The RGA brings in the big guns with this new ad that utilizes the traditionally effective tactic of using a candidate's own words against him.
Fantastic ad.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Confirmed: Kilroy and Driehaus cut loose
From National Journal's Hotline:
In total, the DCCC spent $13.1 million on independent expenditure advertisements in 59 districts, according to FEC filings made late Tuesday and early Wednesday. Democrats are largely playing defense, while targeting only three Republican-held seats.Welcome to Congress, Mr. Stivers. Welcome back, Mr. Chabot.
[...]
The DCCC did not spend money on behalf of Reps. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio), Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), Betsy Markey (D-Colo.), Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.), Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) and Steve Kagen (D-Wis.), the filings show. Republicans believe those seven seats are all but guaranteed to fall their way.
Even in some races where Democrats did spend money, their advertising indicates little more than a token effort at salvaging seats that are also likely to fall to the GOP. The DCCC is spending just $30,000 for Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio), who polls show trailing ex-Rep. Steve Chabot (R) by wide margins. That follows reports that the DCCC was pulling out of Driehaus' district.
The infamous Nancy Pelosi
Been wondering why you've been seeing so much of Nancy Pelosi in television commercials for Republicans in your area? This may explain it.
From Gallup:
From Gallup:
Absentees show the enthusiasm gap is for real in Ohio
In 2008, President Obama won Ohio 51%-47%. A key ingredient of the win was early and absentee voting. With that in mind, there has been a lot of chest thumping from Ted Strickland recently about absentee voting showing no enthusiasm gap in the Governor's race.
If only that were true.
A look at the three big counties should have Strickland worried.
Using numbers from Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton counties from Monday, it's clear that things aren't shaping up the way Strickland would like them to.
First, let's start with Cuyahoga.
In 2010, there have been 85,492 absentee ballots returned to be counted so far. At this same point in 2008, the year of Obama, 266,053 had already been returned. Even absentee requests are way down in Cuyahoga with their BOE receiving just 72% of the number of requests they had in 2008. Their partisan numbers aren't looking good either. In 2008, the number of registered Democrats in Cuyahoga stood at 395,712 and 38.62% of them requested absentee ballots. In the same election there were 91,500 registered Republicans and 39.78% of them requested ballots. Those numbers have seen a sharp change this year with over 24,000 fewer registered Democrats in Cuyahoga and just 31.95% of them requesting ballots. Meanwhile, registered Republicans have increased by over 16,000 and 45.31% of them have requested ballots. But the stat most amazing to me is that Republicans requesting absentees jumped from 36k to nearly 49k compared to the same time in 2008. What have Democrats done in the same time? They've gone from 152k requests at this time in 2008 down to 118k this year. Republicans have spiked. Democrats have plummeted.
Yes, Cuyahoga will still most definitely go to Ted Strickland, but the absentee numbers clearly indicate enthusiasm levels are nowhere near the levels seen in 2008, and that's bad news for the crown jewel of the liberal base in Ohio.
Onto Franklin County...
Franklin has seen 155,651 absentee requests for this general election. Despite a 65/35 partisan advantage for Democrats, absentee requests are statistically tied. Of all absentee requests, 38,561 are Democrats and 37,690 are Republicans. While I don't have numbers for 2008, you can look at how badly Obama won Franklin County for why a statistical tie in absentees is significant. Why? Obama won Franklin County in 2008 305,144 to 205,338 for McCain, or 59% to 40%. If Franklin ends up going 50/50 in 2010, just how absentees currently are looking, this could be devastating for Ted Strickland.
Finally, Hamilton County...
The Democratic registration advantage in Hamilton sits at 62/38 in favor of Democrats and Obama won Hamilton by nearly 21,000 votes. Despite that, GOPers have requested 11% more ballots than Democrats. Republican voters have requested 23,263 absentee ballots. Democrats have requested just 20,839.
In summary, all three of these counties should be flocking to Ted Strickland at partisan ratios similar to Obama's win in 2008 if Strickland wants to win. Very clearly, they are not. If Strickland can't overwhelmingly win these supposed bread and butter larger counties, he's in for a world of hurt on the evening of November 2nd.
