Network news anchor stops on Bowling Green to stretch his legs and broadcast evening news

So Bowling Green got it’s moment in the national political spotlight… even if it was an “accident of geography.”

Charles Gibson and The ABC World News Tonight team rolled into town as part of their Midwest, Swing State, “Battleground Bus Tour.” After broadcasting Monday night from Dayton, the World News Tonight crew began showing up on the campus of Bowling Green State University about mid-morning on Tuesday.

The network news anchor’s presence was felt throughout campus as students near the technical trucks gossiped about what was going on and who would be on TV. And a crowd began to quickly swarm around GIbson when he came out of the Battleground Bus (where he spent the lion’s share of the day) to come out and be interviewed by, and shoot promo’s with, local ABC affiliate anchors.

And the excitment reached a fever pitch when hundreds of students, facutly, staff and Bowling Green residents amassed to watch Gibson broadcast an episode of World News from the lawn in front of University Hall. And aside from one lone heckler (who yelled out “I love Fox News” and “You’re a bully charlie, I love Sarah Palin!”) the crowed was eager to see Gibson.

But how eager was Gibson to see the Bowling Green residents? Maybe not all that much.

In an press conference with local media after the broadcast, Gibson explained that Bowling Green was chosen because of it’s proximity to Dayton, the first stop of the tour, saying “It was an accident of geography.”

But Bowling Green also fit other requirements of newsworthiness besides ease of access from I-75.

“We wanted to go to smaller towns and one college campus along the way,” Gibson said. “It’s a good school. People know it; it’s a large campus.”

Hear Gibson explain in his own words how Bowling Green was chosen and what he’s learned from his time here at The BG News Web site. http://media.www.bgnews.com/media/storage/paper883/news/2008/10/08/WebExclusives/Charles.Gibson.In.Bg.Picture.Slideshow-3476173.shtml?reffeature=popuarstoriestab

Toledo Mayor Recall Appears Self-Motivated

Will another aging, action movie star become the new mayor of Toledo?

Just like in California a few years ago, Toledo is facing its own potential recall election of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. But right now, it seems to hold little chance of getting beyond the rabble-rousing stage.

Finkbeiner has already shot back against the leaders of Take Back Toledo, for what he calls their own self interested motives in advocating a recall.

The effort to recall the mayor has been undertaken by Tom Schlachter, Brian McMahon and Andy Stuart, three business men from the Toledo area. But from the appearance of their Web site there seems little indication of a large groundswell in favor of removing the mayor, who is currently serving his third term.

Finkbeiner himself has criticized two of the group’s leaders, Schlachter and McMahon, for not even living within Toledo city limits.

“Mr. Schlachter lives in Sylvania Township. Yet this man who has never lived in Toledo wants to take back Toledo. Not on my watch,” the mayor said in the Toledo Blade.

The Take Back Toledo leader who actually does live in the city – Stuart – was criticized for acting out of blatant self interest. Stuart is the manager of radio station WSPD-AM, which Finkbeiner has asked members of congress to investigate for violations of the Fairness Doctrine in broadcast media.

With such motives, it is doubtful that the group will earn the 19,753 voter signatures needed within a 90-day petitioning period to place the recall referendum on the Sept. 15 ballot next year. The Toledo Blade condemned the recall leaders yesterday in an editorial saying:

“YOU needn’t be a supporter of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner to agree that the announced mayoral recall effort is a bad idea, or to wonder whether the people behind the action really have Toledo’s best interests at heart.
Even Carty’s enemies have to be shaking their heads at this ill-timed political melodrama and asking the same pointed questions.”

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