David Esrati has posted on his web-site a you-tube video showing of the whole League of Women Voters candidate debate.  The video lasts one hour and 32 minutes.

The debate occurred on June 30 and was held at the Democratic Party Headquarters in downtown Dayton. The debate features Esrati and Guy Fogle and Joe Roberts.  The three are vying to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for Congress for Ohio’s 3rd District in the July 13 special Democratic Primary.  The winner will opposed the incumbent, Republican Mike Turner, in the November general election.

Creating this video and preparing it for You-tube was a big commitment of time and effort on Esrati’s part, and it begins with a written message:  “Only one candidate puts the whole story online.  He’ll do the same when he is your Congressman.”

I made a post about the debate — At LWV Debate, Three 3rd District Democratic Candidates Seek Support to Challenge Turner — and I intend on watching the video carefully later this evening and making another post about its content.

At the League of Women voters debate last night, I thought all three of the candidates showed poise and were well spoken.  David Esrati, Guy Fogle, and Joe Roberts — all three, to me, presented themselves as credible potential U.S. Congressmen.  The three are vying to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for Congress for Ohio’s 3rd District in the July 13 special Democratic Primary.  The Party’s nominee will challenge the Republican incumbent, Mike Turner, in the November general election.

Lynn Hulsey of the Dayton Daily News sat in the front, and before the debate showed me her new laptop computer, a Dell.  Her article this morning is headlined, “Three Democrats in primary express contrasting views,” and the article points out some differences in what the candidates had to say about such questions as to how to bring jobs to the region or what to do about Afghanistan.

The debate was held at the Democratic Headquarters at Wilkinson Street in downtown Dayton, and I thought the crowd a little thin — maybe 40 people — particularly, since prior to the debate there had been a fundraiser at the same location for party chairman, Mark Owens, Clerk of Courts.

I felt that, during the debate, David Esrati spoke with the most conviction and the most passion. I think David showed the most capacity to be an inspiring speaker.  Guy Fogel spoke in the most personal manner, telling, for example, advice he received from his father as his father lay on his deathbed.  Guy, I think, showed the most capacity to connect with listeners.  Joe Roberts showed a good understanding of the issues, and a good deal of maturity.

At a couple of points in the debate, Esrati referred to the 25 year old Roberts as being “naive.”  But I thought, in terms of how Roberts conducted himself in the debate, that assessment didn’t hold up. Roberts, I thought, showed a lot of maturity in his comments and demeanor.  It helps that Roberts, in his appearance, would probably be guessed more like age 35, than age 25.

The debate format was the usual LWV style:  an opening statement from each candidate, then questions that each candidate had two minutes to answer, the order of answers rotating, and, finally, a three minute concluding statement by each candidate.  The questions came from the LWV, but also from the candidates and audience members.

I particularly liked the question that asked, “What book has most influenced you?” Guy Fogle had the first answer and cited a book in the Bible, Phillipians, saying that in the turmoil of his cancer and bankruptcy, the book’s emphasis on joy had uplifted his thinking and perspective.  Joe Roberts cited a biography of Andrew Jackson, whose title I didn’t catch, and explained his admiration for Jackson.  David Esrati cited a small book written by his father, “Dear Son, Do You Really Want to Be An American,” available free on his web-site, and explained the book’s background and its impact on him.

Of course, in such a format, there will be some contrasting views, as Hulsey’s DDN headline proclaims, but I don’t think most voters who listen to the debate would really focus on the differences. Instead, the debate was an opportunity for listeners to evaluate who of the three would be the most effective campaigner and who could be the most effective congressman.

In my view, just in terms of how they handled themselves, Guy Fogle came out a little ahead of the other two — a little more down to earth, a little more personable.  But, I thought all three did a good job.

Later today, thanks to the efforts of David Esrati, a complete video of the debate will be available on Esrati’s web-site, and everyone who wants to invest 90 minutes in watching the entire debate can judge for him or herself.  I intend on watching the video when it is available and making more comments.

Esrati’s blog this morning says, “If Dayton had fiber for internet service, I’d have the video up from last nights debate already- however, because our country thinks building schools, hospitals and roads in Afghanistan is more important than the critical data infrastructure for the new economy- uploading 90 minutes of compressed video will take all night tonight.”

