Obama's Campaign Headquarters Re-Opens In Cleveland: Heralds 2012, Never-Ending Election Cycle

Written by Anastasia Pantsios and crossposted at Ohio Daily
I know a lot of people are confused or conflicted about Organizing for America, whose mission is described as “building on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering communities across the country to bring about an agenda of change.” Its e-mails focus on “supporting President Obama’s agenda,” which, particularly during the health-care debate, had a lot of recipients asking “What exactly are we supporting?”

Basically, the group is a new campaign paradigm: an election cycle that lasts four years, that never ends. It is, in effect, Obama’s 2012 campaign. So in a sense, the Cuyahoga County headquarters that OFA has opened on the corner of the southwest quadrant of Shaker Square (13100 Shaker Sq.) — the same space where Obama headquarters was last year — is a permanent campaign office. That’s an untried strategy in presidential campaigning.

It will clearly have its ups and downs, judging from the soft opening event held there in December. While field organizers spoke enthusiastically, attendees in a crowd that skewed older and African-American asked pointed questions about how health-care legislation was actually going to help people get health care. People are still clearly hungry for some change; they’re just wary at what they see going down in Washington, D.C. Yet hands-on involvement is still probably the best way to tilt things in our favor.

The headquarters will have its official opening Monday, January 11 from 4:30-7 p.m. Governor Ted Strickland and 11th District Congresswoman Marcia Fudge are both expected to attend, along with OFA state director Greg Schlutz and regional field coordinator David Cooke. It’s open to anyone who’d like to get involved or just wants to find out what is going on.

OH-O5 GOP: It Seems Sexual Orientation Has Suddenly Become An Issue

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The late U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor has barely been laid to rest -- he died Sept. 5 -- and a rumor is now being circulated that an Ohio Republican who may, or may not, be considering a run for the vacant OH-05 seat is a gay man from Bowling Green. He had once been an aide to Gillmor. The rumor appeared publicly in an anonymous comment on Ohio Daily this morning, which was then e-mailed to The Daily Bellwether by a Republican as an FYI. The comment is reprinted in its entirety below. Jeff Coryell is the proprietor of Ohio Daily, and he has so far chosen to neither delete nor remark upon the anonymous comment. The Daily Bellwether is attempting to contact Coryell and others to find out what is going on. A phone message has been left with the elected official who is the subject of the rumor.

At September 14, 2007 7:07 AM , Anonymous said...
It would be interesting if Tim Brown were to enter the race. I don't know if this District is ready for a gay Republican candidate. It seems more probable that he would try to move up to fill whatever slot is finally created if either Gardner or Latta win. The three of them (Brown, Gardner and Latta) have been marking time in the "Term Limits Two Step" for a long, long time.It's one thing for Brown and his partner to live in Bowling Green and coast to easy victories for county commissioner, but the atmosphere is so toxic toward gay GOP Congressmen that for Brown to enter this race would be fascinating. Would the Log Cabin Republicans rally to support one of their own or would the GOP's much beloved "culturally conservative" evangelical legions of Orcs turn out to do battle?

At September 14, 2007 12:56 PM , Anonymous said...
Who cares.... I really wonder who pushed this rumor... Bob Latta to keep him out of the Senate race or Randy Gardner so he can put liberal GOP Rep. Mark Wagoner in the Senate seat should Latta win. Latta and Gardner were going to switch seats due to term limits.

Jerid Kurtz at Buckeye State Blog has quite a bit to say, and notes the official who is the subject of the rumors is Gillmor's former district aide.