Josh Mandel: Fat Wallet/Empty Suit

Today, State Treasurer Josh Mandel reported  in the three months he has totally not been a candidate for the U.S. Senate.  Yes, despite a campaign website, a campaign staff, and countless press releases touting endorsements for his non-candidacy, Josh Mandel still insists that he has not decided to run the United States Senate.

Here’s another number for Mandel: $22.2 million.  That’s how much under projections Ohio’s return on its  according to Governor Kasich’s Director of the Office of Budget and Management (see, pg. 16).  You know, the investments managed by… State Treasurer Josh Mandel.

Mandel has barely taken any public opinions.  He had to be publicly shamed to admit he supports SB 5.  While Governor Kasich appears on national television endorsing President Obama’s “Grand Bargain” (more on that tonight), Mandel has been utterly silent about the debt ceiling debate in Congress.

What are these people paying money to see at these fundraisers?  Mandel appears to have virtually nothing to say at them.  And how can you trust a guy who went from an publicly enthusastic Al Gore/GLBT rights supporter in 2000 to a defender of the private property rights of cockfighters/social conservative in less than a decade?

A candidate who is quick to use photos of him proudly wearing our nation’s military uniform in campaign literature, but who has yet to offer any public opinion on where he stands on Afghanistan, for example.

The guy is underperforming in office to the tune of $22 million a month, and I’m supposed to swoon over the fact that he raised over $2 million for his own campaign while going on a full-time, nationwide fundraising tour instead of his job?

Here’s Josh Mandel in a nutshell:  Fat campaign wallet, thin resume, empty suit.