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What is Rick Baker’s endorsement really worth?

Published on July 6, 2009 in The Bay and the 'Burg by Peter Schorsch

Now that Rick Baker is saying he could endorse a candidate in the primary after previously indicating he would wait until the general election, let’s take a look at the real or perceived value of a Baker endorsement. Let’s begin with the obvious: Baker can’t endorse Jamie Bennett. Despite the fact that Bennett is the closest Baker has to a political heir, he just cannot waste his endorsement on Bennett. (What a shame, because if all had gone well, Bennett could…

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Karl Nurse vs. The Tomato Cans

Published on July 2, 2009 in The Bay and the 'Burg by Peter Schorsch

Last Sunday, Bill Safire wrote in his “On Language” column about the use of “Straw Man” in political speechifying, in which you set someone up just to knock them down. Safire uses President Obama as an example when he says “I know some folks in Washington and on Wall Street are saying we should just focus on their problems.” Some folks, like those who are never named but are always wrongheaded extremists. Straw Men lurk everywhere in St. Petersburg politics.…

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It’s called ‘juking the stats’

Published on February 1, 2009 in The Bay and the 'Burg by Peter Schorsch

When Disraeli said “there are lies, damn lies and statistics,” he must have been referring to police reports because if there is one set of statistics that are just damn lies, it’s the bullshit the St. Petersburg Police Department feeds us about crime being up or down. – Supposedly, crime is down in St. Petersburg, at least it is according to the statistics offered by Police Chief Chuck Harmon. Even though robberties and burglaries are up, the overall violent crime…

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