(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Springer says he won't run for governor [1] ['Seth Richardson', 'Srichardson Cleveland.Com', 'Seth A. Richardson'] Date: 2017-11-30 16:40:00+00:00 After months of open speculation, television celebrity Jerry Springer put to bed one of the biggest what-ifs in Ohio politics by announcing he would not run for governor. Springer, a Democrat, made the announcement Wednesday on his weekly podcast The Jerry Springer Podcast to a live audience in Kentucky where he records the show. The famed talk show host said he could not fully commit to campaigning and serving at least four years in office. "It's not something as a husband and a father and a grandfather that I can do at this point, to just walk away and say, 'I'll see you. You know where the mansion is. Just give me a call,'" Springer said. Springer said political operatives in the state had been recruiting him since last spring. Springer's long-running daytime television show The Jerry Springer Show was known for its flamboyant antics - and criticized for being "trash TV" and the lowest common denominator. The show often featured hypersexualized content and members of the Ku Klux Klan. Springer, who has criticized his own show as "silly," said he did not want to be a diversion on the campaign trail, with other candidates being constantly badgered about his celebrity past. "I don't want to add to the circus. ..." he said. "I become a distraction." While he's built a public persona as a shock-television host, he's also been politically active in Ohio for decades, including one term as the mayor of Cincinnati. Some speculated that the unexpected victory of Republican President Donald Trump - himself a reality television star - left an opening for Springer to win the governor's mansion for Democrats for only the second time since 1990. "So I thought about it a lot and we did research," Springer said. "And we did, you know, polling, focus groups, all that kind of stuff. And it became harder and harder because to be blunt, it really looked like I could win." However, he said after spending Thanksgiving with his family, he made the final decision against running. Springer's announcement comes days after Richard Cordray left his position as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to run for governor. Cordray, a Democrat who is expected to announce his candidacy soon, was also the subject of rumors around the crowded Democratic primary to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. John Kasich. Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, former state Rep. Connie Pillich, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill, all Democrats, have also declared their candidacy. O'Neill has said he will drop out once Cordray's candidacy becomes official. Springer said he will remain active in the governor's race and Ohio politics in general, especially with causes close to him such as the labor movement and health care. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.cleveland.com/open/2017/11/jerry_springer_says_he_wont_ru.html Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/