Upon our first reading, Sunday’s offering by the P-G’s Rich Lord stopped us cold in our tracks. A second and third reading yielded nothing remarkable. So we read it a fourth and fifth time, trying to recapture our Beginner’s Mind.

The article focused on the Mayor’s penchant for featuring himself on billboards, city mailings, and the city website. Old news on the ‘sphere, of course.

Jerry Shuster, Pitt professor, framed the analysis thusly:

He’s in a very unique position … He does have all of the perks of an incumbent, and runs like one. The only deficiency here is, by the time the election comes, he probably will not have had time to satisfy some of his critics with regard to his ability to make hard decisions.

Over the Mayor’s objections, Lord insists that his prominence on the website is unusual when compared to other cities. He allows City Democratic Committee Chair Barbara Ernsberger to posit that the race to win the endorsement is going to be a close one. And he selects this decidedly uneven quote from Ravenstahl to wrap a bow on his piece:

Certainly, somebody as young and fresh as I am, I think has an opportunity to show [leadership] and be a leader … I believe I’m a good mayor, and the more chances and the longer tenure I have to show that, the more successful I’m going to be.

In summary, the Luke Ravenstahl of the blurghosphere — unsteady, vapid, and and a little egocentric — actually made an appearance in the mainstream media — in the very central stream, in fact. It was a jarring realization.

The Comet is reminded of a late January interview with KDKA’s Jon Delano, in which the mayor is asked the perfunctory softball, “Why Luke Ravenstahl? What do you want voters to think about the Ravenstahl administration when they go to the polls?” Ravenstahl responded thusly …

Luke Ravenstahl, in my opinion, is a man who is working for the people, who has come into this situation listening to the people, and doing the people’s work. That’s the kind of person I’ve always been. That’s why I got involved in public service — following in the footsteps of my father, and my grandfather — is to simply help people. Nothing satisfies me more than helping people. Obviously, there’s a lot that goes along with it that doesn’t involve that, but that’s at the root of me. That’s the root of why I like to do what I do — and interacting with people on a daily basis is really the most exciting thing for me. And I think people in Pittsburgh can relate to me; they understand me. I’m genuine, I’m honest, I’m upfront, and I’m optimistic about our future.

We are not saying this particular Rich Lord piece in Sunday’s P-G is the turning point in the election. We are saying that with 85 days left until the primary election, the above just ain’t gonna cut it anymore.

Okay. Let’s put aside the Comet’s pretentious idealism for a moment.

Anyone who thinks Councilman Jim Motznik’s foray into the blurghosphere was tactically senseless, stupid or ill-advised, must have spent the summer of 2004 living on Mars. In a cave. With their eyes shut, and their fingers held tightly in their ears.

Put another way: If Rich and Jeremy find themselves maneuvered into the Magazine section, and all the wannabe Riches and Jeremies follow suit, would that be helpful to a challenger? Or an incumbent?

Put a third way: karma’s a bitch, ain’t it, Johnny?

The educated and interested listeners of WDUQ were just told by their Mayor that we should all worry less about pie-fights in the blogosphere, and more about public safety. Oh and by the way, you’ll have your new arena by Friday.

Say whatever you want about either one of these candidates. Neither one of them is hurting when it comes to the strategery department. Especially one of them.

Look alive, Pittsburgh.

With fifteen (15) distinct weeks remaining before the election, The Tribune-Review’s Jeremy Boren starts our week off right with a cup of hot oatmeal and an in-depth look at the differences between our mayoral candidates.

After an enlightening-to-no-one lead graph on age, experience, and marital status (being married doesn’t count with voters until you have children how much would that kick ass as an April surprise?), Boren cites four votes as especially illustrative:

1) Act 47 state oversight. Ravenstahl, AGAINST. Peduto, FOR.

There is broad agreement that Act 47 has been beneficial, so the Mayor will have to explain this vote, and possibly admit an evolution in thinking.

2) A buffer zone for protests around abortion clinics. Ravenstahl, AGAINST. Peduto, FOR.

Will this issue gain traction? Will Peduto try? Can the Mayor make it a 1st Amendment issue, or does it contribute toward his “Bush Factor”?

3) Dealing with Twanda Carlisle’s spending fiasco. Ravenstahl PASSED limits on discretionary spending, Peduto FAILED TO PASS an outright ban on walking-around-money.

This places Peduto even more fixedly as the reform candidate; but people like money, and like when it walks around some.

4) Tax Increment Financing for PNC office tower. Ravenstahl FOR. Peduto AGAINST.

Oddly, this would seem to align Peduto with the Trib editorial board (think, “Mr. Rohr, give back the public money”), which in turn would align Ravenstahl with the Heinz Endowments.

Finally, Dick Skrinjar chimes in with this one:

5) Ravenstahl for Council President. Ravenstahl FOR. Peduto FOR.

Just like Ravenstahl has some explaining to do on vote #1, Peduto at some point must forthrightly explain this, whether or not it’s a Skrinjar trap.

Interesting: Much of the analysis in Boren’s piece came from the Allegheny Institute — a local conservative think-tank — and it was mostly in Peduto’s favor. If Bill Peduto can swing being the candidate of experience, and the candidate of reform, and the candidate of conservatives — that is something.

BTW, the Allegheny Institute has a blog, which accepts comments, and is totally worth following.

Deep, deep, deep within the Rich Lord P-G article on the nomination of Fire Chief Michael Huss as public safety director, we learn this:

“Even Mr. Ravenstahl’s mayoral rival, Councilman William Peduto, has previously suggested that Mr. Huss should get the job.”

The blurgosphere would have us believe this is the understatement of the century. You know where to look. The Comet reserves judgement.

In this case, we feel an enterprising traditional-media reporter might make some great hay — substantive hay — evaluating this notion. Just make certain you have the towing capacity.

Everybody go check out our own Wired, Progressive, Peoples Candidate’s Campaign Blog!

Pedutoforpittsburgh.blogspot.com

Oh wait … you can’t. You’re not invited.

Guess we have to go sit at the reject table with Napoleon, Pedro, and that girl with the topknot.

(h/t Rauterkus: the candidate who never minds if you visit his blog)

We plebes are welcome to visit BillPeduto.com, which at the moment only provides contact info. And a logo that looks like something Burton Morris might have designed, after he accidentally ran over his own puppy.

Or you can check out Lukeformayor.com, which does not offer contact info, but sure as spit wants to know yours! And graphics … GRAPHICS … well … you guessed it …

(h/t The suddenly indispensable Bob Mayo)