CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Fred Hobbs probably should begin thinking about abandoning his political career. And maybe the Ohio Democratic Party should start the movement to have him sacked. Hobbs is a member of Tennessee's Democratic Executive Committee, and he said last week that Barack Obama "may be terrorist connected for all I can tell."
From Andy Sher at Chattanooga's Times-Free Press the world is learning that Hobbs is now apologizing. Hobbs, a former state rep and smalltown mayor, says he got the idea that Sen. Obama was "terrorist connected" from watching FOX TV. He did not apologize for watching FOX. Sher got the apology letter Hobbs is sending to other Tennessee Democrats:
"My statement that Senator Obama 'may be terrorist connected' was incorrect and I apologize for making it." Hobbs added that his remark, "did reflect questions I had after what I had seen reported on FOX News, but I should have taken the time to check the accuracy of what I saw on television before speaking publicly." He told Sher that his comment was based "on something about Hamas endorsing him, but I think since then that's been withdrawn."
It was not clear yet if Hobbs would survive the firestorm. Pensito Review in Florida recapped the flap and said the comment sounded like it could have come from Karl Rove among other suspects. The Nashville City Paper broke the original story by asking why some Tennesee Democrats were slow to endorse Obama. Hobbs' explanation was a doozy:
" . . . I don't exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I'm not sure we know enough about him. He's got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be." It was not clear yet if Hobbs would survive the firestorm.
Showing posts with label Ohio Democrats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio Democrats. Show all posts
Friday, June 20, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
If Ohio AG Marc Dann Falls, Who Gets His Job? These Democrats Are Off-Stage, Or In The Wings
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Making a list and checking it more than twice. Ohio's Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland would get to make the appointment if Attorney General Marc Dan resigns or is forced out of office. And Number 1 on the marquee of potential replacements who might get a star turn could be former Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken, a lawyer who served longer as mayor of the Queen City than anyone in history. Luken is a lobbyist, a former TV anchorman (Channel 5, WLWT-TV) who replaced Jerry Springer, an ex-Congressman, and serves as an appointee on the State Racing Commission. He is a popular figure in SW Ohio and supported Strickland in the 2006 contest. Over the years, Luken reportedly has been interested in a statewide office. He has some baggage: A divorce and rumors about a relationship with a female journalist during his TV days. But the rumors never affected his political career in Cincy, and they may have been little more than spiteful gossip spread by rivals trying to hold him back. Here are some other names that are floating around in Democratic circles as Dann replacements:
JULIA BATES -- She is the prosecutor in Lucas County, a job she's held since 1996. She grew up in the Cleveland area and went to college at Wittenberg U in Springfield, so she knows a large chunk of the state. Bates was the first woman to ever head the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney's Association, and she has instant cred as a law enforcement figure. Her job in Toledo makes her extremely well-known in NW Ohio, which would be an advantage if former Republican AG Betty Montgomery seeks the office again in 2010. Montgomery is from Bowling Green. Bates would appeal to women voters, too.
KENT MARKUS -- He is one of Gov. Strickland's top aides, and was Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher's chief of staff when Fisher held the AG's office in the 1990s. Markus is a Harvard Law grad who has held high positions in the U.S. Justice Department, taught law at Capital University and was chief of staff for the Democratic National Committee. He has Cleveland area ties. He was slated to become a federal appeals court judge on the 6th Circuit, but the appointment never made it through the Senate in the final days of the Bill Clinton Administration. Markus reportedly has been interested in a statewide office. He has not held an elected position.
SUBODH CHANDRA -- He ran against Dann in the 2006 Democratic primary and impressed a lot of progressives. Chandra is an Obama delegate, a former Cleveland law director and assistant U.S. attorney. He served as the city's acting mayor when the top dog was out of town. Chandra is a Yale Law School grad. Some Democrats believe that he should get any opening as AG -- should Dann depart -- because Chandra sought the office and campaign statewide. His experience running Cleveland's law department -- which has 82 attorneys -- would offer some preparation for taking over in Columbus.
