ColumbusMediaInsider: OSU's Linking Beer Sales To Students To Hiring Police Is Bitter-Tasting PR

Alcohol is a big problem on college campuses and underage drinking is a major slice of the problem. The connection between excessive alcohol consumption and violence and sexual assault is well established.

Ohio State University has its share of student drinking issues, as have most U.S. colleges. When OSU decided to sell beer to students at football games last season, it needed a public relations gimmick to cover over a dubious decision.

So athletic director Gene Smith and his minions came up with the following story line: We'll use some of the beer profits to hire more OSU police officers.

It turns out that the first season of beer peddling netted the athletic department over $1 million. Recently, OSU held a PR fest to announce the hiring of more police with the beer money.

Last time I checked the OSU athletic department's annual revenue was $167 million and it was turning a tidy profit of $13 million. Smith could put $1 million a year into hiring more police any time he wants to and hardly miss it.

You wanna sell beer to students, sell beer to students. You wanna hire more cops, hire more cops. They are separate issues except when police arrest drunk and sometimes underage students. Then it's alcohol-fueled crime.

Bad public relations is worse than no public relations. Channel 10, that bought the OSU story line, and ballyhooed this as some sort humanitarian gesture should be ashamed of themselves. At the Press Club, we call it Fake News.

New Ohio Political Ranker Looks At Governor's Race

Introducing the ColumbusMediaInsider Ohio Political Ranker. I will rank the candidates for Ohio governor in 2018. My criteria include: wealth/fund-raising capability (it will take $50 million to win the governorship), competence, integrity, charisma, name recognition and appeal to small town/rural voters. Let us begin.

OHIO GOVERNOR DEMOCRAT

1. Jerry Springer. Got the dough and the name recognition.

2. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan. Gut fighter in Democratic hotbed.

3. State Rep. Kathleen Clyde. Millennial star protects voters.

4. Richard Cordray. Consumer champ in DC.

5. State Rep. David Leland. Political pro knows the state.

6. Connie Pillich. Indefatigable with $400,000 in the bank.

7. Nina Turner. Fiery speaker with big cable TV following.

8. Mike Coleman. Name recognition and crowd pleaser.

9. Mayor Nan Whaley. Dynamic Daytonite.

10. Jim Tressel. Ohioans love winning coaches.

11+. John Patrick Carney, Mike Curtin, U.S. Rep Joyce Beatty, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, Cuyahoga County executive Armond Budish, Betty Sutton, Judge Jennifer Brunner, Justice Bill O'Neill, Hamilton County commissioner Todd Portune, State Sen. Joe Schiavoni, Jay Williams, P.G. Sittenfeld, Dennis Kucinich, Andrew Ginther.

Dark horse: John

OHIO GOVERNOR REPUBLICAN

1. Mike DeWine. Name recognition, wealthy, prolific fund-raiser.
2. Jon Husted. He is The Natural of Ohio politics.
3. Mary Taylor. Gov. John Kasich backing her all the way
4. U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci. Vast wealth but little-known.
5. U.S. Rep Pat Tiberi. Josh Mandel aced him out of U.S. Senate race.
6. Urban Meyer. (Endorsed Kasich, did ads with Mandel) What a classic. Tress vs. Urb.

Dark horse: Randy

WRIGHT STATE'S $1.7 MILLION BLACK EYE

It appears that Gov. Kasich pulled the plug on the Wright State University presidential debate because he did not want to give his arch-rival Donald Trump a beachhead in the Buckeye State.

It turns out that Wright State lost $1.7 million of the money it spent on improving its infrastructure ahead of the debate. The local business community took a bath, too.

OHIO NEWS MEDIA PILES ON KASICH FOR A CHANGE

After covering Gov. Kasich like a visiting dignitary for six years, Ohio news media have turned on him. Even the Columbus Dispatch has stopped its fawning.

Some sample headlines:
"John Kasich's slow year of governing." Cincinnati Enquirer
"Tax cutting leaves less for services." Columbus Dispatch
"Kasich touts libraries for training but cuts funding." Dispatch"Kasich backs DeVos without mentioning unpaid fine." Delaware Gazette
"Kasich come home." Toledo Blade

QUICKIES

-- Remember the "2 Americas" theme that Democrat John Edwards rode to the vice presidential nomination and nearly to the presidential nomination before scandals did him in. Kasich cannot be bothered governing Ohio when there is a book to write to prop up his 2020 presidential campaign and his "president-in-exile" protests against Trump. It's titled "Two Paths." Very Edwards-esque. Look for it in the recycling bin.

-- Sports radio 105.7, The Zone, is trying to cozy up to sports fans by bringing back Bruce Hooley to do the morning show. Hooley was a ratings hit at 97.1, The Fan, before leaving during the Tressel controversy. He returns to Columbus after five years on the air in Cleveland. Hooley has three secret weapons to drive ratings. He has OSU football legend Chris Spielman along with his broadcaster daughter Maddie Spielman. And the station will be airing Cleveland Indians games this season.

-- Direct-seller Amazon has announced it is getting into the bra business, planning to undersell Victoria's Secret, Les Wexner's retail juggernaut. Wexner is also known as Kasich's biggest donor. Kasich cannot do Wexner enough favors. If Amazon saps Wexner's wealth, Kasich may find his donation garment a little tight. Amazon wounded Kasich recently by announcing the move of 2,700 jobs to northern Kentucky.

POETIC INJUSTICE

Drink a beer
Hire a cop
Stop

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