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Not often do you see a political pundit concede a point on television.

This rare event happened Monday night on Fox News hostTucker Carlson's show when he concededCincinnati is one city improved by Democrats.

Carlson was debating former state department official, attorney and Democrat David Tafuri on President JoeBiden'spolicy on the Middle East. The argument led to a critique about struggling American cities.

Carlson asked Tafuri to name one city Democrats have improved in the United States. Tafuri didn't hesitate.

"My hometown of Cincinnati. It's run by Democrats," Tafuri offered.

Carlson voice lightened.

"Huh, it's a pretty nice town I gotta say," he said. "OK. I'll give you Cincinnati. I can't think of any others, I gotta be honest.No, you're absolutely right, that is a nice city."

But Carlson didn't give all the credit to the Democrats by adding, "It's not a very leftwing city."

Mayor John Cranley touted the "Cincinnati miracle" in his 2019 "State of the City" address. The population has inched back above 300,000, according to Census estimates.

"Cincinnati is on the rise and is doing better than any time in my lifetime," Cranley said in 2019. "Insteadof bleeding jobs and people, we are adding more jobs and people."

Cincinnati's city elections are officially nonpartisan. But the three mayors elected since the city began direct elections of mayorsin 2001 have all been Democrats: Charlie Luken, Mark Mallory and Cranley.

Tafuri, 51, a 1988 graduate of Sycamore High School, said he was at first taken aback that Carlson agreed with him. Afrequent guest on Carlson's show, Tafuri told The Enquirer that doesn't happen often.

"He didn't argue with me about that and he argues with me on every other point on his show," Tafuri said.

But then again, Tafuri said he's met people all over the world who think Cincinnati is a jewel. Tafuri has worked as an attorney traveling all over the world and is currently focused on legal work in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Latin America, according to his LinkedIn page.

Heworked in the U.S. embassy in Baghdad for the State Department from 2006-2007.

His hometown has only gotten better since he was a teenager growing up in Montgomery, he said.

"When I was growing up in Cincinnati, downtown Cincinnati was a 9-5 city," Tafuri said. "Not much was going on in downtown. Not a lot of people lived there. Now it is a much more bustling city and alive city."

One of Tafuri's longtime friends, former Ohio Democratic Chairman and former Cincinnati City CouncilmanDavid Pepper, said he wasn't surprised by Tafuri's pride in the Queen City.

"He's gone all over the world and done amazing things," Pepper said of Tafuri. "Like a lot of Cincinnati folks, he wears being a Cincinnati native on his sleeve."

He was surprised that Carlson agreed.

"If we can bring people together on that, good job, Cincinnati," Pepper said.

Hamilton County GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou laughed when he saw the exchange on Monday between Tafuri and Carlson. He's proud of Cincinnati, but it's not because of what the Democrats did.

"As a fan of Cincinnati, I'm happy to see the city get good press," Triantafilou said. "But I feel we could do better. One-third of the council has been indicted. We have runaway spending."

A screenshot of Cincinnati native David Tafuri on Tucker Carlson's show Monday night(Photo: Scott Wartman/The Enquirer)

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'I'll give you Cincinnati.' Sycamore grad convinces Tucker Carlson there's one good city run by Democrats - The Cincinnati Enquirer