Goddard’s statement half good, needs to be better

by David Safier

Terry Goddard is getting press now that he's announced for Governor. It's time for him to make firm statements. Instead, he's making kinda firm statements.

"I do think economic recovery is the key to fixing our budget in the long run."

I do think? I do think? What, you don't know? And what's with the phrasing of the rest of the sentence? "Key to fixing our budget in the long run"? Sn-o-o-o-o-o-o-ze.

"What? Did he say something? I must've dozed off for a minute."

Come on, Terry, give us some red meat, not bleary, early-morning runny oatmeal.

This begins better.

[Goddard] specifically decried cuts in education funding, citing the experience of his son, Kevin.

“He started out in first grade in a class with 19 students,” Goddard said.

“Today he’s in fifth grade in a classroom with 35 students,” he continued. “And I’m afraid next year it will be way over 40.”

He said public education has been “under attack” for years, even before Brewer took office last year.

“But this economic downturn has gave the radicals the excuse they were looking for to do what they wanted to do for years: slash funding for our public schools,” he said.

Pretty good stuff. But you're talking to Howard Fischer here. You know he's going to ask you a follow up question. Are you ready?

Goddard, however, said he was not preparing a plan of his own to deal with the fact that spending obligations continue to outstrip available revenues. Instead, he wants to study ways to raise more cash.

“We have a whole set of revenue options that have not been considered,” he said.

No, you're not ready. That's runny, luke warm oatmeal if I've ever seen it.

Come on, toughen up the language. You're going to be fighting for votes against a Republican who's going to use crazy-tough language. Unfortunately, people will hear the "tough" part of crazy-tough and read it as "resolute." And if you come off wishy washy and flip floppy, those critical voters in the middle aren't even going to hear you. They're just going to see some guy standing up there quacking and smiling and saying nothing.

If your strategy is to try not to lose, you're gonna lose. If your strategy is to take chances and go for the win, you'll have a good chance of winning.