Sleazy talk-show host Jerry Springer all-but-announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate yesterday, creating an exploratory committee in Ohio.
Springer has acknowledged that if voters judge him as a candidate based on the content of his syndicated program, he’ll lose on Election Day.
Newsflash, Jerry, you’re going to lose anyway.
The announcement of Springer’s exploratory committee doesn’t really surprise anyone. He’s been acting like a candidate for months, traveling Ohio giving speeches, meeting voters, assembling staffers, and laying the groundwork for an eventual candidacy.
He’s even set up an official “exploratory committee” website, where people can buy a $25 “Yokels for Jerry” t-shirt.
However much Springer makes from the “souvenirs” people can buy on his site will pale in comparison to the $5 million of his own money he has pledged to spend if he becomes a formal candidate.
If he does run, he’s not necessarily a lock for the Democratic nomination. Ohio State Senator Eric Fingerhut has already announced his Senate campaign, and I suspect state party leaders will be strongly supporting Fingerhut over Springer.
Whoever wins the primary will go on to face incumbent Sen. George Voinovich, who also served as a popular Ohio governor. A poll released in March showed survey respondents in Ohio supporting Voinovich over Fingerhut by a 67% to 24% margin. As for a Voinovich v. Springer matchup, Ohioans favored the incumbent, 77% to 16%.
In other words, I’m afraid neither of these guys have much of a shot winning next November.
That doesn’t mean, however, that Ohio Dems should just nominate Springer for the entertainment value because they have nothing to lose. On the contrary, I still believe, as I said in April, that the negative publicity Springer would generate could hurt Democrats nationwide as Republicans begin tying Springer to “Democratic Party values” in campaigns across the country.
Don’t go away mad, Jerry, just go away.