While "The Jerry Springer Show" earned him fame and fortune, it damaged Springer's political brand and his viability for elected office.
In 2003, reporters and photographers packed a downtown Columbus press conference to find out if Springer would run for U.S. Senate. Springer soaked in the limelight, cracked jokes and then, instead of announcing a run, he said that polls showed his TV talk show had saddled him with too many negatives to overcome in a statewide race.
"As long as I'm doing that show, my message, no matter how sincere and no matter how heartfelt, does not get through to the people I need to reach," he said at the time.
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He said he wouldn't try to take on Republican incumbent George Voinovich in 2004 but he wouldn't close the door on political runs in the future.
In 2017, he considered jumping into the 2018 Ohio Democratic primary for governor and explored challenging Brad Wenstrup in the 2nd Congressional District but didn't go for either race.
"It was clear that his show was an obstacle," said David Pepper, the former Ohio Democratic Party chairman who grew up watching Springer's newscasts in Cincinnati.
Springer's only statewide run happened in 1982 when he placed third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
But Springer used his checkbook and star power to help Ohio Democrats, hitting the campaign trail, packing union halls and lighting up small towns and big cities, Pepper said.
Many local Democrats owe a lot to Springer, and not just for his financial contributions, said Tim Burke, who served as chairman of the Hamilton County Democrats from 1993 to 2018.
“The one recommendation I used to give anybody who wanted to get money from Jerry: 'Don’t just ask him for money, ask him to do something,'” Burke said. “And invariably, he would respond more positively to an invitation to find time in his schedule and be the featured speaker for somebody at their fundraiser, and with that he would always write a check too.”
In 2004, Springer was named Ohio Democrat of the Year for personally donating nearly $250,000 to party causes and for speaking at about 50 county and local Democratic gatherings across the state.
Wrestling a bear, 'stealing' a bus
Burke has memories of Springer wrestling a bear for charity in 1980. When the city in 1973 took over local bus service, Springer “stole” a bus during a ceremony on Fountain Square and drove it around the block.
Springer also used his flare to bring attention to serious issues, Burke said. Then-councilman Springer spent a night in jail at a facility known as “The Workhouse” in Camp Washington to learn the plight of prisoners.
“That was Jerry,” Burke said. “Those were the kinds of things he did to make a point and to try and get people’s attention on issues of importance.” Then Burke thought about it. “Not wrestling a bear. That was nuts.”
Burke knew immediately Springer would become a household name in Cincinnati when he first met him in the late 1960s.
Springer, a young lawyer at the time and Burke, student body president at Xavier University, were working on a campaign to lower Ohio’s voting age from 21 to 19.
It was Springer’s first foray into politics. The effort lost statewide but passed in Hamilton County, Burke said.
That marked the start of a friendship that lasted over 50 years between Burke and Springer. Springer became a Cincinnati City Councilman a few years later and brought Burke on as a legislative aide.
'Jerry! Jerry!'
The ultimate extrovert, Springer thrived on connecting with people. From 100 feet away, people on the sidewalk would point at Springer and shout "Jerry! Jerry!" and the celebrity would treat the strangers as good friends, Pepper said.
"He'd literally hug them all," he said. "It was 100% natural. He wasn't running for anything. He could've walked away."
Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland described his longtime friend and political ally as a talented entertainer and gifted communicator.
“He had a certain amount of baggage, but he was a wonderfully bright man,” Strickland said on Thursday. He noted that Springer’s values and beliefs lined up closely with his own.
“A lot of people judge him based on his program. It was reprehensible and even he acknowledged that,” Strickland said, adding “Even in the midst of that, he was never judgmental of other people. He felt that people should be able to live their lives. That’s in stark contrast to some of the political leadership today.”
“He may have done some damage but he did a lot of good too,” Strickland said.
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Former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley remembered fondly Springer’s nightly commentaries as an anchor on WLWT-TV.
“There was a time when Jerry Springer’s nightly commentary was the moral voice of our region,” Cranley said. “I was raised listening to it. It always called us to our better angels and to care for the vulnerable.”
Cranley described Springer as a friend who provided advice when needed.
“He was serious about his cause, but he didn’t take himself seriously, and he was lots of fun to be with.”
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