Christopher Smitherman, president of the Cincinnati NAACP, will face his first test as he emerges at the front of the battle to overturn Todd Portune’s imposed regressive sales tax.  The success or failure of this campaign may very well determine what kind of political capital Smitherman’s NAACP can earn in the future.

At first glance, we have seen quite a shocking hodge-podge of groups getting on the same page here:  NAACP, COAST, and the FOP.  (It may be curious to see how the FOP addresses Smitherman’s leadership on this particular issue, since everyone knows how much dislike they have for him!)

From a political perspective, it looks like COAST may actually be the biggest winners here.

By getting behind Smitherman, COAST insiders like Tom Brinkman create the image of working across party differences for shared goals, earning inroads into the African American community via the NAACP— a key strategy move should Brinkman decide to run against Todd Portune for County Commissioner.

At the same time, if the petition drive fails, who takes the fall?  Not COAST, and not Brinkman—but Smitherman.  This is still a good move for Brinkman, because if the tax stands he can run against Portune on that platform point.

So that’s why this petition drive is a real test for Smitherman, and the politics will be interesting.  It’s a win-win for COAST and Brinkman, but all the work falls on the backs of Smitherman and the NAACP. If unsuccessful, Smitherman will take the fall and be labeled a failure; but if successful, Smitherman’s NAACP will raise to a new level in terms of local power and influence. 

• Share This Article!
Listen to this article

del.icio.us

Furl It

Anonymous comments are allowed, but you can log in above to stamp your name and to avoid typing the anti-spam code.