MSM endorses Brian Blair
August 11, 2008 at 12:11 pm by Wayne GarciaWTF?!?
Yes, you read it correctly: both daily newspapers have endorsed Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair in the GOP primary coming up on Aug. 26. This seems to be the main reason the Trib likes him:
When he first joined the board, Blair seemed uncomfortable, often reading from a prepared statement that seemed to have been prepared by someone else. But as he learned the issues, Blair found his voice. He never misses a meeting and clearly loves the job.
And this seems to be the main reason why the Times gave him the nod:
Since winning election in 2004, Brian Blair has championed silly issues, peddled paranoia and marched to the command of the building industry.But at least Blair shows some respect for the office he holds. … Blair has stopped some wasteful county spending. He is active in the community. The 51-year-old former business owner at least acts on his beliefs and puts his record on the table, as opposed to merely showing up at election time for publicity.
Blair has an opponent in the Republican primary, Don Kruse, but you have to wonder, how bad does this guy have to be to lose both newspaper endorsements to Blair? Or how lost are the newspapers?
Send to a friend:
August 11th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
The Trib complains about sprawl, poor leadership, and pushes the light rail agenda one day and then endorses Blair and Hagan the next! WTF is right! Those of us paying attention can only hope that readership of these two papers is down low enough that their endorsements might not have as much of an impact as in years past.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Yikes! Haven’t those folks at the papers been paying attention? Makes me wonder what else they are not paying attention to. Have they ever listened to Blair’s inane ramblings? Or his overt attempts to further the developers’ agenda? WTF is right!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
so with this title are we to assume that CL (a non-MSM) endores Don Kruse :-P
anyone to get Blair out of office is a good guy in my book.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
In the Trib’s case, I can understand it. They don’t have any local reporters left who could claim first-hand knowledge of Blair.
As for The Times? Shame on you.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
http://beatbrianblair.com/
August 11th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
The forementioned website is a little nutty but it’s heart is in the right place.
August 11th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Brian BumbleBee Blair - please!
Both papers’ political editors must have a signed copy of BBBBlair in his bumblebee briefs!
and they’re envious! Ha!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Wow- I still have a little throw up in my mouth.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Worth mentioning, though, that both papers endorsed Kevin Beckner for the Democratic nomination. Endorsing no one would have been the sensible choice in the Republican race (instead of supporting Blair because hey, he showed up for work!), but wait until November: If at that point, Beckner is the Dem candidate and they STILL endorse Blair, it’s time to get out the torches and pitchforks and march on the ed boards.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Better a retired pro wrestler on the commission than a current car salesman. I think that’s what the papers are trying to say.
At least you know Bee Brian won’t try to screw you as soon as he shakes your hand. And you can be sure he’s not going outside to burn a Marlboro when he says “let me talk to the sales manager about that.”
August 12th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Once Brian is in general election mode, the whole game changes.
Hillsborough County knows that you can’t expect anything to change when you keep voting in the SAME PEOPLE! That is insanity.
We need change … and we need to change the people who make the decisions on the BOCC!
August 12th, 2008 at 9:39 am
so, let me make sure i’ve got this straight… you can be a lousy county commissioner, one who probably faked injury at carrabba’s and then sued them, you can be pro-sprawl, anti-environment…
you can be all this and oh so more and the times gives you the thumbs up because you “at least acts on his beliefs and puts his record on the table, as opposed to merely showing up at election time for publicity.”
following this logic, current president bush is the greatest leader in the history of mankind. man, i thought the times at least had a small pair, but i guess not. call blair out on his record of fucking up the county, don’t just roll over because he showed up and voted, which is his job.
and the trib… i would really expect nothing more from them. well, this guy seems to like what he does, so lets keep him around. this is a far stretch, and i am in no way saying the blair is a nazi, but a lot of nazis clearly loved their job, should we have kept them around? again, i’m not saying blair is a nazi, i’m just making a point. love of one’s job does not solely warrant getting to keep it, especially if you are an elected official.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Gabe — congrats, you are the new political columnist for CL! nice job on the comment
August 12th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
gabe loewenberg:
Welcome to Hillsboro, where the bar is set low, low, low.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
peak,
i moved here in 1980, when i was a wee lad. i’m very well aware as to how low the bar is set. it’s sad, but thats why i vote.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
I’ve been here since ‘67, that was back when King High School used to play Dixie at all their football games while the rebel flag flew on the flagpole.
August 14th, 2008 at 10:17 am
wow, that sounds like a fabulous time. them “good old days” were never really good.
August 15th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
And some items on equally bad Ken Hagan:
“District 2 Candidates Disagree On Growth, County Mayor”
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/09/me-district-2-candidates-disagree-on-growth-county/