LEE FISHER -- He's been attorney general before. Right now, Fisher is running Ohio Department of Development. He might be better suited for the legal end.
BEN ESPY -- Dann's chief deputy was an Ohio State running back. Espy is running the investigation of the sexual harassment case involving AG office employees. He is an African American and well-respected around the state after a long career in Columbus city politics and the state legislature. Espy ran unsuccessfully for the Ohio Supreme Court in 2006.
SHARON ZEALEY -- She was the U.S. attorney for the southern half of Ohio during the Clinton years. Zealey is not well known statewide, and she has been working in private practice and as an adjunct law professor at the University of Cincinnati since her term as federal prosecutor ended. She is an African American, and the Democrats would have to make a big push to increase her visibility and name recognition around the state. She would be a longshot at best.
DICK CHEMA -- He was a former federal prosecutor from Dayton who ran as the Democratic Party's 2006 congressional candidate in OH-03. He lost to Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, a former Dayton mayor. Chema is seen as a man of absolute integrity, and he might be seen as just the prescription for an office that was tarred by scandal. He has fallen off the radar since his loss.
There are other names being mentioned. Perhaps this list will grow over the next few days, and additions are welcome. Luken and Bates probably are the top contenders.
JULIA BATES -- She is the prosecutor in Lucas County, a job she's held since 1996. She grew up in the Cleveland area and went to college at Wittenberg U in Springfield, so she knows a large chunk of the state. Bates was the first woman to ever head the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney's Association, and she has instant cred as a law enforcement figure. Her job in Toledo makes her extremely well-known in NW Ohio, which would be an advantage if former Republican AG Betty Montgomery seeks the office again in 2010. Montgomery is from Bowling Green. Bates would appeal to women voters, too.
KENT MARKUS -- He is one of Gov. Strickland's top aides, and was Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher's chief of staff when Fisher held the AG's office in the 1990s. Markus is a Harvard Law grad who has held high positions in the U.S. Justice Department, taught law at Capital University and was chief of staff for the Democratic National Committee. He has Cleveland area ties. He was slated to become a federal appeals court judge on the 6th Circuit, but the appointment never made it through the Senate in the final days of the Bill Clinton Administration. Markus reportedly has been interested in a statewide office. He has not held an elected position.
SUBODH CHANDRA -- He ran against Dann in the 2006 Democratic primary and impressed a lot of progressives. Chandra is an Obama delegate, a former Cleveland law director and assistant U.S. attorney. He served as the city's acting mayor when the top dog was out of town. Chandra is a Yale Law School grad. Some Democrats believe that he should get any opening as AG -- should Dann depart -- because Chandra sought the office and campaign statewide. His experience running Cleveland's law department -- which has 82 attorneys -- would offer some preparation for taking over in Columbus.
LEE FISHER -- He's been attorney general before. Right now, Fisher is running Ohio Department of Development. He might be better suited for the legal end.
BEN ESPY -- Dann's chief deputy was an Ohio State running back. Espy is running the investigation of the sexual harassment case involving AG office employees. He is an African American and well-respected around the state after a long career in Columbus city politics and the state legislature. Espy ran unsuccessfully for the Ohio Supreme Court in 2006.
SHARON ZEALEY -- She was the U.S. attorney for the southern half of Ohio during the Clinton years. Zealey is not well known statewide, and she has been working in private practice and as an adjunct law professor at the University of Cincinnati since her term as federal prosecutor ended. She is an African American, and the Democrats would have to make a big push to increase her visibility and name recognition around the state. She would be a longshot at best.
DICK CHEMA -- He was a former federal prosecutor from Dayton who ran as the Democratic Party's 2006 congressional candidate in OH-03. He lost to Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, a former Dayton mayor. Chema is seen as a man of absolute integrity, and he might be seen as just the prescription for an office that was tarred by scandal. He has fallen off the radar since his loss.
