Setting The Record Straight On The Judicial Name Game

Much has been made about the races for Ohio Supreme Court this past election, with a lot of focus paid to Name ID over substance.  This past weekend, Ohio newspaper editorialists jumped into the fray.

From the Columbus Dispatch’s Joe Hallett:

Cupp and McGee Brown received “highly recommended” ratings from the Ohio State Bar Association. They are members of arguably the best Supreme Court Ohio has had in the past 30 years.

That didn’t matter. On Nov. 6, Ohio voters replaced them with two candidates blessed with Irish names. McGee Brown was defeated by Sharon Kennedy, a Republican domestic-relations judge who was rated “not recommended” by the state bar. Cupp was beaten by Democrat William O’Neill, a former state appellate judge who had been working as an emergency-room nurse.

And the Plain Dealer’s Brent Larkin:

Republican Justice Robert Cupp was beaten by a Democrat with a far better ballot name: former appellate Judge William O'Neill. And Justice Yvette McGee Brown, a Democrat, failed to keep her seat as the high court's first black woman, losing to Butler County Common Pleas Judge Sharon Kennedy, a Republican.

Looking Ahead To 2014: Kasich Leads Weak Field Of Democrats

Election Day 2012 was just two weeks ago, and it seems like all everyone is talking about is Election Day 2014.  The voting machines have yet to cool down, but speculation on who Democrats will run against Governor John Kasich is all over the news.

From the bumbling failure that is Ted Strickland and that laughable Congressman Moonbeam Tim Ryan, to the angry man continuing the corrupt politics of Cuyahoga County, Ed Fitzgerald, Democrats have an array of dreadful prospects to challenge Governor Kasich.

But that hasn't stopped Democrat Chairman Chris "I Don't Live In My House District" Redfern from touting a liberal polling firm's assessment that Democrats are just one point behind Kasich in a hypothetical 2014 matchup.

It was just great to see PolitiFact Ohio, the intellectually dishonest "fact checker," report on the poll, with their hack-job analysis proving their either incompetent or actually advancing Democrat talking points.

Maybe both.

Ohio Unemployment Falls, Continues To Outpace National Rate

The October unemployment rate for the Buckeye State was released this morning, and it comes in a full 1% lower than the national rate:

Ohio's unemployment rate was 6.9 percent in October, down from 7.1 percent in September, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 13,900 over the month...

The U.S. unemployment rate for October was 7.9 percent, up from 7.8 percent in September... [Emphasis mine]

Ohio's rate has continued to outpace the national rate ever since voters replaced failed Governor Strickland back in November 2010.  And with last Tuesday's election results, it's crucial now more than ever to have strong state leadership. 

When Obama's policies start costing jobs right and left, it's those leaders that will keep Ohio's economy moving.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Newest Ohio Supreme Court Justice

It's one thing to lose a distinguished, experienced and knowledgeable  jurist like Justice Robert Cupp.  It's another completely to not only lose him, but have him replaced by an unqualified, ill-equipped former judge turned nurse.

But that's who you elected, Ohio.  Ladies and Gentlemen, Ohio Supreme Court Justice-elect Bill O'Neill.

Stay Classy, Democrats

In the aftermath of Governor Mitt Romney's loss on Tuesday, there's been numerous things said about the now-failed GOP presidential candidate, with many supporters of the President finally admitting that Romney is a pretty "classy" guy.  The President himself even said so:

There were just four people in the room when Obama received the call from Romney: the president, campaign manager Jim Messina and senior advisers David Axelrod and David Plouffe. 

The President expressed satisfaction that it was a “very classy” gesture in terms of how Romney handled the call.

It sure is nice that Democrats think Romney's a nice guy, now that the elections are over.  But where was that civility during the campaign?

Ohio Election Wrap-up

The results out of the election were bad, but not completely so. Here are some good things for Ohio Republicans to take out of 2012:

- Republicans still hold a large majority in the Ohio House, 60-39. ODP Chairman Chris Redfern will return to his seat representing the 89th district, even though he doesn't live there. He is expected to be the minority leader, and a small minority it will be.

