial board. So far, “none of your business” is in the lead.
Six candidates declined to say who they support, including District 3 candidates Pat Shey and Kathy Potts, at-larger Saylor and all three hopefuls in district one - incumbent Kris Gulick, Tim Pugh and Ryan Russell.
Most answered the question like Shey, who said both Corbett and Fagan have leadership ability and would do a fine job.
Four support Corbett – Swore, Karr, Duffy and current District 3 City Council member Jerry McGrane. McGrane said Fagan is a “nice guy” but the city needs a change. (Just not in his district.)
No candidate said they back Fagan, although some of the no-sayers may indeed be in his camp. Corbett also said during his meeting with the board that he has the backing of current council members Monica Vernon and Justin Shields. Vernon is not on the ballot and Shields is unopposed.
Does any of this matter?
Well, if election night breaks for Corbett and his backers, he could come into office with a significant voting block initially on his side. And that could have a significant impact on the future direction of city policy and management. Ditto is Fagan comes into power alongside the diplomats.
But there’s also risk in tying your own candidacy to someone else’s wagon. If they have a bad night, you might wish you hadn’t.
So I don’t blame the candidates who declined to weigh in. Politics sometimes becomes “typical” because it’s also smart.
UstaBe
21. Oct, 2009
Its simply a matter of "we don't have a real choice." And we won't have now that we have this form of government. Fagan is more of the same but wider awake, Corbett is a partisan politician, and PT is PT. I praise PT for his vow to work full time in what's now a part time job … but WHY did we change form of government? And how soon can we change back? State law dictates how long between form-of-government elections … isn't the deadline coming soon? (By the way, before it can get started, I'd NEVER vote for PT.)
CRLocal
21. Oct, 2009
I don't think many people will vote for P.T., honestly. His biggest chance is people who will go to the polls, recognize his name, and vote for him without knowing anything about him.
I did get a kick out of the council candidates saying that their choice was "between both candidates". I almost feel bad for guys like Bates, Larson, Swore, Saylor, and Busch who just don't get it. At least Busch had the foresight to drop out. He made other people's decisions easier, and made his own life easier, so I guess I have to commend him for that.
(oh, and I also will not be voting for PT)
96Bravo
21. Oct, 2009
Jerry McGrane was right; both in his endorsement of Ron Corbett and in his earlier comments to the Gazette Editorial Board when he said his fellow council members were scared to death to tell the truth in regards to their positions on building a new city hall and what they have done to the Veterans and the Vets Memorial. These same current Council members, Shey, Gulick, Wieneke and of course the Mayor herself are equally scared of making their positions known and their support of Brian Fagan. In the case of Shey and Gulick it's political self interest as they try and get re-elected without a losing candidate at the top of their ticket. In the instance of "her Honor" maybe she finally realized that her outright endorsement (as if her financial backing is not self evident) would be the nail in Brian Fagan's political coffin.
Iowarch
21. Oct, 2009
If everything that McGrane has said would come back to haunt him, he wouldn't get elected as dog catcher. McGrane is petty and ignorant of anything that comes from a different direction than his favorite followers, which says alot about them as well. Pooling his former neighborhood association Presidency into a win in a nearly uncontested race, was a relatively smart move. Now that he has his throne firmly in hand and has tipped his hat to those who generally run this city for their own self grandizement, he won't be challenged by anyone of the Monica Vernon type, who squeezed out a little guy with less than a thousand dollars to run a campaign with her "machine" bought and paid for by the builders association and others with money to make doing business in Cedar Rapids. McGrane got in while the gittin' was good and easy, he will remain probably because no one else wants to put their neck in that noose with any intention of trying to pull back on the reins of government. That would only tighten the noose on their neck. Jerry knows it is easier to except the check for being a councilman and completely dropping the reins all together. It is a nice supplement to Social Security!
CROslady
21. Oct, 2009
I sure hope you're right. We need something "different" and "smart", though not sure either or any candidate up there is there is the right choice.