The enthusiasm gap is real. And it spells bad news for Team Strickland.
If only that were true.
A look at the three big counties should have Strickland worried.
Using numbers from Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton counties from Monday, it's clear that things aren't shaping up the way Strickland would like them to.
First, let's start with Cuyahoga.
In 2010, there have been 85,492 absentee ballots returned to be counted so far. At this same point in 2008, the year of Obama, 266,053 had already been returned. Even absentee requests are way down in Cuyahoga with their BOE receiving just 72% of the number of requests they had in 2008. Their partisan numbers aren't looking good either. In 2008, the number of registered Democrats in Cuyahoga stood at 395,712 and 38.62% of them requested absentee ballots. In the same election there were 91,500 registered Republicans and 39.78% of them requested ballots. Those numbers have seen a sharp change this year with over 24,000 fewer registered Democrats in Cuyahoga and just 31.95% of them requesting ballots. Meanwhile, registered Republicans have increased by over 16,000 and 45.31% of them have requested ballots. But the stat most amazing to me is that Republicans requesting absentees jumped from 36k to nearly 49k compared to the same time in 2008. What have Democrats done in the same time? They've gone from 152k requests at this time in 2008 down to 118k this year. Republicans have spiked. Democrats have plummeted.
Yes, Cuyahoga will still most definitely go to Ted Strickland, but the absentee numbers clearly indicate enthusiasm levels are nowhere near the levels seen in 2008, and that's bad news for the crown jewel of the liberal base in Ohio.
Onto Franklin County...
Franklin has seen 155,651 absentee requests for this general election. Despite a 65/35 partisan advantage for Democrats, absentee requests are statistically tied. Of all absentee requests, 38,561 are Democrats and 37,690 are Republicans. While I don't have numbers for 2008, you can look at how badly Obama won Franklin County for why a statistical tie in absentees is significant. Why? Obama won Franklin County in 2008 305,144 to 205,338 for McCain, or 59% to 40%. If Franklin ends up going 50/50 in 2010, just how absentees currently are looking, this could be devastating for Ted Strickland.
Finally, Hamilton County...
The Democratic registration advantage in Hamilton sits at 62/38 in favor of Democrats and Obama won Hamilton by nearly 21,000 votes. Despite that, GOPers have requested 11% more ballots than Democrats. Republican voters have requested 23,263 absentee ballots. Democrats have requested just 20,839.
In summary, all three of these counties should be flocking to Ted Strickland at partisan ratios similar to Obama's win in 2008 if Strickland wants to win. Very clearly, they are not. If Strickland can't overwhelmingly win these supposed bread and butter larger counties, he's in for a world of hurt on the evening of November 2nd.
The enthusiasm gap is real. And it spells bad news for Team Strickland.
13 days.
13 days left.
Let's see if the Strickland campaign can find any polls to spend the day attacking.
In the meantime, our side will be contacting as many voters as possible and turning them out.
Today's video is the montage scene from The Karate Kid. I'd like to apologize in advance to any Democrats who infer they are as bad as the Kobra Kai. No offense is intended.
Ha.
Let's see if the Strickland campaign can find any polls to spend the day attacking.
In the meantime, our side will be contacting as many voters as possible and turning them out.
Today's video is the montage scene from The Karate Kid. I'd like to apologize in advance to any Democrats who infer they are as bad as the Kobra Kai. No offense is intended.
Ha.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Where we stand.
Just to make sure we're clear on where we stand, here is the latest averaging of polls from Real Clear Politics:
I'm pretty sure that will be the final Quinnipiac poll of the Governor's race for this election year in Ohio. We'll likely see more from the Ohio Poll and Fox News and definitely Rasmussen. I'm still waiting on another from Survey USA. They were the first poll to include all candidates and are considered one of the best polling firms in the nation.
Time's running out, Ted.
I'm pretty sure that will be the final Quinnipiac poll of the Governor's race for this election year in Ohio. We'll likely see more from the Ohio Poll and Fox News and definitely Rasmussen. I'm still waiting on another from Survey USA. They were the first poll to include all candidates and are considered one of the best polling firms in the nation.
Time's running out, Ted.
