Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2008 > March
March 2008
Portman’s new gig: teaching
Former U.S. Rep., Office of Management and Budget Director and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman has a new gig, and it’s not being John McCain’s running mate: He’ll be teaching at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University.
Specifically, he will be co-teaching Public Budgeting this quarter at OSU. Portman is also serving on the Advisory Board of the school.
Portman is also currently practicing law at the Cincinnati Office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment |
Bill says Hillary won’t quit; should she?
Bill says Hillary won’t quit.
The Clintons are trying to make some political lemonade out of cries coming from some Democrats that Hillary Clinton should quit the Democratic presidential nomination and more or less crown Barack Obama as the winner.
Leading Obama backers such as Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., say Clinton should get out because the continuing battle for the Democratic nomination helps the Republicans.
Bill, the former president, provided his analysis in a recent fundraising appeal.
“Here’s the most important thing you need to know about this race: it’s neck-and-neck.
“Only 130 delegates separate Hillary from Senator Obama — and that’s not counting Florida and Michigan. The difference in popular vote is less than 1 percent, and millions of voters have yet to make their voices heard. This election should be about their choice,” he wrote to potential contributors.
The former president asked Hillary fans to contribute $3 million by midnight, Monday, March 31 to show the former First Lady that she should stay in the race.
“My family isn’t big on quitting. Hillary’s in this race to win, and she’s in it thanks to you,” Bill said in his appeal.
What do you think?
Do you think Hillary Clinton should stay in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination?
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment |
Going for the chuckles
President George W. Bush stayed mostly serious during his visit to the National Museum of the United States Air Force on Thursday, March 27. He was talking about the Iraq War after all.
But he did open with a couple of laugh lines, saying he was glad to again be visiting Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and adding, “I thank you for giving me a place to park Air Force One.”
Later, as he acknowledged the public, military and community officials in the invited audience, Bush pointed out Amanda Wright-Lane, great grand-niece of Orville and Wilbur Wright. “Thanks for coming. Nothing wrong with having famous relatives,” Bush said, drawing another round of laughter.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Hosting the gaggle
President George W. Bush’s visit to the Sugarcreek Twp. home of Marty and Lisa Grunder for a private Ohio Republican Party fundraiser presented a bit of a dilemma. What to do with the gaggle of national and local media trailing along, covering Bush’s visit?
Judd and Melissa Powell obliged, opening their beautiful Willow Creek Farm home to the press while they waited for Bush to leave the private fundraiser a few doors down at the Grunders. The Powells were at the fundraiser, but some friends welcomed the press to the house, which had been outfitted with plenty of additional phone lines for internet connections.
White House press lead Brent Swander made sure the reporters, photographers and videographers were fed, as they were spending the entire day either in the President’s motorcade and at the day’s events. Surveying the pizza, pasta and salad spread, Swander said he always orders food from the same place when he does advance work in the Dayton area: LaRosa’s.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment |
Sierra Club launches “Power2Change” campaign
The Ohio Sierra Club today, March 26, launched its effort in the club’s $1 million “Power2Change” campaign . The campaign is being conducted in Ohio and eight other states.
The Ohio campaign, backed by the Ohio AFL-CIO and other unions, plans a five-week grassroots effort to gather 5,000 signatures on petitions that will be turned in to candidates up and down the ballot urging them to build a clean energy economy, Teresa McHugh, Sierra Club regional representative, said at a Statehouse news conference.
“The choices we make in 2008 will define our future in terms of energy and the economy,” said McHugh.
With gasoline and fuel oil prices soaring and global warming a continuing threat, energy has emerged as a key campaign issue, she said.
A campaign report highlights efforts to promote clean energy, including Ohio’s Dovetail Solar and Wind Company which has completed over 110 solar power system installations in the state.
Other states involved are: Colorado; Minnesota; New Hampshire; Nevada; New Mexico; Oregon; Virginia and Wisconsin.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Strickland signs bipartisan faith-based bill
Reps. John White, R-Kettering, and Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, led the cheers today, March 25 as Gov. Ted Strickland signed legislation they jointly sponsored that will allow faith-based and community groups to provide re-entry services for prisoners leaving custody of the Rehabilitation and Correction and Youth Services departments.
“Ohio has an opportunity to better serve former inmates and keep them from returning to prison, but we need the help of faith-based and community organizations,” Luckie said in a press release.
“When someone has served their debt to society, it is in everyone’s best interest to do everything possible to ensure their future success,” White said in the release.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment |
Four unions join forces to help elect candidates
Four unions, touting a combined membership of more than 2 million, have formed a political, electoral and legislative alliance to help elect candidates and advocate on public policy issues.
The Communication Workers of America, the United Auto Workers, the United Steelworkers and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers said in a press release today, March 25, that the alliance is pledged to “renew core American values: dignity, decency and fair treatment in the workplace.”
Top priorities for the alliance include winning passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would help with union organizing efforts, and universal health care and protecting U.S. jobs by promoting fair trade.
The press release said that three of the unions - the CWA, UAW and USW - in 2005 spearheaded formation of Mobilization at Delphi to help defend the interest of Delphi workers “against corporate executives who were determined to use the bankruptcy process to enrich themselves at the expense of workers and communities.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Flying Mike Turner and Speedy Jean
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, is featured on Politico.com as one of Capitol Hill’s top jocks.
According to the site, Turner is an avid student of tae kown do and was featured on his own athlete card.
According to Politico, Turner and his father are both second-degree black belts. His wife is a newbie with a yellow stripe, and his daughters Jessie, 16, and Carolyn, 13, hope to have their black belts by the time they leave home for college.