- Republicans also still maintain a super-majority in the Ohio Senate, outnumbering Democrats 23-10.

- The Ohio delegation to Congress is 12 Republicans to 4 Democrats. Come 2013, Betty Sutton and Dennis Kucinich will no longer represent Ohioans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

This One Was On Us

Whether we like it or not, Ohio went blue yesterday.  President Barack Obama will get another four years in the Oval Office.  The result left many wondering what went wrong, so that Romney would not only lose, but lose by a significant electoral college margin.  So what happened?

We didn't show up.  That's right, this one was on us. And the sad part is, we had a path to victory, and just didn't take it.

Democrats even lent us a hand.  In the 16 counties won by President Obama, turnout was down a whopping 210,000 from the overall turnout in those counties in 2008.  That alone should have been enough to erase any Obama lead.

But we didn't take advantage of it, as turnout was down almost 125,000 from 2008 in counties won by Romney.  Democrats spotted us 85,000 votes... and we did diddly-squat with it.  And while Democrats will tout that their turnout advantage--another historical high on top of their 2008 high-water mark--it wouldn't have held if we'd had just shown up to the polls.

Democrats Showing Ignorance, Hubris

While many of us continue to comb through the results from last night, it seems Democrats are already turning their attention on 2014, showing not only their ignorance, but also a tremendous amount of hubris.

Photo courtesy of Karen Kasler, via Twitter.

Ohio puts Obama over the top

Obviously a disappointing night.

There were a lot of encouraging signs for our side, but the Obama turnout machine did its job well.

It's really scary to me that we are looking at trillion dollar deficits every year without end. This is completely unsustainable and we are on the road to Greece.

Also frightening is the flexibility we will soon be demonstrating to Russian thugs.

We'll keep fighting, and soon turn to keeping you updated on the 2014 races, which of course include the reelection campaign for Governor Kasich.

Good night, folks.

Follow @Nick3BP

Democrats Sending Unsolicited Campaign Messages

Whether they're painting profanity displayed on public roadways, or throwing coffee on Romney volunteers, Democrats seem to think breaking the law is a good campaign strategy.  Having just received a tip from a reader, it looks like our liberal friends are sending unsolicited text messages as well:

Luckily, this particular voter had a sense of humor about it. However, how the Obama campaign obtained his cell phone number remains a mystery. Perhaps the Obama campaign would like to be reminded of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act?

Guess what, the ODP is blowing it in Cuyahoga County. Again.

You likely won't remember, but in 2010 this blog reported about the underwhelming turnout in Cuyahoga County and its effect on the Ohio governor's race.


Well, it's happening again.


Not too long ago, the Ohio Democratic Party showed their first sign of desperation in a tweet - calling out NE Ohio and begging for higher turnout.

@OHDems

Don't regret today! We need your help RIGHT NOW to boost turnout in NE Ohio and put Dems over the edge

Why the call out?

Because in-person voting in Cuyahoga was just at 23% at 5:00pm.

So, what the heck is going on out there?

While we do expect some exit polling to be less than ideal, the real numbers on the ground are looking about as well as we could have hoped.

Turnout is heavy in red counties and underperforming in blue counties.

Rich Lowry from NRO has the rundown:

• Absentee and early vote activity is over 17 percent higher in counties McCain won than counties Obama won, compared to 2008.
• Turnout is higher in counties and media markets McCain carried in ’08 than in counties and markets Obama carried.
• There are 34 counties in Ohio that John McCain won where absentee and early vote turnout is over 120 percent of 2008. There are only 9 counties where Obama won four years ago where this is the case.
• @HotlineJosh: Overall, early vote turnout OH up 2.44% in state. Down -4.1% in Obama/Kerry counties; up 14.39% in Bush/McCain counties.

Classless Democrat Tactics Continue

The stories just keep piling up regarding today's election shenanigans.  And on my drive home from work today, I couldn't help but notice Romney's new campaign signs:

More on early voting data here in Ohio...

Earlier we talked about how early voting data indicated some positive news for Romney here in Ohio. Early/absentee voting in Democratic counties were underperforming 2008 numbers. In red counties that number was significantly up.

Another report this afternoon means even more good news.

