Most Ohioans probably giggled when they saw that some politicians are suggesting that the person who would be the best pick for a run for the U.

Friday, August 13, 1999

Most Ohioans probably giggled when they saw that some politicians are suggesting that the person who would be the best pick for a run for the U.S. Senate might be Jerry Springer.

And when Springer said the offer was intriguing and deserved careful consideration before he would say "yeah" or "nay," they were probably only a little scared.

After all, who would choose a talk show host for such a powerful post? He would never get elected, right?

The answer to that question requires only two words – Jesse Ventura.

Who knows what time will tell about the governor of Minnesota. Maybe he will go down in history as one of the best governors this nation has ever had. The point is, however, that he was probably not elected because he was the best man for the job or because a majority of the citizens of Minnesota felt he would do a good job.

Ventura was elected by a group of young voters who thought it would be cute to vote in a professional wrestler to lead their state.

And don’t think that could not happen in Ohio, too.

With ever-increasing voter apathy, fewer and fewer people of voting age are casting their ballots for any candidate. Voting doesn’t have the same prestige it did a few years ago. It is not unusual to hear people from all walks of life – middle-income and wealthy, educated and uneducated, working class and professional – say they don’t have time to vote and that even if they took the time, their vote wouldn’t matter anyway.

And apathy is all it will take to get Jerry Springer in a U.S. Senate seat.

Some people will wonder why Springer is any worse than some of the politicians currently representing Ohio.

And the answer does not really involve his politics. It is what he represents.

Springer is a bottom feeder. He makes money from the lowest and most defenseless members of American society. He helps no one. He is an example of the fascination Americans have with slime and a major player in perpetuating the decay that is destroying families and communities.

He represents no one other than himself. He is a showman without substance. To choose him for a candidate is to acknowledge that principles and dreams for this country don’t matter anymore. Celebrity is all that counts.

The nation doesn’t need another party joke.