There are other names being mentioned. Perhaps this list will grow over the next few days, and additions are welcome. Luken and Bates probably are the top contenders.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
University of Pennsylvania's FactCheck.org: Obama's Ohio NAFTA Mailer 'Indeed Misleading'
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Factcheck.org today says an Obama mailer to Ohio Democrats earlier this month contained misleading information. The flier quoted Hillary describing the North American Free Trade Agreement as a "boon" to the U.S. economy. Factcheck said it has found no evidence she ever used the word boon and added, "We find that a mailer criticizing her position on trade is indeed misleading."
[UPDATE: 4:19 PM -- Pho's Norka Pages has more. Pho notes that the details of Hillary's position on NAFTA are murky at best. Clearly, Hillary was never in the front ranks of opponents, and that makes her vulnerable to NAFTA's critics in a state like Ohio, where globalization has played havoc on the state's manufcaturing jobs. In Ohio, NAFTA and trade are powerful issues, especially for blue collar Dems. NAFTA resonates with Dems like immigration among Republicans.]
Here's more from Factcheck, which is based at the University of Pennsylvania and was created to evaluate the truthfulness of political and campaign rhetoric:
"We take no position on whether NAFTA is a boon to the economy or a detriment, and note only that there are plenty of arguments on both sides. We do judge that the Obama campaign is wrong to quote Clinton as using words she never uttered, and it has produced little evidence that she ever had strong praise of any sort for NAFTA's economic benefits."
[UPDATE: 4:19 PM -- Pho's Norka Pages has more. Pho notes that the details of Hillary's position on NAFTA are murky at best. Clearly, Hillary was never in the front ranks of opponents, and that makes her vulnerable to NAFTA's critics in a state like Ohio, where globalization has played havoc on the state's manufcaturing jobs. In Ohio, NAFTA and trade are powerful issues, especially for blue collar Dems. NAFTA resonates with Dems like immigration among Republicans.]
Here's more from Factcheck, which is based at the University of Pennsylvania and was created to evaluate the truthfulness of political and campaign rhetoric:
"We take no position on whether NAFTA is a boon to the economy or a detriment, and note only that there are plenty of arguments on both sides. We do judge that the Obama campaign is wrong to quote Clinton as using words she never uttered, and it has produced little evidence that she ever had strong praise of any sort for NAFTA's economic benefits."
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Former Hostage Terry Anderson: Chooses A Side In Fierce Athens County Dem Feud
ATHENS, Ohio (TDB) -- From one civil war to another. Former Hezbollah hostage Terry Anderson, the onetime AP Middle East bureau chief who was kidnapped in Beirut and held for years by militants, has settled near Athens. Anderson has been in the horse business and dabbled in local politics, where he ran for a state senate seat. Now he's agreed to sponsor a January 31 fundraiser at his home for Athens County Democratic Chair Susan Gwinn, who is running in the Dem primary to unseat the county's Democratic prosecutor. Gwinn, a lawyer, has been the chair and served on the Ohio Democratic Party Executive Committee since 1996. There is considerable consternation over her attempt to knock off a sitting Democratic officeholder.
She is out to defeat C. David Warren, and resigned from the county Board of Elections to make the race. The inter-party split in Athens -- home of Ohio University (where Terry Anderson once taught journalism) -- has awed and concerned Dems who wonder why Gwinn went after one of her own. The word vendetta is being used.
The Athens Post, the students newspaper at Ohio University, noted in an editorial earlier this week that Gwinn's move will rip apart the party.
"Decisions like this go beyond simple party squabbles. Gwinn's decision falls squarely in the realm of political backstabbing. There is no conceivable reason for Gwinn to pursue the office of county prosecutor other than to increase her own power base at the expense of her party's unity. Her decision has rightly drawn criticism from other Ohio Democrats and citizens. No politician, regardless of his or her party affiliations, should cast aside their loyalties in exchange for advancement. Through her actions, Gwinn has shown that her devotion lies with her own self-promotion and not with the people of Athens County."
Strong words. As for Anderson, the Lorain native and former Marine is probably showing loyalty to Gwinn. She helped recruit him for the state senate race against Republican Joy Padgett, a race that Anderson ran vigorously. Although he lost, Anderson's finish made it the strongest Dem challenge in the state that year.
