KDKA Poll and Shouting "FOUL"

Media Alert and Quotes

News Source: Mark Rauterkus
Participant, Mayor's Race, City of Pittsburgh, 2001, Republican

Campaign Headquarters: 108 South 12th Street,
Pittsburgh, (South Side) PA, 15203-1226 USA

Messages: 412-481-2497
Email: Mark@Rauterkus.com
http://Rauterkus.com

Topic:
Local Poll about the Mayor's Race by KDKA-TV News and Political Nightmares

Date: Jan. 12, 2001

With the primary election four month away and the heavyweight candidates still unannounced as official contenders in the race, Pittsburgh's media elite is releasing polling data.

Republican challenger, stay-at-home dad, Mark Rauterkus, is calling foul and ringing alarms.

The poll asked voters about two candidates. Neither are on the campaign trails yet. The real candidates who have been making appearances got ignored.

The poll only asked about Democrats. The legacy of the city should not spoil the opportunities for new candidates in elections months in advance.

Today's faulty polls present only one slant could provide reasons for debate exclusion in the future.

Poll result listings that are devoid of challengers make it nearly impossible for political newcomers to raise campaign funds.

The voters should not be asked to choose among the options before the candidates are introduced. Putting the cart before the horse isn't prudent.

The success of democracy depends upon the reaction of the people to the opportunities presented. The advance poll is a ploy to squash viable opposition candidates. The well of democracy and our civic interactions are tarnished by this advance poll.

Celebrity or Politics
Polls centered only upon celebrities are not political polls. A popular poll isn't fair to the process of citizen engagement in the election process.

Job Approval Ratings
Perhaps KDKA TV News should have done a job-approval poll of the existing mayor. Those polls would have been valuable throughout the course of the mayor's career.

Republicans and Democrats
A poll conducted on only one of the political parties is without balance. Republican questions needs to be included in future polling. More than one race is happening.

KDKA News Desk 2: 412-575-2245
KDKA's Main Switchboard: 412-575-2200

MRS. POLLOCK, CAN THE MAYOR COME OUT AND BALANCE THE BUDGET? (In Pgh article)

In Pittsburgh reports: http://www.inpgh.com/html/2001_01_10/news/15min.tmpl

01.10.01 - 01.17.01

There are several things that differentiate mayoral candidate Josh Pollock from his two likely opponents in the May Democratic primary. He's 18, much younger than Mayor Tom Murphy and Council President Bob O'Connor -- in fact, Pollock is still in high school -- he plays in a band and he is an active member of the effort to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. "Also, I'm probably the only guy in the mayor's race who rides a PAT bus because he doesn't have a driver's license," Pollock muses.

"It's been strange," he adds, since word broke that the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts senior was going to take a run at Grant Street. "People walk up to me on the streets because they recognize me from the news and offer me money for the campaign. And then I walk into school and someone is giving me a message to call [WTAE-TV] Channel 4 because they want to interview me."

Pollock, who says he is more than a little displeased by the way Murphy has conducted himself as mayor, is very serious about his campaign. He doesn't have a platform, but his ideas include creating youth centers throughout the city and starting a task force to study alleged racial bias and profiling by the city police department. Pollock didn't expect this much attention.

Republican candidate Mark Rauterkus has been in the race since August and only got his first sniff of mainstream press last week -- as an afterthought in a story about Pollock. "Maybe this will also help Mark's campaign get noticed," Pollock says. In fact, he adds, nothing would make him happier than a November run-off with Rauterkus.

Pollock will gather signatures to get his name on the primary ballot -- even though it is questionable whether an 18-year-old can legally hold the job. A Post-Gazette story last week cited a state law that requires the mayor to be at least 25. Pollock contends that because Allegheny County's home rule charter doesn't carry an age limit, he can run, and is investigating a possible legal challenge to the state law.

He's hoping the other candidates in the race show "good will" and don't challenge his candidacy: "Let the voters decide if I am old enough," he adds.

Regardless of whether he wins, Pollock's candidacy begs the question: Which makes an 18-year-old guy more attractive to women, being in a band or running for mayor? "Sadly, neither," Pollock replies. "The opposite sex used to see me as that loser in the band. Now, I'm that loser running for mayor."

See www.joshformayor.com

Written by CHARLIE DEITCH

The Buzz Continues

The writers at In Pittsburgh (now defunct) did not fall into the same trap as the elite, daily newspapers. Mentions of the candidates were not inserted into the news coverage.

A Rauterkus vs. Pollock run-off in November would have been wonderful.

Josh was promised that I won't challenge his right to be on the ballot.