More bad news for Dem Congress critters in Ohio
Guest posted by Bytor
Earlier in the year, national Democrats considered Ohio their firewall against midterm losses in the House of Representatives. The markets to receive the largest allocation of DCCC funds were all here in the Buckeye State. The GOP targeted House members like Mary Jo Kilroy, Steve Driehaus and John Boccieri as primary seats needed to take back Congress, and the Dems responded by heavily supporting these candidates from the start. They promised Kilroy and Driehaus their maximum support.
Now, they have completely abandoned Kilroy and Driehaus. Even the DCCC knows they are gone. They have fallen back and retrenched to save "safer" seats like Charlie Wilson and Zack Space, by shifting the money to those races instead. Is it going to work? Will the GOP wave take only 3 Ohio Dem seats, or as many as 5 or 6?
New polling released by the NRCC today indicates that even these safer Democrat held seats are extremely vulnerable. Two Ohio races were featured.
The first shows Mary Jo Kilroy down 51-39 to Steve Stivers. Not real big news. When both parties pulled funding from this one, everyone knew it was over. Goodbye, Mary Jo.
The other Ohio race in the polling shows Charlie Wilson tied with Bill Johnson, 40-40. Both parties have shifted money to this race. Wilson is stuck at 40% support, and this is without ANY coverage of his recently discovered pattern of abuse and extreme cruelty against his ex-wife. (Hello, Ohio media?) 40% is not a good spot for an incumbent to be in this year. Just ask Ted Strickland.
Granted, these are GOP-commissioned polls, so can be taken with a grain of salt. But they do show results similar to other polls taken independently. The big red wave is coming to Ohio. The only question, is how massive it will be. Election night should be a fun one for Ohio Republicans.
P.S. I know it's not Ohio related, but seeing the repugnant Alan Grayson being beaten 46-30 made my morning.
Earlier in the year, national Democrats considered Ohio their firewall against midterm losses in the House of Representatives. The markets to receive the largest allocation of DCCC funds were all here in the Buckeye State. The GOP targeted House members like Mary Jo Kilroy, Steve Driehaus and John Boccieri as primary seats needed to take back Congress, and the Dems responded by heavily supporting these candidates from the start. They promised Kilroy and Driehaus their maximum support.
Now, they have completely abandoned Kilroy and Driehaus. Even the DCCC knows they are gone. They have fallen back and retrenched to save "safer" seats like Charlie Wilson and Zack Space, by shifting the money to those races instead. Is it going to work? Will the GOP wave take only 3 Ohio Dem seats, or as many as 5 or 6?
New polling released by the NRCC today indicates that even these safer Democrat held seats are extremely vulnerable. Two Ohio races were featured.
The first shows Mary Jo Kilroy down 51-39 to Steve Stivers. Not real big news. When both parties pulled funding from this one, everyone knew it was over. Goodbye, Mary Jo.
The other Ohio race in the polling shows Charlie Wilson tied with Bill Johnson, 40-40. Both parties have shifted money to this race. Wilson is stuck at 40% support, and this is without ANY coverage of his recently discovered pattern of abuse and extreme cruelty against his ex-wife. (Hello, Ohio media?) 40% is not a good spot for an incumbent to be in this year. Just ask Ted Strickland.
Granted, these are GOP-commissioned polls, so can be taken with a grain of salt. But they do show results similar to other polls taken independently. The big red wave is coming to Ohio. The only question, is how massive it will be. Election night should be a fun one for Ohio Republicans.
P.S. I know it's not Ohio related, but seeing the repugnant Alan Grayson being beaten 46-30 made my morning.
Breaking it Down: The 10/19 Quinnipiac Gubernatorial Poll
I think what brought the biggest smile to my face wasn't actually the 51-41 lead Kasich is enjoying in the latest Quinnipiac poll of likely voters. It was the progressively more dire quotes of Peter Brown of Quinnipiac when discussing Ted Strickland's chances. You can tell he starts out wanting to hedge his bets a bit, but can't help himself by the end. Check it out:
But let's get into the numbers and what they mean as we head into the final stretch.
First off, there is the obvious. Kasich is again over the 50% barrier. Strickland is still stuck where he's been all year - in the lower 40s.
