Strickland's referendum.

An article from yesterday's Dispatch caught my eye.

Unless the federal government steps in with your own tax dollars and saves Ohio's butt, over 74,000 unemployed Ohioans will exhaust their unemployment insurance by the end of 2009.

That's 74,000 Ohioans either out on the street, out of the state, or holed up with their neighbor or family.

As we move into the 2010 election cycle, Ohioans will be asking themselves two questions; 1) Did Ted Strickland and his policies truly "Turnaround Ohio"?, and 2) Do I think John Kasich can do a better job as Governor?

The predicament that these 74,000 Ohioans find themselves in is a harsh reminder to the voters. Not about what Ted Strickland has done. But instead, what he has failed to do.

Governor Strickland has failed to Turnaround Ohio. He will try to lay blame for Ohio's woes elsewhere, but when the rubber meets the road, he will be unable to point the finger at any actions that produced any positive result to bring Ohio any jobs. Since he became Governor, unemployment has more than doubled. And since he became Governor, he has been asleep at the wheel.

The Kasich campaign should welcome Strickland to talk about his record as Governor. Let this election be what most re-election campaigns are about, a referendum on the incumbent.

And let those 74,000 Ohioans stand up and be counted.