She is out to defeat C. David Warren, and resigned from the county Board of Elections to make the race. The inter-party split in Athens -- home of Ohio University (where Terry Anderson once taught journalism) -- has awed and concerned Dems who wonder why Gwinn went after one of her own. The word vendetta is being used.
The Athens Post, the students newspaper at Ohio University, noted in an editorial earlier this week that Gwinn's move will rip apart the party.
"Decisions like this go beyond simple party squabbles. Gwinn's decision falls squarely in the realm of political backstabbing. There is no conceivable reason for Gwinn to pursue the office of county prosecutor other than to increase her own power base at the expense of her party's unity. Her decision has rightly drawn criticism from other Ohio Democrats and citizens. No politician, regardless of his or her party affiliations, should cast aside their loyalties in exchange for advancement. Through her actions, Gwinn has shown that her devotion lies with her own self-promotion and not with the people of Athens County."
Strong words. As for Anderson, the Lorain native and former Marine is probably showing loyalty to Gwinn. She helped recruit him for the state senate race against Republican Joy Padgett, a race that Anderson ran vigorously. Although he lost, Anderson's finish made it the strongest Dem challenge in the state that year.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Hamilton County Dems' Deal With GOP: Appears To Clash With Stated 'Principles'
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The deal between Hamilton County's Democrats and Republicans not to oppose each other's county commission candidate seems in conflict with the principles of the Ohio Democratic Party. The principles call for "strong public participation in a government chosen by election," a phrase that doesn't look to square with the private negotiations between party leaders whose goal was to tamp down opposition and foreclose competition at the ballot box this year.
There are 11 stated core values that were adopted in August 1998, a time when Democrats were in Ohio's political wilderness and Republicans held nearly all power at the state level -- from the governorship on down. Some of the principles that appear to have been discarded during the dealmaking:
1. "We believe that the best government is one that is efficient yet understanding -- a government that is based not on systems of bureaucracies, but on people, ideas and values."
2. "We believe there is no substitute for fair and equal representation and strong public participation in a government chosen by election."
11. "And we believe in pursuing these ideals with honesty and integrity, with respect for the freedoms that we in Ohio are proud to call our own."
It may be good politics for the Republican chief and the Democratic chief to sit down and divvy up county offices. But can that be done with "respect for the freedoms that we in Ohio are proud to call our own?" Inquiring minds are wondering: Does the art of the deal outweigh the value of a competitive, democratic election?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Ohio Dem Convention Delegate Selection: Party Wants To Know Your Sexual Orientation
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Applications to become a delegate for the 2008 National Democratic Convention are due Jan. 1. The Ohio Democratic Party forms require applicants to disclose personal information about sexual orientation, race, age, gender and national origin on the declaration of candidacy document. State party officials appear to be compiling the data for affirmative-action purposes. Is it possible they could run afoul of civil-rights laws? Hiring and employment decisions -- along with qualifications for office -- generally are supposed to be made without regard to a person's race, gender or sexual orientation.
It is possible that political parties are exempt from laws aimed at eliminating bias in employment decisions. And it is also possible that a convention delegate does not come close to meeting any legal definition of an employee or official position -- which eliminates any kind of civil rights issue. Still, The Daily Bellwether has heard that some Republicans are scrutinizing the Ohio Democratic delegation application process and may be considering some kind of legal move. If they do anything, it would probably be to challenge the Democrats for imposing quotas, or using quotas to screen potential convention delegates. There is a suggestion that a civil rights action of some kind may be filed. However, GOP sources said nothing is certain at this point.
Ohio has enacted laws and regulations aimed at ending bias in state hiring. Other laws cover the private sector. Several cities have adopted civil-rights measures that prohibit discrimination.
Cincinnati's Municipal Code specifically makes it illegal to discriminate or "segregate, separate, or treat individuals differently based on race, gender, age, color, religion, disability status, marital status, sexual orientation or transgendered status, or ethnic, national or Appalachian regional origin."