Next, Quinnipiac broke things down in a way that highlights what I've been saying all along about the Quinny polls - the questions they have been asking about the direction of Ohio have been very important. For months I've been saying the indicators about pessimism on the economy and where Ohio was moving would be a good indication of whether voters deemed Strickland worthy of another term.
So what do we see? People who think the economy is getting worse choose Kasich 76-13. Those who think it's the same choose Kasich 50-42. And those who think things are getting better choose Turnaround Ted 89-6. The bad news for Ted? 81% of Ohioans believe things are getting worse or have stayed the same. It's a referendum election, folks.
Moving on...
92% of Kasich supporters say their mind is made up. Strickland needs pretty much every single one of the 8% that say their vote may still be up for grabs.
What about Kasich's favorable numbers? Since Strickland decided to go up on the air attacking Kasich all the way back in May in order to try to define Kasich first, with two weeks to go we can safely determine whether it worked. The answer is a resounding no. Kasich's favorables are at 47-33, or +14. That's compared to Ted's -4 rating - a net 18 point difference. Looking deeper, Kasich's favorables among those Strickland was most looking to influence, Independents, couldn't be much better. They have a favorable opinion of Kasich by 53-27, or +26. Compare that to Ted's 34-55 rating among Indies and you have a net difference in favorables among the swing voters of 47 points. 47. Wow.
Other interesting numbers?
By 2-1, Independents believe Kasich would do a better job rebuilding Ohio's economy.
Confirming what we saw in their last poll, only 4% of Independents said an Obama visit would make them more likely to vote for Strickland. 35% said less likely. Interestingly enough, only 23% of Democrats said they would be more likely. Compare that to 34% in Quinny's last poll and you have Team Strickland even more worried about the damage done by Sunday's rally.
Will Independents change their mind in these last two weeks? Well, considering only 16% of them think the economy is getting better I think the chances are slim to none.
In summary, right now John Kasich is in extremely good shape. Efforts to define Kasich as unacceptable to voters have failed. Strickland has been consistently unable to move beyond the low 40s, and there is no reason to believe he can fix that in the next two weeks.
The only question left? GOTV.
The GOP has the wave at their backs, but it means nothing if they can't get their supporters out to vote. This means more than phone banking. It means e-mailing your friends. It means talking to them in the grocery store. It means doing whatever you can to motivate people to do what's necessary to bring real change to Ohio.
Let's get it done.
1. "John Kasich's lead has remained the same and the sand is slipping through the hour glass. If Gov. Ted Strickland is going to turn this election around, he needs to do it quickly. But the obvious question is, 'What can Strickland do in the two weeks before Election Day that he has been unable to do so far?'"How depressing. For Team Strickland, that is.
2. "Although it is hypothetically possible, it's difficult to see how anyone can win a statewide election when they are getting beat so badly among independents. The race may be a dead heat among women, but it is a landslide among men. President Barack Obama's 63 percent disapproval rating among independent voters is an extremely heavy anchor around Ted Strickland's neck."
3. "Anything is possible in politics, but if Gov. Strickland is able to pull out a victory it will take the kind of final drive that makes history."
But let's get into the numbers and what they mean as we head into the final stretch.
First off, there is the obvious. Kasich is again over the 50% barrier. Strickland is still stuck where he's been all year - in the lower 40s.
Next, Quinnipiac broke things down in a way that highlights what I've been saying all along about the Quinny polls - the questions they have been asking about the direction of Ohio have been very important. For months I've been saying the indicators about pessimism on the economy and where Ohio was moving would be a good indication of whether voters deemed Strickland worthy of another term.
So what do we see? People who think the economy is getting worse choose Kasich 76-13. Those who think it's the same choose Kasich 50-42. And those who think things are getting better choose Turnaround Ted 89-6. The bad news for Ted? 81% of Ohioans believe things are getting worse or have stayed the same. It's a referendum election, folks.
Moving on...
92% of Kasich supporters say their mind is made up. Strickland needs pretty much every single one of the 8% that say their vote may still be up for grabs.
