Editorial: local Ohio counties “no longer have a voice”?

This may be the dumbest editorial I’ve read in the 9+ years of doing this blog. (And, trust me, that takes in a lot of lousy editorials.) Under the title, “Quick Look at Issue 1 Results,” the Wheeling News-Record tells us what the Ohio’s vote on Amendment 1 demonstrates:

A look at the map following Tuesday’s defeat of Ohio Issue 1 makes it clear where the power resides in Ohio: the big cities. Only 22 counties of Ohio’s 88 voted to reject Issue 1, yet the measure lost by more than 400,000 votes. That is a clear indication that counties such as Belmont, Jefferson, Monroe and Harrison — all of which voted in favor of Issue 1 — no longer have a voice in Ohio politics. Instead, that power lies in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton and other metropolitan areas.

That doesn’t bode well for our region. Keep that in mind.

“No longer have a voice”: did they lose their right to vote? Of course, not -- what they lost was one election. (And it wasn’t even close -- 57% to 43%.)

Earlier this summer, Ogden Newspapers editorially lectured and lied about what Issue 1 was about. It didn’t matter, a clear majority spoke on the issue. Hey Ogden: you lost -- get over it.

It’s dated and irrelevant; yes, it’s another PR piece on Senator Shelley Moore Capito

Our Ogden papers have been long overdue for another puff piece telling us what a great job Senator Capito is doing. (The assignment usually falls to Ogden's political reporter, Steven Allen Adams, but he has probably been busy with the various political battles and the legislature.) Thank goodness, Capito was able to find Charmel Radlcliff, president of the West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees, who tells us:

Shelley Capito Is Bipartisan Leader for Seniors

And here is her proof:

When our leaders in D.C. accomplish something bipartisan that helps people, it is worth talking about. Earlier this year, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito led a group of 60 of her colleagues to sign a letter in support of Medicare Advantage.

(Radlcliff goes on to discuss the benefits of Medicare Advantage.)

Okay, here is the letter dated January 30 signed by 60 senators including Capito. A couple of questions:

• It’s mid-August not January, if this was important why are we just now reading about it?

• Where’s the controversy? If this is a serious problem, shouldn’t it be making news? (I spent a few minutes but could not anything about current problems with Medicare Advantage plans.)

Perhaps I’m wrong but this sure looks like a Capito PR release. Not surprising, you can also read it on Capito’s Senate site.