The likelihood is that the Dems are not discriminating -- the questions on the Ohio delegate declaration of candidacy form are intended to ensure a diverse crop of delegates at the presidential nominating convention.
It is possible that political parties are exempt from laws aimed at eliminating bias in employment decisions. And it is also possible that a convention delegate does not come close to meeting any legal definition of an employee or official position -- which eliminates any kind of civil rights issue. Still, The Daily Bellwether has heard that some Republicans are scrutinizing the Ohio Democratic delegation application process and may be considering some kind of legal move. If they do anything, it would probably be to challenge the Democrats for imposing quotas, or using quotas to screen potential convention delegates. There is a suggestion that a civil rights action of some kind may be filed. However, GOP sources said nothing is certain at this point.
Ohio has enacted laws and regulations aimed at ending bias in state hiring. Other laws cover the private sector. Several cities have adopted civil-rights measures that prohibit discrimination.
Cincinnati's Municipal Code specifically makes it illegal to discriminate or "segregate, separate, or treat individuals differently based on race, gender, age, color, religion, disability status, marital status, sexual orientation or transgendered status, or ethnic, national or Appalachian regional origin."
The likelihood is that the Dems are not discriminating -- the questions on the Ohio delegate declaration of candidacy form are intended to ensure a diverse crop of delegates at the presidential nominating convention.
Monday, December 03, 2007
House Dems OH-05 Attack Ad: It Stinks And Ohio Deserves Better
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- This attack ad is now on YouTUBE, and it represents the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's foray into Ohio's 5th District to aid Robin Weirauch. She has been fresh, upbeat, pretty much tireless and perhaps on the road to an upset win against State Rep. Bob Latta. So what does she get from the House Dems in Washington? Warmed over material that rehashes everything you were bored to death hearing about Tom Noe, Bob Taft and Latta's troubles with the Ohio Elections Commission. Snore.
The ad is about as stimulating and watchable as a rerun of the Lawrence Welk Show on PBS. And equally as predictable. A-one, a-two, a-three. Maybe the House Dems' writers are on strike, too? At least Welk had a machine that blew soap bubbles at his audience while the band played on.
Weirauch is a candidate with a populist, positive message. She's talking about jobs moving offshore, about Ohio's factories being creamed by cheap labor in China, about people who can't afford health care, about being tuned into small towns and the area of the state where she grew up and wants to serve in the Capitol. She wants to cut taxes on the middle class. She's kept her pledge not to take potshots at her opponent. But she gets second-rate schlock from the DCCC, a script from 2006 about Noe and Taft.
The ad is called "Ohio Deserves Better." And it does.
Ohio Valley Politics has the ad, and also a link to the much more clever Ohio Democratic Party Web site launched today that actually makes some pretty good partisan points. Buckeye State Blog has the ad up, too, and proprietor Jerid Kurtz notes in a comment that it looks a lot like the stuff Latta tossed at State Sen. Steve Buehrer in the GOP primary during October and November. Jerid just adds to the sense this is tired material. It just may be that the homegrown Dems know more than the Washington Dems.
The ad is about as stimulating and watchable as a rerun of the Lawrence Welk Show on PBS. And equally as predictable. A-one, a-two, a-three. Maybe the House Dems' writers are on strike, too? At least Welk had a machine that blew soap bubbles at his audience while the band played on.
Weirauch is a candidate with a populist, positive message. She's talking about jobs moving offshore, about Ohio's factories being creamed by cheap labor in China, about people who can't afford health care, about being tuned into small towns and the area of the state where she grew up and wants to serve in the Capitol. She wants to cut taxes on the middle class. She's kept her pledge not to take potshots at her opponent. But she gets second-rate schlock from the DCCC, a script from 2006 about Noe and Taft.
The ad is called "Ohio Deserves Better." And it does.