What about Kasich's favorable numbers? Since Strickland decided to go up on the air attacking Kasich all the way back in May in order to try to define Kasich first, with two weeks to go we can safely determine whether it worked. The answer is a resounding no. Kasich's favorables are at 47-33, or +14. That's compared to Ted's -4 rating - a net 18 point difference. Looking deeper, Kasich's favorables among those Strickland was most looking to influence, Independents, couldn't be much better. They have a favorable opinion of Kasich by 53-27, or +26. Compare that to Ted's 34-55 rating among Indies and you have a net difference in favorables among the swing voters of 47 points. 47. Wow.
Other interesting numbers?
By 2-1, Independents believe Kasich would do a better job rebuilding Ohio's economy.
Confirming what we saw in their last poll, only 4% of Independents said an Obama visit would make them more likely to vote for Strickland. 35% said less likely. Interestingly enough, only 23% of Democrats said they would be more likely. Compare that to 34% in Quinny's last poll and you have Team Strickland even more worried about the damage done by Sunday's rally.
Will Independents change their mind in these last two weeks? Well, considering only 16% of them think the economy is getting better I think the chances are slim to none.
In summary, right now John Kasich is in extremely good shape. Efforts to define Kasich as unacceptable to voters have failed. Strickland has been consistently unable to move beyond the low 40s, and there is no reason to believe he can fix that in the next two weeks.
The only question left? GOTV.
The GOP has the wave at their backs, but it means nothing if they can't get their supporters out to vote. This means more than phone banking. It means e-mailing your friends. It means talking to them in the grocery store. It means doing whatever you can to motivate people to do what's necessary to bring real change to Ohio.
Let's get it done.
14 days.
Two weeks.
That's it.
As each hour passes it becomes less about changing minds and more about motivating your supporters.
That's where you come in. We've got a great slate of candidates. Now let's make sure we take advantage of the wave that's coming. Get people to the polls.
Your daily inspiration? Quite possibly one of the best movie speeches of all time.
That's it.
As each hour passes it becomes less about changing minds and more about motivating your supporters.
That's where you come in. We've got a great slate of candidates. Now let's make sure we take advantage of the wave that's coming. Get people to the polls.
Your daily inspiration? Quite possibly one of the best movie speeches of all time.
Monday, October 18, 2010
A bit of clarification for Governor Strickland...
Ted Strickland was interviewed today by a gaggle of reporters and it seems the Plain Dealer endorsement of John Kasich in particular has gotten under his skin.
He was asked to describe why the Plain Dealer endorsed Kasich over him. His answer was hysterical.
In fact, the Plain Dealer has a few more problems with Strickland than how exciting he's been as Governor. Here's how the Plain Dealer editoral really reads:
As for Kasich? This is why the Plain Dealer prefers him over Strickland:
He was asked to describe why the Plain Dealer endorsed Kasich over him. His answer was hysterical.
"As I read it, it was sorta like this. 'Ted Strickland is a solid guy. He hasn't done a terrible job, but he's a little boring. John Kasich's really exciting. And we don't know what he might do, but he'll bring some excitement so we'll endorse him with trepidation.'"Clearly, Ted Strickland's reading comprehension level is stuck in the 3rd grade.
In fact, the Plain Dealer has a few more problems with Strickland than how exciting he's been as Governor. Here's how the Plain Dealer editoral really reads:
Strickland, 69, suffers from limited imagination and political timidity; at times, he seems almost shellshocked by the loss of 400,000 jobs on his watch. He told The Toledo Blade last week that his administration should have moved faster to prevent Ohio businesses from fleeing to other states. He has consistently mistaken talk for action, produced budgets held together with bubble gum and twine and allowed his team to adopt a siege mentality. He stumbled badly on gambling, treated Ohio's cities as stepchildren and, in a shameful kowtow to his union allies, waged war on effective charter schools.Oh, and he's boring.
Even when his heart and mind are in the right place, Strickland can't or won't be daring. He ran for governor in 2006 -- with this editorial page's support -- promising to overhaul public education. After more than two years of study, he unveiled a blueprint for Ohio's classrooms that fobbed off many of the toughest decisions, including how to pay for it all, on some future administration.
Add to those disappointments Strickland's relentlessly negative campaign, his inability to articulate a vision for the state and the ennui that overtakes most lame-duck administrations, and there's little reason for excitement about Ohio's future under his leadership.