Esrati makes a strong point that his dedication to and practice in writing about issues on his blog gives him an advantage over the other candidates.  Esrati writes:

This is already at 1000 words and has taken 45 minutes to write. This is the kind of dedication and communication my readers are used to seeing. There may be others of you- who are finding this for the first time. This is the kind of communication- with the ability to comment – and discuss- that I would continue to deliver if you deliver me to Congress. Try commenting on Mr. Robert’s site,  or Guy Fogle’s- or even Mike Turner’s. In fact- note that Mr. Robert’s site main function is a plea for cash- while mine is to inform you.

I’m pretty sure that in its endorsement this morning, the DDN got it wrong, when it wrote, “Democrats’ best bet is Joe Roberts.”

There are three candidates vying in the July 13 Democratic Primary for the Democratic nomination to be the Party’s candidate for election to Congress for the 3rd District.  The winner of the special primary will be on the November ballot, opposing the Republican incumbent, Mike Turner.

It’s hard to agree that 25 year old Joe Roberts is the Dems’ “best bet.”  Roberts, through no fault of his own, obviously, is a light weight, a novice.  He hardly seems ready to be running for the U.S. Congress.  Who at age 25 would be? Evidently, Roberts has a degree in political science, but he is lacking in the maturity and life experience needed to relate to most voters in the 3rd District.

The fact that the DDN would choose such an unlikely candidate as Roberts for U. S. Congress as the “best bet,” indicates how weak the DDN sees the other two possible Democratic choices.

Right now, of the three choices, in my judgment, it seems the “Democrats’ best bet” is former local TV personality, 48 year old Guy Fogle. I’ve had a long conversation with Fogle, and I’m impressed with his life story, his personality, his attitude.  I think he comes off as credible, responsible and likeable.  Of the three Democrats seeking nomination, I think, in the general election, Fogle is the most likely to attract voters who previously have supported Mike Turner.  Of the three choices, it seems likely that Fogle is the one that would be the “best bet” to give Turner the best run, and is the candidate that Turner would least prefer.

I would like to be able to go to bat for 47 year old blogger David Esrati. But David makes it difficult to do so.  But, even at that, the DDN’s judgment on Esrati, I think, is too harsh and unfair:  “Known for a confrontational temperament, he (Esrati) is unsuited to public office, better suited to gadfly status.”

David, I feel, is suited for public office, and if elected, would do a good job.  But it seems highly unlikely that he could ever be elected. The letter of recommendation from the “Ice Bandit,” that David chose to print in the DDN, I fear, shows David’s bent toward acrimony, and acrimony in no way could be part of a winning strategy.   The “Ice Bandit” paints David as a super hero type of figure.  His recommendation says, “As a former Special Forces paratrooper, Esrati knows freedom will always be under assault. This is the metal from which David Esrati was forged.” I feel this emphasis is impossible to make a winning strategy.

If he wins the nomination, Roberts’ youth and inexperience will be an issue.  It seems likely that the average voter will not think Roberts is ready to be a congressman.  In order to gain support, Roberts would need to show an extraordinary campaign with excellent and provocative ideas for how he would conduct himself as a congressman. He would need to surround himself with a group of solid and capable advisers.  But, even if he could pull such a campaign off, his youth would still remain a big distraction.

I’m impressed with Roberts’ web-site, but it seems unlikely that Roberts will have the capacity to form himself and his campaign sufficiently to be a credible candidate.   I feel it is unlikely that he will be seen as a serious candidate and unlikely he will articulate a winning strategy.  But, I am withholding judgment.  The debate tomorrow, June 30, at the Democratic Headquarters, I’m hoping, will clarify a lot of questions.

Guy Fogle, I think, has the people skills, the personality, the speaking skills, needed to be an effective candidate. He has a life story that gives him the capacity for empathy to understand the plight of many in the 3rd District.  See:  Guy Fogle’s Life Story — Overcoming Adversity Of Cancer, Bankruptcy — Might Help Him Gain Votes

Right now, I’m thinking I will vote for Guy Fogle.  He seems to me the “best bet” to appeal to voters in the 3rd District who are looking for an alternative to Mike Turner.  It seems to me, he would have the potential to draw more voters to his candidacy than either Esrati or Roberts could draw.  And, if elected, I have confidence that Fogle would be a responsible congressman who would much more effectively represent interests of voters in the 3rd District than Mike Turner has ever done.