Ohio Valley Politics has the ad, and also a link to the much more clever Ohio Democratic Party Web site launched today that actually makes some pretty good partisan points. Buckeye State Blog has the ad up, too, and proprietor Jerid Kurtz notes in a comment that it looks a lot like the stuff Latta tossed at State Sen. Steve Buehrer in the GOP primary during October and November. Jerid just adds to the sense this is tired material. It just may be that the homegrown Dems know more than the Washington Dems.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Obama's Unfavorables In Ohio: Is Racism Behind The Numbers?
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- An Ohio Poll released today by the University of Cincinnati shows 27 percent of white Democrats in the state have an unfavorable opinion of Barack Obama's presidential candidacy. In fact, whites gave the African American Illinois senator the highest unfavorable rating among the five possible Democratic nominees whose popularity and name recognition were plumbed and measured. And less than half of Ohio's white Democrats view the black senator favorably. The random sampling of 321 registered voters was conducted Oct. 19-31 by the University of Cincinnati's institute for policy research, and it appeared to expose a vein of possible racism in the Democratic electorate.
What else might explain why the only the only African-American candidate fared worse among whites than even U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, whose campaign is going nowhere? Is there another possible reason for Obama's unfavorables other than skin color? The poll even notes that as Obama has increased his name recognition, his favorable rating has dropped -- an indication white people may have discovered he is a black man.
The full-text of the Ohio Poll (pdf) is here and the Democratic favorable/unfavorable ratings are on pages seven and eight.
Here are they broken down by race:
Hillary Clinton -- Af/Am Favorable 86%; Unfavorable 4%
White Fav 67%; Unfav. 22%
John Edwards -- Af/Am Favorable 29%; Unfavorable 10%
White Fav 63%; Unfav 15%
Dennis Kucinich -- Af/Am Favorable 19%; Unfavorable 10%
White Fav 29%; Unfav 21%
Barack Obama -- Af/Am Favorable 75%; Unfavorable N/A
White Fav 47%; Unfav 27%
Al Gore -- Af/Am Favorable 75%; Unfavorable 5%
White Fav 67%; Unfav 21%
The poll makes to effort to explain why white Democrats in Ohio have a lower opinion of Obama than they have of Kucinich, D-10, the Cleveland congressman. Kucinich's presidential campaign has demonstrated no signs of significant support among the Democratic electorate.
The poll said only that:
"Obama's name recognition has increased by nine percentage points since May. However, his net favorability rating decreased by nine percentage points since that time. By contrast, Clinton's net favorability rating has increased by eight percentage points since the last Ohio Poll.
"Gore's net favorability rating has increased by 11 percentage points in the wake of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. While speculation about a Gore campaign has continued, earlier this week Gore repeated his position that he does not intend to run for public office in 2008."
What else might explain why the only the only African-American candidate fared worse among whites than even U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, whose campaign is going nowhere? Is there another possible reason for Obama's unfavorables other than skin color? The poll even notes that as Obama has increased his name recognition, his favorable rating has dropped -- an indication white people may have discovered he is a black man.
The full-text of the Ohio Poll (pdf) is here and the Democratic favorable/unfavorable ratings are on pages seven and eight.
Here are they broken down by race:
Hillary Clinton -- Af/Am Favorable 86%; Unfavorable 4%
White Fav 67%; Unfav. 22%
John Edwards -- Af/Am Favorable 29%; Unfavorable 10%
White Fav 63%; Unfav 15%
Dennis Kucinich -- Af/Am Favorable 19%; Unfavorable 10%
White Fav 29%; Unfav 21%
Barack Obama -- Af/Am Favorable 75%; Unfavorable N/A
White Fav 47%; Unfav 27%
Al Gore -- Af/Am Favorable 75%; Unfavorable 5%
White Fav 67%; Unfav 21%
The poll makes to effort to explain why white Democrats in Ohio have a lower opinion of Obama than they have of Kucinich, D-10, the Cleveland congressman. Kucinich's presidential campaign has demonstrated no signs of significant support among the Democratic electorate.