As for Kasich? This is why the Plain Dealer prefers him over Strickland:
But then consider the needs of this state. Ohio needs to jumpstart an economy that was struggling even before the Great Recession. It needs to convince skeptical investors that its many assets -- top-shelf colleges and research institutions, solid transportation infrastructure, abundant freshwater, a Midwestern work ethic and a revamped tax code -- matter more than its reputation for stodginess and conflict. It needs to convince its ambitious young people that this is a great place to dream, innovate and achieve. And, for now anyway, it needs to do it all while digging out of a giant budget hole.As a Kasich supporter, I'd like to thank the Governor for once again trying to publicize the Plain Dealer's endorsement of Kasich. It's great publicity and sincerely appreciated as we keep digging deeper and deeper into your base of support.
A can-do, roll-the-dice mindset just might enable Ohio to regain its self-confidence and sell itself to the world. Kasich has it; nice guy Ted Strickland never will.
Kasich showed, as House Budget chair the last time Washington used black ink, that he could cross partisan lines and get results. He also showed in Congress that although he is personally conservative, he has no time for divisive hot-button tactics; Ohio doesn't, either.
So we recommend John Richard Kasich for governor. With trepidation to be sure, but also with a belief that Ohio must take a risk to reap the rewards its citizens sorely need.
"Man, I went to college in the '70s, and I know protest. This is weak!"
In 2008, Barack Obama won Athens County 66%-31%.
In 2006, Ted Strickland won Athens County 82%-16%.
Well, in 2010 John Kasich is campaigning deep in Democrat-heavy Athens County and has an overwhelmingly enthusiastic organization pushing to Get Out the Vote despite the county-wide registration disadvantage.
75 volunteers packed the Athens County HQ to hear Kasich's message.
In response, deep blue Athens County provided their best attempt at opposition:
Four sorta goofy looking protestors.
Kasich's response?
In 2006, Ted Strickland won Athens County 82%-16%.
Well, in 2010 John Kasich is campaigning deep in Democrat-heavy Athens County and has an overwhelmingly enthusiastic organization pushing to Get Out the Vote despite the county-wide registration disadvantage.
75 volunteers packed the Athens County HQ to hear Kasich's message.
In response, deep blue Athens County provided their best attempt at opposition:
Four sorta goofy looking protestors.
Kasich's response?
"What's going on out there?" Kasich asked, hearing the commotion.If Athens County ends up being anywhere even close to competitive, Ted Strickland is in deep trouble.
"You made a lot of money, and they don't like it," a member of the supportive crowd inside explained sarcastically.
"Man, I went to college in the '70s, and I know protest," joked the candidate. "This is weak!"
Team Strickland doesn't clean up after themselves.
When Strickland and the Ohio Democratic Party invited the President to come speak to Ohio State students, you have to imagine things could get a little messy.
And you'd also expect they'd clean up after themselves.
Here's the oval before the rally...
And at 11:00pm yesterday evening, hours after the rally had ended and with no one around from Team Strickland to help clean up...
Maybe they were expecting someone from the Green Party to show up and do it for them.
And you'd also expect they'd clean up after themselves.
Here's the oval before the rally...
And at 11:00pm yesterday evening, hours after the rally had ended and with no one around from Team Strickland to help clean up...
Maybe they were expecting someone from the Green Party to show up and do it for them.
Is Dennis Kucinich in trouble?
Guest posted by Bytor
Dennis the Menace is only up by 4 over Peter Corrigan?! This would be an earthquake. And ohhhh sooo sweet.
Both candidates are extremely low on funds. A donation to Corrigan could go a long way. Go support him. Do it now.
Dennis the Menace is only up by 4 over Peter Corrigan?! This would be an earthquake. And ohhhh sooo sweet.
The poll (based on a small but respectable 319 person sample, with a margin of error of 5.6 percent, weighted to eliminate gender bias) shows Kucinich ahead of his opponent, Peter Corrigan, by only 4 percent. The profile of undecided voters suggests they may break for Corrigan by about 3-2. And Corrigan's 4 percent deficit turns into a 4 percent Corrigan lead when voters are given information on Kucinich's ties to corrupt local Democratic leaders, and on Kucinich's support for illegal immigration. These are signs that undecided voters could be pushed to go Corrigan’s way. Furthermore, Corrigan is running even with Kucinich among those who've already requested their absentee ballot, as early voting has already started in Ohio.
