Bortz Pulls a Romney

Former Cincinnati Council Member Chris Bortz appears to most political observers to be positioning himself for a political run as a Republican.  No, he's not made any type of announcement.  He's done two things.  First he is openly supporting a Republican candidate in the Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional district. That alone indicates he's a Republican, at least on National issues.  He's joined forces with anti-city and anti-gay bigot Chris Finney to support that Republican candidate.  Linking one's name to Finney on any level is deplorable in my view, but politically it shows who you are willing to court to get what you want. In the case of Finney it indicates you are not courting a moderate city voter, you are instead willing to dive into the conservative sewer.

Where we can see the political posturing more up-close is in the other thing he did.   He's taken a blatant political position that is an attempt to align himself with conservative anti-City Republican voters.  He has changed his stance on the Streetcar.  He'll deny he has, I am sure, but no, you don't support something during the bottom of a recession when Federal Dollars were very available, and then oppose it now, claiming we wait and think about it more.  I guess Chris thinks we need more suburbanites to support it before we do it.  I didn't know that we had to be subservient to them.  I guess when you are thinking about running for a political office that would either include suburbanites or need there money to win, then you care what they think about.  Since they don't care about the city, why would those in the city care what they think about us?  It sounds like he's bring drinking a cup of what ever Leslie Ghiz was drinking.

Bortz has flip-flopped.  He's pulled a Mitt Romney.  The Streetcar is now Bortz's RomneyCare. Being for the streetcar was a position that helped him get elected in the city.  Positive ideas that benefit the city tend to get most voters support.  Anti-city or divisive issues don't get you votes.  Negative thinking is more rampant with local Republican voters, so if you are going to get their votes, you have to change your views to fit. Bortz has made a big change and it's not a pretty sight.

I'd like to have his flip-flop graded for political posterity, but it would require diving judges, and none were available.