The poll said only that:
"Obama's name recognition has increased by nine percentage points since May. However, his net favorability rating decreased by nine percentage points since that time. By contrast, Clinton's net favorability rating has increased by eight percentage points since the last Ohio Poll.
"Gore's net favorability rating has increased by 11 percentage points in the wake of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. While speculation about a Gore campaign has continued, earlier this week Gore repeated his position that he does not intend to run for public office in 2008."
Friday, August 24, 2007
Cincinnati Dems: Schedule Ohio's First Democratic Straw Poll For September
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The presidential campaign season in political bellwether Ohio has not yet kicked into high gear like Iowa with its early caucuses and New Hampshire and South Carolina, with their early in the nation primaries. But the state is going to get a huge of amount of attention next month because the Hamilton County Democratic Party is sponsoring a presidential straw poll. It could offer some strong signals into which top tier contender is really up in this critical state -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama or former Sen. John Edwards.
Is it possible there could be a dark horse somewhere within the rest of the field? Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich?
The Hamilton County Dems are calling their Tuesday, Sept. 11 beauty contest the first Presidential Straw Poll sponsored in Ohio by an arm of the Demcratic Party. Balloting take place at the 20th Century, an old movie theater on the city's east side. The theater is in the Oakley neighborhood. Dems are also going to hear from ODP executive director Doug Kelly, and there is going to be a presentation on how to become a convention delegate.
But the big show, no doubt, will be the straw poll. Expect a standing room crowd.
Bottomline: No top tier candidate can afford to take a drubbing because the next-day headlines would be brutal. And might even be fatal. Who wants to be known as a loser in Ohio, the bellwether state, the center of the political universe when it comes to presidential elections?
[UPDATE: 6:50 PM edt -- Just dug into the Bellwether archives and saw that SW Ohioans can be pretty prescient straw pollers. In February, when the national pundits were saying John McCain was the GOP front runner, Hamilton County Republicans picked Rudy Giuliani as their favorite. They gave him a big win during an annual pancake breakfast where a poll is conducted during election years. McCain was crushed in the voting, and the loss now looks like a portent the Arizona senator's presidential campaign was not generating sparks.]
[UPDATE: 8:12 AM edt -- The Plain Dealer's Washington Bureau Chief Steve Koff picked up on the straw poll item and credits the The Bellwether. Ripples are starting spread. Watch to see if the political beauty contest in Cincy becomes one of the more important campaign agenda items in September. No doubt that FOX and CNN and MSNBC will all decide to give it coverage, probably live.]
Is it possible there could be a dark horse somewhere within the rest of the field? Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich?
The Hamilton County Dems are calling their Tuesday, Sept. 11 beauty contest the first Presidential Straw Poll sponsored in Ohio by an arm of the Demcratic Party. Balloting take place at the 20th Century, an old movie theater on the city's east side. The theater is in the Oakley neighborhood. Dems are also going to hear from ODP executive director Doug Kelly, and there is going to be a presentation on how to become a convention delegate.
But the big show, no doubt, will be the straw poll. Expect a standing room crowd.
Bottomline: No top tier candidate can afford to take a drubbing because the next-day headlines would be brutal. And might even be fatal. Who wants to be known as a loser in Ohio, the bellwether state, the center of the political universe when it comes to presidential elections?
[UPDATE: 6:50 PM edt -- Just dug into the Bellwether archives and saw that SW Ohioans can be pretty prescient straw pollers. In February, when the national pundits were saying John McCain was the GOP front runner, Hamilton County Republicans picked Rudy Giuliani as their favorite. They gave him a big win during an annual pancake breakfast where a poll is conducted during election years. McCain was crushed in the voting, and the loss now looks like a portent the Arizona senator's presidential campaign was not generating sparks.]
[UPDATE: 8:12 AM edt -- The Plain Dealer's Washington Bureau Chief Steve Koff picked up on the straw poll item and credits the The Bellwether. Ripples are starting spread. Watch to see if the political beauty contest in Cincy becomes one of the more important campaign agenda items in September. No doubt that FOX and CNN and MSNBC will all decide to give it coverage, probably live.]
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