Both candidates are extremely low on funds. A donation to Corrigan could go a long way. Go support him. Do it now.
By "friendly" he means "stupid".
Today, Ted Strickland said he is a "business-friendly governor".
Then he said both the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business are "a tool of the Republican Party".
All together, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business have over 28,000 businesses that are members of their respective organizations.
I don't think calling them "tools" qualifies as "business-friendly."
Then he said both the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business are "a tool of the Republican Party".
All together, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business have over 28,000 businesses that are members of their respective organizations.
I don't think calling them "tools" qualifies as "business-friendly."
The scariest word in the Governor's Administration right now? "Felonies."
Ted Strickland's Administration is falling apart months before its scheduled breakdown date two and a half months from now.
The Governor may have hoped the Department of Public Safety mess was over and done with, but it may be just beginning.
The Governor may have hoped the Department of Public Safety mess was over and done with, but it may be just beginning.
Chief Columbus City Prosecutor Lara Baker has been appointed a special prosecutor in an investigation of the former top attorney at the Ohio Department of Public Safety, a signal that the criminal probe involves potential felonies.How far down the rabbit hole will this go?
Baker already had been part of the review of the case involving Joshua Engel, who was fired late last month for intercepting all e-mail messages between his colleagues and the staff of the Ohio inspector general's office and The Dispatch.
When is a rally with 35,000 people considered a failure?
When it doesn't do the job it's meant to do.
Last night's Obama rally on the campus of the Ohio State University had one simple goal - Get Out the Vote.
Did it work?
Now there is no question that the event looked great. While I've heard from several that the crowd estimate of 35k was waaayyy off, it still was an enthusiastic and impressive rally. Musician John Legend and the President were the big draw. But does excitement to see these celebrities translate to more voters coming out for Strickland?
Not if you ask The Lantern, OSU's student paper:
Now surely there were some students at the rally that may vote now and weren't planning to do so before. Good on them. But the article can't exactly inspire any confidence in Democrats who were hoping for a massively re-engaged electorate.
If Obama was on the ballot? Maybe. But he's not. And the students know that.
On top of it all, you have to consider what coverage of the President's visit does to those reading about it in the paper and on the television. Particularly, those swing voters that are trending drastically against the President.
In the most recent Fox Poll, Obama's approval among Independents was at a shockingly low 33%. In Quinnipiac, that number for Indies was stuck at 28%. Chances are that these people didn't hear the President's words, but they do know he was here. Does that knowledge make them more or less likely to vote for Ted Strickland? With those poll numbers, it's fair to say the all-important swing voter was likely turned off.
It's also why Ted Strickland sprinted off the stage after introducing the President faster than any man his age should go. One thing was for sure last night - Strickland did NOT want to be seen with the President. My question? Who made that call? Was it Ted's team? Obama's?
Ultimately, I'm sorta shocked the Strickland team would embrace nationalizing this race with just two weeks to go. When the discussion shifts to an unpopular President among the swing vote, then it pulls away from "Wall Street Kasich" or "Well, At Least He Tried Strickland".
There are a lot of reasons Rob Portman is way up on Lee Fisher right now. Not least of which is his ability to focus this race on national issues and Obama. Strickland has now enabled Kasich the same opportunity with two weeks to go.
This isn't how you raise Ted's flatline.
Last night's Obama rally on the campus of the Ohio State University had one simple goal - Get Out the Vote.
Did it work?
Now there is no question that the event looked great. While I've heard from several that the crowd estimate of 35k was waaayyy off, it still was an enthusiastic and impressive rally. Musician John Legend and the President were the big draw. But does excitement to see these celebrities translate to more voters coming out for Strickland?
