Gorman's Grab Bag

Another day, another Kennedy

And maybe it's a Kennedy.

At the beginning of the month, when you couldn't walk three feet without running into a rumor of a campaign stop for Tuesday's primary, all the talk was of a candidate stopping at the required stop, the Youngstown Business Incubator.

And that's fine. Not that the YBI people don't deserve some kudos for their success, but the candidates do not get a snapshot of what the area is like in that controlled environment. Not that they care -- they want something short, sweet and for the cameras.

So I decided to give a list of options for candidates to visit. And although no one took me up on some of the seamier aspects of our various sites, I did mention the Butler Institute of American Art, in case one would want a bit of culture, as it were.

Well, Friday Caroline Kennedy paid a visit to the Butler on the heels of her uncle, who was here to stump for Barrack Obama at YSU earlier this month. She seemed genuinely touched by the standing ovation she received when she was introduced, waving to the crowd.

As for her speech, it was not fire and brimstone, although she was polished. She seemed like an ordinary woman -- as ordinary as anyone can be whose father is one of the most tragicomic figures of our country and is a member of a clan who is often compared to royality -- but an ordinary woman who cares about some of the issues facing our country and she wanted to share that concern with others who are like minded.

There was no shortage of people with books and magazines to sign, and one person even had a copy of an old Circus magazine which had a picture of a young Caroline on it. She had a strange look on her face as she signed it and I tried to talk to the guy, but he ignored my pleas as I was engulfed by a mob of autograph seekers. I looked for him after I got out of the scrum but he was nowhere to be found.

The weather and the smallness of the venue made the parking situation a mess -- I was diverted to the YSU Wick Avenue parking deck and it was not easy getting around as classes were letting out or beginning and people were battling the elements as well.

We are getting a lot of attention. There was a radio reporter from Norway at the Butler and the New York Times did a fine story on Youngstown, featuring Phil Kidd, he of the Defend Youngstown phenomenon (although the story did not mention that Phil is not a native of our fair city).

I just hope this period of horrid weather goes away by Election Day. It's hard enough to get people out to vote, but to dodge snow plows and slip and slide through a snowstorm is not something people are wont to do.