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Y! MyWebCOMMENTARY
Martin Gottlieb: Neuhardt getting noticed, but not always in ideal way
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sharen Neuhardt might have been making some headway in her bid for Congress. She had won the attention of her Republican opponent, state Sen. Steve Austria, in a district where Democrats don't necessarily get anybody's attention.
She had won the attention of Emily's List, a feminist fundraising, fund-giving outfit that has helped a lot of winners nationally. She was listed by the national Democrats as one of the 54 most likely Democrats to turn a district from Republican red to Democratic blue.
(Of course, to entertain the notion that there are 54 districts in which that might happen is to dream the impossible dream.)
Then came the news about her devotion to a young refugee from Rwanda and about his trouble with the law.
Some might think the news should help her. It shows decency, humanity and selflessness on her part.
Some, however, might reasonably expect that it won't help.
Some background: The district is the 7th, which includes Greene and Clark counties and sprawls basically westward. It went 57 percent for President George W. Bush in 2004.
With Rep. David Hobson now retiring, and with certain political winds in play, the thought has occurred to some that Republican Austria might not be a total shoo-in against the strongest possible Democrat.
But Neuhardt started with several political problems: anonymity, absence of a political record, a lawyering job in Dayton (outside the district) and a residence in Yellow Springs, which some would say is outside the district in a way that transcends geography. Academic, artsy, and liberal-at-least, it is not exactly your typical 7th District town.
One hurdle Neuhardt faced was simply alerting people to the fact of a race. Hobson got so many byes in recent years that the Democrats have come close to being forgotten.
The refugee story might help get attention. It is what news people call a talker.
The story is essentially that Neuhardt's family came into contact with a young refugee from the holocaust-stricken country of Rwanda. She befriended and ultimately housed him. He has achieved his college education here, but he also has had problems with the law. There have been questions about his legal status as an immigrant.
But immigration law — certainly as it relates to political refugees — is a mess. To say there are questions is far from saying anybody has done anything wrong. Confusion is the norm.
The Austria side has, of course, put out statements in the smarmy Spinglish of political campaigns:
"As a sworn officer of the court, any allegation that Sharen Neuhardt harbored an illegal immigrant for several years is a serious matter. Questions about attorney Sharen Neuhardt's involvement in his past and the providing of safe harbor to a person with active warrants deserve answers and more thorough scrutiny from the appropriate officials."
The Republican effort seems to be to take advantage of public anger about illegal immigration. But that anger is about people coming here in droves to take jobs that might otherwise go to Americans. That isn't the issue here. This young man is apparently connected to the losing side in a war and claims that he feared going back.
Some see a particular angle for the Austria campaign that goes largely unmentioned, even by spinners. After all, here is an affluent lawyer who works in Dayton and lives in Yellow Springs trying to introduce herself to the 7th. She wants people to believe she would be a credible representative, somebody who shares their values. But she turns out to be involved in a situation that is as foreign figuratively as literally.
Most likely, she can present the story in a way that connects with people. But does she have the time now?
The fact that this whole situation came to light during a campaign doesn't help. Perhaps earlier Neuhardt didn't want to be taking any bows for her good work; perhaps she just didn't want to make the young man a public figure. Nevertheless, when these stories leak out during a campaign, they can look their worst. Even supporters — especially financial ones — are likely to be disappointed by the secrecy.
Bottom line: Neuhardt was not likely to win before. She is obviously not immediately strengthened. But at least the attention is there.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News. He may be reached at 225-2288 or by e-mail at mgottlieb@DaytonDailyNews.com.
