Spotted: Hudgens, Bleu concert
You've Been Spotted: Local pools
Extreme Makeover: Home edition
EDITORIAL
Our recommendation: Neuhardt is Dems' best bet in 7th District
Learn more about Bill Conner, Dave Woolever, Richard Wyderski, Sharen Swartz Neuhardt
Friday, February 22, 2008
The retirement of Republican U.S. Rep. David Hobson has brought forth a bunch of Democratic candidates for his job. But none is an experienced officeholder.
That reflects the pessimism of Democratic politicians about winning the district. We're talking, after all, about a district that President George W. Bush carried by 14 percentage points in 2004.
Extras
Historical patterns suggest the Democrats would be better off in their uphill struggle if they had a candidate with conventional political credentials and a solid base of support to start with.
Still, miracles happen.
Most of the Democratic candidates have a lot in common philosophically. They make a generally Democratic critique of the Bush years. So it's most useful to distinguish among them as to their abilities and political potential.
Bill Conner ran against Rep. Hobson last time, when people were not lining up for the job. He got 39 percent of the vote. He says this compares well with other Democrats in the past. But 2006 was a great year for the Democrats generally.
In truth, Mr. Conner did not demonstrate great suitability. Though smart and well-prepped, the former Air Force officer was touchy about criticism and too quick to anger. He says he has learned to keep cooler. (He lets his wife check his e-mails before he sends them.)
But, still, the Democrats have good reason to look for somebody who takes more naturally to politics.
Dave Woolever is a former blue-collar worker who now owns a pizza place. Buffeted by the economic winds that have hurt so many Ohio workers, he now takes an uncompromising position against existing trade treaties. His views could, if enacted, backfire on the great many Ohioans who are dependent on trade.
He has some union support, but he would have difficulty building on it.
Richard Wyderski is a doctor. He's a friend of Republican Rep. Mike Turner, a classmate at Belmont High School. He says he has gradually become more interested in public policy issues as his medical career has evolved. He's also become involved in nonmedical issues, working, for example, on the Dayton International Peace Museum.
Soft-spoken and earnest, he seems to lack the dynamism to ignite something special.
Also in the field are Jack D. Null and Thomas Scrivens, but neither is running much of a campaign. They did not come to a meeting at this newspaper or provide letters of endorsement.
The most promising candidate is Sharen Swartz Neuhardt, a partner in the Thompson Hine law firm. She has the most sophisticated understanding of the race.
She has learned the specific issues confronting Springfield, the biggest city in the district. She has a good feel for the importance of a regional cooperation and for the importance of the 7th District (which includes Greene County) to Dayton.
She has also come to terms with the need to raise a lot of money. Money is not the magic missing ingredient for the Democrats, but it wouldn't hurt.
Ms. Neuhardt admits that she voted for Rep. Hobson last time. That sets her apart from, say, Mr. Conner, who was simply outraged by the Hobson record. Her vote suggests that she has a connection with voters the Democrats are going to need.