Actual reported early voting data requires that early voting will represent no more than 32% of total vote in Ohio, while virtually every poll was weighted for early voting to occupy ~35-40% of total votes cast. 

 Now recall Obama did well in Ohio-specific polls among early voters, but lost to Romney by a significant margin among election day voters.

Obama supporter in Summit earns visit from cops, assault charge

As a Republican, it takes some guts to pass out slate cards and voter information in Summit County.

It's a key county for Democrats and is union heavy.

But that didn't stop Wayne Darlington from working his Coventry precinct as the line of cars grew longer in the parking lot.

Despite being positioned well outside the required distance from the polling location, an Obama supporter took it upon himself to berate Wayne and then, wait for it.....

....throw his 24 oz. cup of coffee at him.

Fortunately, the act was witnessed by two volunteers and the police were called.

Our understanding is the Obama supporter earned a visit from the Sheriff and is being charged with assault.

What is it with Democrats and coffee throwing anyway?

UPDATE: here are several media links covering the story:

OH GOP volunteer says voter threw coffee at his face, will press charges

Summit County: Republican Party volunteer assaulted

Man charged with assault at Summit County polling place

We don't blame you if you feel suppressed by the Black Panthers.

When you think of the Black Panthers, what comes to mind...?

Well, if you ask Wikipedia:

From the beginning, the Black Panther Party's focus on militancy came with a reputation for violence. The Panthers employed a California law that permitted carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun as long as it was publicly displayed and pointed at no one. Carrying weapons openly and making threats against police officers, for example, chants like "The Revolution has co-ome, it's time to pick up the gu-un. Off the pigs!", helped create the Panthers' reputation as a violent organization. 

So, when word has spread that the Black Panthers have swarmed polling locations in Ohio and Pennsylvania, one has to wonder what effect they have on voters.

If you saw someone affiliated with a group known for violence guarding a polling location or Board of Elections, would you be less interested in standing in line to vote?

One might even call this .... [gasp!] .... voter suppression!

What to watch for at 7:30 tonight...

The polls close tonight at 7:30.

At that time, and in the minutes after, we'll learn the early voting/counted absentee results.

Without a doubt, President Obama will be leading.

But by how much?

And what kind of lead will he need to compensate for the election day voters that will most assuredly be pro-Romney.

Conventional wisdom we're hearing is 60-40. That's the margin that matters.

What's Happening in Ohio

With all the polls and chest thumping by both sides, it's been hard to find real, serious data that provides some insight into what may happen here in Ohio.

Until this morning.

Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report has a comprehensive list of absentee/early voting results by county that indicate very good news for Ohio Republicans.

You can read it for yourself by clicking here.

But here's the down and dirty.

Wasserman looked at absentee/early data by county from 2004 and 2008, and compared it to what has been officially reported by the Secretary of State.

The results?

It's Time To Vote, Ohio

This is it.  Today, the only poll that matters comes out, and we the voters here in Ohio will undoubtedly hand the presidency to whoever wins this state.  After months of constant analysis and political campaigning, everything we've worked for comes to fruition in less than 12 hours.

If you haven't voted already, make sure you exercise your civic duty and cast your ballot before the polls close this evening.  If you know of any friends, family, neighbors--any like-minded individuals--that haven't yet voted, make sure they get to the polls.  The future of our nation is far too important for us to sit on the sidelines.

So who's most qualified to lead our nation at this time of economic uncertainty?

"I'm an American.  I make my destiny.  I deserve better.  My children deserve better!  My family deserves better!  My country deserves better!"

This is what we've been waiting for Ohio.  Time to make it happen.

Obama Thinks That Was Enthusiasm? Let's Show Him Real Enthusiasm

It's entertaining to hear from Ohio Democrats trying to spin the latest Obama rally as a success.  For those outside of the Columbus area, Obama held a rally today with The Boss and Jay-Z to help drum up support.  Heck, I know more than a few Republican Springsteen fans that turned out, just for the music.

Sadly for the Obama campaign, the rally could only fill a little more than two-thirds of the 21,000 seat Nationwide Arena, yet Democrats seem to think that was a success: