When I started this odyssey, aside from the obvious problem with my candidacy, everyone wondered if it was a good idea for a Russo to run for anything at all in this anti-Russo climate…whatever that is. Well, that climate seems to be not such a big deal.
I’ve got my rap down pretty good for the doorstep, as this video shows. My last name is always brought up, and I’ve taken to saying up front, as I hand the lit piece to the voter, “no relation to Frank.” Every voter will ask anyway, so I just get it out of the way. The reaction is almost always a smile, often laughter, often uproarious laughter. They say if you can make ‘em laugh, you’re off to a good start. Well, I’ve got Frank Russo to thank for that head start.
From there, it’s all downhill. First, I think the vast majority of people understand that you have about as much control over your last name as you have over your skin color. They also understand, in Cleveland especially, that “Russo” is like “Smith” in Italian. Russos have been running for office in this town almost a century, up and down the ballot, all over the county. One bad set of circumstances about one guy named Russo isn’t going to destroy the name forever, no matter what those lunatic commenters on Cleveland.com think. All those judges named Russo are all still on the bench, aren’t they? And they ain’t goin’ anywhere.
We’ll see how it plays out, but right now, I don’t mind having my last name one bit.
[...] Most of my blogging is now at the campaign site (thoughts on sharing a last name with Frank Russo here, on Harvey Pekar’s death here, and Plain Dealer stupidity here). We’ve got about a [...]