Jerry Springer is still in the Ohio political picture.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

I heard a segment on one of those NPR features shows ("This American Life"?) about Jerry Springer and was suprised a bit, i guess, by his biography.

And that he is still interested in running for office in Ohio.

Sure enough, he has a sort of a political website up.

http://www.jerryforohio.com/

Apparently he is under contract to do his TV show, and when that contract is up he may run, or thats what the NPR piece said.

Springer actually sounds pretty liberal.

[Nanski]

1. Why not

at least he is honest about how he makes money.

[rhino47]

2. Springer actually had started to raise funds to run for senate.

He had infomercials and everything.He backed out at the last minute.
Jerry Springer is really liberal actually.

[Westegg]

3. Liberal he may be...

Dumb he certainly is---what else can you call the holder of a political office in Middle-America (Cincinnatti, no less) who pays for a prostitute with a personal check?

What bugs me, though, is his television show, which I have caught many long, tawdry glimpses of over the years, as I am a self-employed writer whose office is in his home. (Hell YEAH, I turn on the boob-tube every couple of hours when I take a break, and no apologies for that. I should probably read a book, but---whatever). Springer's show is immensely, consistently disgusting and degrading. 400-pound women who seduce their brother's wives. 60-year-old alcoholic men who sleep with their 15-year-old cousins. And the avowed racists in whose presence Jerry seems to love to bask. That's just the tip of the iceberg. I don't care that the Springer show exists---freedom of speech! Or that people watch it and love it---free will! But Springer's comments on that NPR profile were disingenuous, to say the least. "Oh, I'm just making a living"---to paraphrase him. "Yeah, it's garbage but, heh-heh, guy's gotta do something to make his multi-millions." Jerry can do what he wants, and if we insist on choking down his shit, then the foul aftertaste in our mouths is our fault entirely. But how could anyone vote for him after being exposed to a strong dose of what he does every day for a living? He exploits people. Sure, they want to be exploited (in most cases), and I'm certain much of his show is manufactured fiction. Still, this is the crap he's had his mind wrapped around for many years now, and so you can't tell me there aren't a million better candidates for whatever office he is planning to run for in the future.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

4. Ive seen the show maybe two or three times.

..and it was like alot of those other talk shows or realty shows, so I don't particularly care one way or another about that. I guess if I watched the show more Id be freaked out by the idea of Jerry Springer running more.

....and so you can't tell me there aren't a million better candidates for whatever office he is planning to run for in the future.

The Ohio Democrats really don't have any good candidates so Springer would be no real loss for them since they seem to lose anyway when it comes to statewide races.

5. In Springer's defense

He was elected mayor of Cincinatti after the incident with the prostitute.
Instead of trying to cover it up like a lot of hypocritical politicians do, he was quite open about the whole incident.
The party establishment in Ohio is actually interested in him running for the Senate. It's not just his idea.
He has been continuing to speak out for liberal causes after he decided to not run for the Senate this year.

[OhioStateProgressive]

6. I'll vote for him

he isn't really as much of a joke in Ohio as he is nationally

[Taeger]

7. Springer vs Kauffman

Yes, both are effectively performance artists. They both have done some pretty disgusting stuff.

But I wouldn't want EITHER to be my elected officials. Haven't liberals learned anything after the Jesse Ventura debacle.

Guys who portray professional clowns ARE CLOWNS!!!!! A clowns job is to evoke emotion in his audience whether that be disgust, pity, fear or laughter. I don't want a clown helping to run my government. We already have one SERIOUS clown in the oval office. I'd like to concentrate on getting rid of him.

[OhioStateProgressive]

8. he isn't a clown

he was the Mayor of Cincinatti and host of a TV show...a shitty TV show, but that isn't a real issue

[Taeger]

9. Anyone involved in THAT show ...

Anyone involved in THAT show is a clown. The fact that he is the "head clown" makes no difference.

[OhioStateProgressive]

10. THAT is an opinion, of yours

Here in Ohio, many of us want him to run...this is not an opinion of mine, but truth.

[Taeger]

11. I suppose every state ...

Needs a Jesse Ventura or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[Doomsayer13]

12. if CA can elect Arnold

anything can happen