Let the record show, we think having 300 people attend one's evening rally, in this weather, way out east in Highland Park, is pretty impressive, and lends some credibility to one's boast that "Folks, we all know that this is the people's campaign." (P-G, Rich Lord)It would behoove the Comet at this point to provide some real meat, and for that we refer you to declared mayoral candidate Bill Peduto's talk with Larry Reichart on KDKA, where the incumbent regime was critiqued thusly:
1. "Our budget ... doesn't get us out of any financial distress."
2. "Economic development has been slow ... our priorities are backwards."
3. "Investment in our neighborhoods has been slow, and people haven't been brought to the table."
WPXI adds this nugget:
4. "Peduto said if elected he would reopen the city's contract with firefighters and consolidate city and county services."
Now for the fun stuff:
When asked by Larry if Ravenstahl's age and inexperience are issues, Peduto responded no to age, quipping "I wish I was 26," but yes to inexperience, citing his own twenty years of experience, and how he got where is with "hard work and determination..."
Pause.
"And discipline."
When in doubt, candidate Peduto seems to have appropriated the words Independant, Responsible, and Experience as his go-to soundbites. We will be tracking how often Peduto gets his IRE aroused.
Throughout today's coverage, there was also the sense that Peduto's campaign would be best captured by the slogan, "It's the Neighborhoods, Stupid!"
Except that would be a clear violation of any "clean campaign" pledges that the candidates might, at some point, be invited to accept.
The brass ring for political analysis goes to Morton Coleman, aide to former Mayor Joseph Barr, and current professor emeritus at Pitt, captured by the Trib's Jeremy Boren:
"He will be both the reform candidate, and he'll play the experience card against Ravenstahl ... Peduto is a talented guy, but I think he has an uphill fight."
Very uphill!
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