Not if you ask The Lantern, OSU's student paper:
The rally was advertised as "Obama On The Oval," but the president, who still has two more years in office, didn't come to campaign for himself. The rally was intended to generate support for the Democratic candidates running for Ohio offices. However, the crowd didn't seem too interested in what the people running for office actually had to say.Do these sound like people ready to request an absentee ballot, fill it out, and send it back? Does an "audible groan" really inspire people to get off their fannies and go to their precinct between study breaks on 11.2?
"Do you know when Obama's getting here?"
"Do you know where he's coming in at?"
"Maybe he's in that helicopter!"
Since I was carrying around a camera the size of my face and displaying my Lantern press badge, I think people wrongly assumed I knew more than they did, so I was usually on the receiving end of these questions. While I had no answers for them, I did note that not one person asked me when Gov. Ted Strickland, Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy or Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher would be speaking.
When the rally began, the crowd seemed surprised whenever someone that wasn't a member of the First Family was introduced. It got to the point that when Strickland was announced, the last person to go on before the Obamas, an audible groan rumbled through the crowd.
Now surely there were some students at the rally that may vote now and weren't planning to do so before. Good on them. But the article can't exactly inspire any confidence in Democrats who were hoping for a massively re-engaged electorate.
If Obama was on the ballot? Maybe. But he's not. And the students know that.
On top of it all, you have to consider what coverage of the President's visit does to those reading about it in the paper and on the television. Particularly, those swing voters that are trending drastically against the President.
In the most recent Fox Poll, Obama's approval among Independents was at a shockingly low 33%. In Quinnipiac, that number for Indies was stuck at 28%. Chances are that these people didn't hear the President's words, but they do know he was here. Does that knowledge make them more or less likely to vote for Ted Strickland? With those poll numbers, it's fair to say the all-important swing voter was likely turned off.
It's also why Ted Strickland sprinted off the stage after introducing the President faster than any man his age should go. One thing was for sure last night - Strickland did NOT want to be seen with the President. My question? Who made that call? Was it Ted's team? Obama's?
Ultimately, I'm sorta shocked the Strickland team would embrace nationalizing this race with just two weeks to go. When the discussion shifts to an unpopular President among the swing vote, then it pulls away from "Wall Street Kasich" or "Well, At Least He Tried Strickland".
There are a lot of reasons Rob Portman is way up on Lee Fisher right now. Not least of which is his ability to focus this race on national issues and Obama. Strickland has now enabled Kasich the same opportunity with two weeks to go.
This isn't how you raise Ted's flatline.
New ad features Strickland's biggest critic....
...himself.
Ted Strickland said he could fix Ohio's economy.
He said he could make things better.
If he failed to live up to those promises, as yet another study states is true, why would he deserve another chance?
And Governor, voters don't react well to excuses. Especially bad ones.
Ted Strickland said he could fix Ohio's economy.
He said he could make things better.
If he failed to live up to those promises, as yet another study states is true, why would he deserve another chance?
And Governor, voters don't react well to excuses. Especially bad ones.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Strickland staffer threatens Kasich
Trying his best to live up to the expectations set by Ted Strickland, Chris Redfern, and Charlie Wilson, Strickland campaign staffer Adam Ward decided the best way to guarantee votes against John Kasich was to threaten the GOP candidate.
This is what it's come to? This is the kind of rhetoric you feel is necessary to try to win the votes your boss is so desperately lacking?
The most pathetic thing? The Strickland campaign, despite twice being given the opportunity, didn't even have the guts to say the remarks were at the very least inappropriate.
Of course, what do we expect from the Party that tries to raise money off their leader's F Bombs?
It's depressing the depths to which Democrats have sunk in Ohio.
Strickland staff member Adam Ward stood in a camouflage hunting jacket before about 25 supporters, thanked them for their attendance, and encouraged them to join the Sportsmen for Strickland a few blocks away to “make sure John knows southern Ohio is not safe for him.”Seriously, Adam?
This is what it's come to? This is the kind of rhetoric you feel is necessary to try to win the votes your boss is so desperately lacking?
The most pathetic thing? The Strickland campaign, despite twice being given the opportunity, didn't even have the guts to say the remarks were at the very least inappropriate.
Of course, what do we expect from the Party that tries to raise money off their leader's F Bombs?
It's depressing the depths to which Democrats have sunk in Ohio.
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