Jake,

Bloggers usually give credit to other bloggers for breaking stories.

http://www.firedupmissouri.com/thanks_for_the_hattip_jake

Very good, Allen!

Almost reminds you some other candidate who has been accused of “change you can xerox”.

Almost.

My general rule of thumb is that if I’m already working on the story, I don’t find a link is necessary.

Cheers

That’s called plagiarism - but I guess it’s easier than working on a real story - like WHAT DOES HE BELIEVE IN?

He must have an incrediblely moronic and deluded sense of self-importance. Such audacity is hard to believe. At least Bush had Karl Rove. Olivo falls neatly into the stereotype of the conceited high-school jock - the one who shows up the last day before a group project is due and copies everyone else’s work. Like I’m sure he do with his staff if, regardless of how ridiculous it sounds even hypothetically, he gets elected. Way to end your political career before it ever even started BLOCK.

So you were working on this before it broke on Fired-Up and it took you 5-days to reach BLOCK for comment? Give credit where credit is due Wagman.

Brock,

I’m sorry, but it’s a little bit disgraceful - a smack in the face to all of us - that you want to represent us in Congress when you’ve NEVER even voted yourself. You’re obviously not concerned about, nor abreast of, local issues of importance.

Save face. Drop out, VOTE, and then run for State Representative.

Jake….I’m with you on reporting the story. Just because other media have a track on the story, doesn’t mean everyone else is prohibited from reporting. Chuck doesn’t understand the term “plagiarism”.

Olivo wants to file as a Republican. Movies stars, entertainers, and athletes often run as Republicans because their base is easily fooled by frivolity.

I second Chuck’s motion. Someone should remind Olivo that being a popular but mediocre football QB for a mediocre team does not constitute enough support for a Congressional run 10 years later. Having never voted he would be lucky to win a Rep race.

Brock Olivo will win this race because he is absolutely the best candidate for the 9th District. Steve Gaw has been bought and paid for by utililty companies, Blaine Luetkemeyer owes $500,000 from his last failed race and Dani Moore is like 100 years old.

Brock has a huge fan base in the district and you all can keep underestimating him all the way until he takes office in January!

Just checked out the Wikipedia article (link below) on Brock, what a riot. I agree, somebody who has never voted has no business running for Congress.

Bt - According to Wikipedia, he was a running back, not QB. And his college record looks to be much better than mediocre. But I still wouldn’t vote for him in the Republican primary if I lived in the 9th.

Garrison - You’re an idiot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brock_Olivo

oops. perhaps the powers that be who pressed olivo into service should have done a little more research. something like,”uh brock, um ah…you do have a voting record right? it’s where you go into a booth and well, uh, you know…vote”

it’s all too bad the parties look for fluff and not function in trying to fill a slot. and that is exactly what they are doing here.

Did he even graduate from MIZZOU?

I just recently registered to vote myself, and I personally do not have a problem with the fact that he never voted previously. I never voted in the past, because I was angry with the system and wasn’t inspired by the same old politicians. I hate that people always find little things like this and blow them at of proportion. I also hate how there is some magic path people have to take to be elected to certain positions. I’m glad he’s not a state rep. because this way he is less likely to play favoritism so certain parts of the district. And as a side note he was a RB not a QB.

Surely we as Americans are above voting for someone just because of their name (sorry Arnold), which isn’t that great anyway. Please don’t let this dope get elected. How could someone that’s never even taken part in a simple election believe that he could make decisions concerning our people? That’s the most important and simplest power that we have. Show that moron how important it is to vote… by not voting for him. Maybe he’ll change his tune and cast his the next time.

Brock is a young man….Maybe he should enlist if he wants to serve his country. This isn’t a popularity contest for student council…If it was, Paris Hilton would get the Republican nomination (that was for you Nick).

Only a bigger fool would vote for him!!

Vaughn: How low does one need to go to underestimate a guy who is 31 years old and has never gotten off his butt to vote?

I think I’ll try out for the football team. I’ve never played or paid any attention to football, but what the heck! Do they have, like, rules and stuff that I’ll need to know about? I won’t be expected to play well once I’m on the team, will I? After all, I just got started with this stuff. But don’t worry - I promise that I will learn real fast!

What was it that LBJ said about Gerald Ford? Something about too many games without a helmet?

I have met Brock, but in no way would I consider him a friend or even an acquaintance. Since my time in college and now as a professional in the financial industry, I have never seen anyone with the dedication and commitment to a goal as he had. If he puts half the effort into politics as he did to sports and school, yes that’s right, I said school - he’s not only more athletic than any of us, he’s smarter than most of us. If he gives the 9th district half of the attention that he gave to his other goals, he would be the best politician we have had in a long time. Anyone that actually met him knows what I’m talking about, I’m sure he’s not running because he’s famous, he’s running because he would be good at it. For those of you that discount him because he has been successful at sports or because he is young, pathetic. Most talented people don’t run for office because of this type of unfounded criticism (most people don’t vote), and know that someone wants to make a difference, people like Garrison want to say he’s like Paris Hilton. No wonder we are stuck with the government we have, it’s what we deserve.

Nick < I stand corrected.

So, Scott, what would you say his interest level in government has been up to now, considering that he has never voted in his entire friggin’ life?

“No wonder we are stuck with the government we have, it’s what we deserve.” Do you really think that’s a good line to use when defending a guy who cares so little about the condition of his state and country that he never, ever, in his entire adult life, went to vote? Are you saying if we had more politicians who cared less we would be better off?

Would not vote for any candidate regardless of party who had an opportunity to vote for 13 yrs but never took the time……utterly ridiculous to even consider it.

Robert,
Do you think the only people that care, vote, or that all people that vote, care? I think you are trying to brush to broad of a stroke. Most of the people that I know that vote, do it to get a half day off work. People like me that care, also care about work or family, and sometimes can’t afford to leave the office long enough to vote. So does that mean that my employee that is telling me they are voting, but don’t even know who is running, cares more than I do? If you don’t like his ideas that’s one thing, judging that he doesn’t care, because he didn’t vote is another. Do you think Obama is a criminal because he used drugs - you should be able to judge the entire person in politics not one part of their life.

I know for a fact that Wagman was working on this story several days before Firedup posted it. The editors wanted a lot more detail and fact-checking, which will become evident when his story appears in the paper Tuesday.

Scott- You are giving us a taste of what a Brock supporter would sound like. I played college football the same time as Brock and would not say that he is by far a better athlete than all of us. Granted, he was good for Mizzou at that time. If you remember, that time was not that great of a time or team. For someone who is not an acquaintance, but has merely ‘met’ him (along with a lot of other Missourians while he played) you sure know a lot about him and his goals. His work ethic/goals (he was not an all american), education (funny that you would know how much time he spent studying and his IQ while only meeting him), and saying he’s smarter than most of us will just not work in this situation. I don’t discount him because he played college football (again, so did I) or that he is young (he’s 2 years younger and that is not 20). It’s because HE’S NEVER VOTED! That tells me one thing- he’s never cared before, why should he now? You aren’t automatically entitled to something because you think you’re ready. You earn it because of past actions. As far as politics go, he hasn’t earned the trust of the people. Also, I hope you can find it in your busy schedule to vote. If you truly buy into Mr. Olivo’s word, he has admitted that not voting was a mistake. Don’t make excuses for yourself and others, because to be honest, it doesn’t sound like you care about your fate that much if you leave it to us to decide it.

Personally, I think we have way too many people voting. Those who are uninformed, or uninterested, should stay home. I very much disagree with those who feel that high voter registration and turnout rates are an unequivocally good thing. But even more important, those who are too uninformed or uninterested to vote should not be running for office.

Not only that, being a US Congressman is NOT an “entry level position.” Akin, Clay, Hulshoff, and Carnahan all had substantial experience in government prior to running for Congress. Now obviously, you can have experience and still be a dimwit. But those who aspire to Congress would do well to start in their city council, or perhaps the state legislature.

Scott, I wasn’t comparing Brock Olivo with Paris Hilton….
I was comparing the Republican party to Paris Hilton.

Yeah, but how many of those other pansies can block a linebacker?

#25 Eric…..great posting…..totally agree with you!

Eric
I agree with you whole heartedly. Anyone that would follow Brock given his track record, which is zilch, gets what they deserve. Another wasted vote. Oh wait. To follow him is to emulate him. So don’t vote!

#23 Scott…..People find time to do the things that are most important to them regardless of whether it’s going to their kid’s ballgames, their friend’s wedding, to church, to a party, etc., or VOTING. Anyone trying to justify why they haven’t voted for 13 years is simply making excuses…..nothing more, nothing less. I don’t believe Olivo made any excuses but…………why should I vote for him considering the fact that he hasn’t taken the time or cared enough to vote EVER.

Maybe all of a sudden he has “saw the light.” Well, I’m from Missouri…..show me. Start voting and taking an interest in our political process and I’ll consider him after he has proven himself. He has not earned my vote. Even though I am an avid Mizzou fan(my son graduated from Mizzou in ‘98), that has no bearing whatsoever on his running for congress.

i guess my main complaint about this blog post is that there is no mention of the man’s political affiliation. i no longer live in stl, but check the ’spatch regularly, so i didn’t know who he was or that he was running for the house seat.

nick, first time I’ve ever agreed with you about anything. Russ Carnahan did have experience before lucking into Congress–but that doesn’t hide the fact hat he’s a total dimwit.

As a (R) I take a lot of offense to Olivo running for Congress without ever having an interest in politics before now. I know there are a lot of (D)s posting comments on this, but you have to realize that Danie Moore has more experience and a better base than Olivo at this point. If he really wanted to be a part of the political process he would have at least voted municipal election in the past year, the non-voting is inexcusable. He doesn’t have the credentials, the records, nor the support of a good portion of the (R)s in Mid-MO. This is a non-issue with an individual who thought that being a Congressman would be cool, nothing more and nothing less. He will be out of the election by Mid-June, tops.

I would never vote for someone who has never participated in the process. Obviously Vaughn would vote for a red dog as long he is a republican. What are Olivo`s credentials beside being a has been football player. All glam and no glitter.

I really don’t care either way about his not voting. I don’t live in the 9th and can’t vote for him anyway.

I do know that the guy has traveled a great deal, even living abroad for several years. That may not be a good enough excuse, but it explains why he may not have voted.

In Jake’s story, he mentions that Olivo was attending a funeral in Arizona the day before the primary. Don’t know if he intended to vote or not, but I don’t think he had any control over the timing of Larry Smith’s death. Being a journeyman NFL player doesn’t lend much consistancy to where you live either. Many college students don’t vote either.

I find it ironic that the same folks that are up in arms over “football star” Olivo running were the same ones tickled to death of the thought that Corby Jones might throw his hat in the ring as a Democrat.

Again, I don’t care one way or the other whether the guy voted once or 100 times. It’s up to the voters in the 9th to decide if that is important to them.

To Scott or anyone else that thinks that voting doesn’t matter:

I am a 21 year old and in 2006, when I could vote for the first time, I jumped at the opportunity. This is the first presidential election in which I can participate and voting in the primaries was maybe one of the most fulfilling things I have done. I watch and read the news constantly, keeping myself up on the issues, and because I honestly care, I would never THINK of not voting. I would be able to name several issue that would be key to my platform and Olivo has yet to name one… shameful. I take my citizenship seriously and it’s sad that someone would ask for my vote who, at 10 years my senior, has only recently embraced its meaning. Get real, Brock.

Once again, Amazedbythelunacy, doesn’t get it. It’s not a democrat or republican thing. It’s so much larger than that. For the party hacks it is nothing more than a democrat or republican thing. Great posting, Liz. It’s because of young people like you that I believe there is hope for our country!!

I live in the 9th and will not be voting for Mr. Olivio. I have a few simple questions to ask the candidates;

1 What is your position on Trade Agreements (NAFTA, CAFTA, FTAA etc.)? Do you think it’s fair that China is allowed to put a 25% tariff on cars imported to China from the USA, while we only put a 2.5% tariff on cars imported to the USA from China? Do you think it’s fair that Korea sold over 700,000 cars and trucks in the USA in 2006 while the entire rest of the world sold less than 6,000 cars and trucks in Korea?

2 What is your position on Employee Free Choice Act? Shouldn’t workers be allowed to use the same democratic process to vote for the right to have collective bargaining that this nation was founded on?

3 What is your position on health care? If national heath care is ok for Iraq and every other industrialized nation, not to mention every member of Congress and the Senate why is health care not good enough for every American?

4 One last question, what is your position on illegal employers? For every illegal worker there is an illegal company that hires them. Do you have any plans to stricly enforce laws to protect legal American workers from these illegal employers?

The Olivio thing is embarrassing.. for further embarrassment, check out the youtube clip of Brock doing an interview with Jason Rosenbaum of the Columbia tribune. This is sure to be a classic, with BO saying he’s a “republican for now” who is qualified for the seat because “I took a government class.” Oh, and just wait till you hear his “platform”.

#10–Vaughn: I fear you need to do some basic research. Steve Gaw is hardly ”bought and paid for by utility companies.” He was on a Commission that regulated utilities after he left the Missouri legislature (where he was Speaker of the House I might add). If anything, on the Public Service Commission, he was the utilities’ nemesis, holding their feet to the fire and questioning the costs they passed on to customers. Please do not confuse the voters of the 9th District with your incorrect information about the candidates.