Remembering George Voinovich

The world of politics and public service lost a member of a disappearing breed last weekend with the passing of George Voinovich — former Cleveland mayor, Ohio state representative, lieutenant governor, governor and U.S. senator.

Voinovich not only was an honest and dedicated public servant, bold leader and devoted family man; he also was a gentleman in all the best senses of the word.

{mosads}Sadly, in today’s raucous media world, where negativity and nastiness dominate political coverage, the good that politicians do is seldom emphasized while all their shortcomings are laid bare for all to see. Then, when they die, we sing their praises.

Why not while they are still alive? Because many editors making news decisions believe that writing a positive story about a politician means the reporter is “going soft,” or worse — selling out. No reporter wants to be accused of that.

It is little wonder, then, with the general public being fed mostly negative stories about politicians, and little to balance them or put them into context or perspective, that the clamor for “outsiders” who will clean up the mess is so angry and loud.

As a reporter who has covered politicians for nearly five decades — from the local level to the state to the national — I can truly say that the vast majority are decent people who get into public service for the simple reason that they want to help their communities and their people. And once they take office, most try to do that with varying degrees of success and failure. They are no different than all of us.

But George Voinovich was more successful than most. Rather than try to recount his accomplishments in politics, let me tell you a little about the man I covered and knew.

I first met Voinovich in early 1983 when my newspaper, USA Today, was still in its infancy and about to start selling in Cleveland. I was asked to go to there and write some stories that would have a dash of local flavor when the paper hit the city’s streets.

I figured the best place to get oriented on what was happening in Cleveland was to talk to the mayor, who then was Voinovich. Not knowing me, he generously welcomed me to his office, outlined some of the top issues and set up a lunch for me to meet business and community leaders, including top executives of banks and industry. That introduction surely helped USA Today build an identity and presence in Cleveland much more than it helped Voinovich and the leaders I met. It was a very generous gift.

Some seven years later, Voinovich was running for Ohio governor. Then-President George H.W. Bush attended a Cleveland fundraiser for him. I was there as a member of the White House press corps.

As the event ended, I stopped in the men’s room only to come outside and find the presidential motorcade heading for the airport without me. In a panic, I saw Voinovich standing at the curb, waving the president off. I breathlessly told him of my plight. In a flash, he summoned a nearby police car and told the officer to take me in and catch up with the motorcade. With siren blaring and lights flashing, we eventually tagged on to the end of the procession. Thanks to Voinovich, I made the plane.

One more Voinovich story: In 1996, Bob Dole, the Republican presidential nominee, stopped in Cleveland to campaign in the important swing state of Ohio. Voinovich was being mentioned as a possible running mate for Dole.

Voinovich, whose mother was a Slovenian immigrant, hosted Dole at a rally at the Slovenian Club on the city’s blue-collar east side. The hall was packed with people of Slovenian descent, many of them immigrants. Women dressed in native peasant costumes danced on stage to an accordion-led polka band. The place was rocking.

Dole, known for his low-key personna and dry wit, was so taken by the music that he grabbed one of the women and stomped off in a jaunty and spirited polka. A beaming Voinovich clapped in time to the music. The crowd loved it. Who ever saw Bob Dole dance?

Voinovich was later disappointed when Dole picked Jack Kemp to be his running mate. But it never tempered his enthusiasm in support of Dole’s unsuccessful race against President Bill Clinton.

To Voinovich, loyalty was a virtue, not a vice.

George Voinovich was a good politician and a good man. We should all miss him.

Benedetto is a retired USA Today White House correspondent and columnist. He now teaches politics and journalism at American University and in the Fund For American Studies program at George Mason University. He is the author of the 2006 book, “Politicians Are People, Too,” from which part of ths column is taken. Contact him at benedett@american.edu or follow him on Twitter @benedettopress.