HOT

Governor Gina Raimondo

Raimondo continues to pile up cash for her re-election bid.

For the 4th quarter of 2017, Raimondo’s campaign topped $570,000 and now totals $3.3 million.  In contrast, GOP candidate Cranston Mayor Allan Fung raised $175,000 for the quarter.

So Not Hot, Too

Much of her fundraising cash comes from the super rich in entertainment and finance.

While the dollars are impressive, the fact that so much of it comes from the wealthy elite out of state only fuels some of the criticism that she does not connect with Rhode Islanders.

HOT

RI Tourism and Nail

While the “cooler and warmer” campaign was a national embarrassment, the new video campaign from the tourism folks inside Commerce RI and the ad agency Nail, deserve a tip of the hat. It looks and feels like Rhode Island. No Icelandic deja-vu here.

The campaign has smart positioning, looks great and is fun.

The target audience is just who we want — weekend couples who want to enjoy and spend their way through Rhode Island.

HOT

Don Roach

Welcome back, GoLocal MINDSETTER™ Don Roach. After two years away Roach is back with unique views and insights.

The Cranston resident and Brown University grad has done it all in politics and business. From running for office to working in financial services, Roach has grounded experiences and thoughts that make his writing always relevant.

Roach has returned -- read him every Wednesday on GoLocal. 

HOT

MLK, Jr. Award Winners

Three Providence community leaders were inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

Those inducted include Pilar McCloud, the late City Councilman Philip Addison Jr., and Mary Jones.

The induction ceremony was held in the City Council Chamber at City Hall marking the 15th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame Awards.

HOT

Donald Trump

His state of the union address got strong support from Americans polled and even the New York Times and Washington Post had to hold their noses and write nice things about the substance of the speech.

CBS news found, “In his first State of the Union address, President Donald Trump received high marks from those who tuned in to watch last night: 75 percent of Americans said they approved of his speech.

Don't worry, it won't last long -- he is just one Tweet away from to returning to 32 percent approval ratings.

HOT

URI Rams

The URI Rams are red hot. They have won 13 games straight and are undefeated in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Lately, they have had to make last-minute magic happen to win, but that's what good teams do -- they find a way to notch the W. 

With arguably the deepest and most talented guard play in America and two of the rotating six guards could start, this could be a fun ride with Rhody this year.

NOT

Gina Raimondo

Yup - the Governor made both ends of the Hot or Not list. Her polling numbers continue to lag. There is a disconnect between her message and RI voters. What she is selling, they ain’t buying.

Wealthy bankers, Hollywood execs, and the beautiful people read this in their ski houses in Vail — they love RI’s Governor, but the folks in Cumberland, Johnston, and Portsmouth are far less enthusiastic.

Raimondo’s approval rate languishes at just 40 percent.

NOT

The Flu

There have been 14 deaths from the flu and 532 hospitalizations so far this flu season in the state, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health's Joseph Wendelken, who appeared this week on GoLocal LIVE with News Editor Kate Nagle.

The numbers are more than just stats --  each of the deaths was someone's child or parent, partner or friend. Each a heartbreaking story. Be vigilant RI and a flu shot may make the difference.

NOT

WEEI

Insulting anyone's small child is just not reasonable behavior from an adult.

Talk radio has always pushed the limits, but Alex Reimer’s comment about Tom Brady’s daughter being “a little pissant” is gruesomely inappropriate. The fact that the producer did not “dump it” and the station only got serious about an apology after Brady had to respond on air is a black mark on WEEI. 

All PR is not good PR. WEEI looks like amateur hour. 

NOT

Patricia Morgan

Her first-quarter campaign finance report — third quarter of 2017 — looked like the House Minority Leader was going to be a real player for the GOP nomination for Governor, but after raising less than $30,000 in the fourth quarter of 2017,  one has to wonder if she is putting in the effort or has the base to be real.

While money is not everything — it is something. Morgan raised one 20th of Raimondo’s haul.

NOT

Tom Brady and Others

Don’t want stupid sports talk radio hosts to say inappropriate things about your children? Then don’t put them in your nearly constant pre-Super Bowl promotions which are just a shade transparent in their attempt to set up post-retirement relevancy. 

Politicians, sports figures, and celebrities try to have it both ways. While Reimer’s comments can never be justified, parents should be vigilant in keeping their children out of the political TV commercials and marketing efforts — they set them up for being fair game.

No winners in that strategy.

NOT

Reporters writing about those who they are seeking employment from

When Kate Bramson was writing news stories for the Providence Journal about Senate consideration of the controversial PawSox funding scheme she was being considered for a job that paid a reported 50 percent more than her salary at the paper.

Similarly, Jennifer Bogdan wrote a glowing story about portions of Governor Gina Raimondo's budget while she was interviewing for a job in Raimondo's press office. 

Both Bramson and Bogdan won high paying government jobs - Rhode Islanders lost a little trust in what they are reading in the Projo.