Also on Politico’s list is U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland. According to Politico, Schmidt has “run 70 marathons, runs at least six miles a day and credits running with helping her get through some of the tougher times in life.” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9185.html
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Blackwell employees must return $80,534 in bonuses
Seventeen employees of former Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell must return $80,534 as the result of bonuses or severance payments that Blackwell illegally made to them during 2006, Auditor Mary Taylor (pictured) said in an audit released today, March 25.
Taylor made the same finding against fellow Republican Blackwell, his former Chief Financial Officer Dilip Mehta and their bonding company, Travelers/St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company but said Blackwell and Mehta would be liable only to the extent that the 17 employees don’ pay the money back.
The dollar amounts that must be paid back ranged from $9,704 to $949.68.
A key to the finding appeared to be an opinion that Attorney General Marc Dann, a Democrat, issued last May 23 in which he said that Blackwell was without legal authority to award the additional payments.
Current Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, requested the audit after she took office in January 2007 and discovered the payments.
Blackwell awarded the payments during his last year in office as he was running for governor. He lost to Democrat Ted Strickland.
Blackwell issued a statement defending the payments and said they were similar to previous secretary of state programs. He said that they actually saved money for taxpayers because some employees agreed to forego unemployment compensation based on the bonus amount they selected. He said that applying Dann’s attorney general opinion retroactively to a constitutional officeholder set a “dangerous precedent.”
Brunner was “obviously pleased” that taxpayer dollars were being returned and considered it an “example of good government,” said Patrick Gallaway, her spokesman.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment |
Lobbying expenses shot up 52 percent last year
Lobbyists were busy in Columbus last year as legislators and Gov. Ted Strickland hammered out the $52.3 billion two-year state budget.
Overall lobbying expenditures shot up by more than 52 percent from 2006 - from $349,756 to $533,150, according to a report released last Tuesday, March 18, by the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee.
The amount spend on lobbying usually goes up in budget years, said Tony Bledsoe, legislative inspector general.
The totals include money spent on receptions, meals, awards and similar items but does not include direct contributions to candidates and legislative caucuses or the actual fees paid to lobbyists.
The top three spending groups were: the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Equality Ohio, which advocates for fair treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens.
The Top Ten groups in spending in 2007 were:
Wholesale Beer and Wine Association - $31,270
Ohio Chamber of Commerce - $26,946
Equality Ohio - $20,845
Ohio Library Council - $19,107
Ohio Association of Realtors - $17,685
Ohio Children’s Hospital Association - $12,063
Ohio Environmental Council - $10,951
Ohio Chemistry Technology Council - $10,776
PolymerOhio Networks, Inc. - $9,502
Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association - $8,724
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Boehner visits Israel
House Minority Leader John Boehner spent Easter weekend in Israel.
Boehner, R-West Chester, leads a five-member congressional delegation to the country, which is timed two months before the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel as a Jewish state.
He said in a statement the visit will give members and Israeli government officials “the opportunity to discuss important issues of mutual concern between our two countries, the peace process and regional security, including Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.”
“Since its first day as a nation, Israel has lived under a threat of aggression from militant extremists and hostile neighboring governments,” he said. “No country understands the threat of terror and the vigilance necessary to confront it better than Israel, and that danger remains today.”
Boehner landed Saturday. He is the lone Ohioan on the trip.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Strickland hits the campaign trail
Gov. Ted Strickland’s back on the campaign trail but he’s not pushing Hillary Clinton for president this time.
Today, March 24, Strickland has scheduled three stops in northwest Ohio to gin up support for his proposed $1.7 billion bond package that he says will create 80,000 new jobs.
The legislature so far hasn’t agreed to put the plan - which basically calls for borrowing the money - on the November ballot. If legislators don’t act, Strickland says backers of the bond proposal will gather signatures from more than 400,000 voters to get the issue on the ballot that way.
Today Strickland is scheduled to be in Lima at the Greater Ohio Ethanol facility, in Defiance at American Ag Fuels, a biodiesel processing facility and at the Toledo Museum of Art to view a solar cell installation.
Money from the bonds would be invested in energy projects, infrastructure, biomedicine, bioproducts, public works, downtowns and the Clean Ohio Fund.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Flames extinguished on Dann’s Sunshine Express
Someone in Attorney General Marc Dann’s office thought it’d be cool to paint flames on an old SUV, call it the ‘Sunshine Express,’ and drive it to open records training seminars across the state.
Apparently, it didn’t go over too well and the flames are now gone but the training sessions on Ohio’s Sunshine laws continue.
“More than 10,000 public officials and/or their designees have been trained so far. Training sessions are scheduled throughout the year, although the number of officials who may attend is unknown at this point,” reported Leo Jennings III, Dann’s communications director and the brains behind the flames. He added, “Yes, the Sunshine Express lost its flames because no one around here has a sense of humor.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Hobson to speak at Wittenberg’s commencement
Rep. David Hobson will speak at Wittenberg University’s 163rd Commencement Exercises on May 10, the university announced Thursday, March 20.
Hobson, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and a Springfield resident, received an honorary doctorate of law from Wittenberg in 1992. He is retiring this year.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Strickland sends Spitzer donation to food pantry
Thanks, but a belated no thanks.
Gov. Ted Strickland’s campaign has sent $10,000 to the Tri-County Food Pantry, a donation equal to the contribution the campaign received in 2006 from Eliot Spitzer,
Spitzer resigned as New York governor, effective Monday, March 17 after revelations that he was a customer of a high-priced prostitution ring. Spitzer (pictured below) was New York attorney general when he made the contribution to Strickland’s campaign for Ohio governor.
According to Strickland’s campaign, sending the money to the food pantry was “the right thing to do.” The food pantry serves Washington, Noble and Monroe counties in southeast Ohio.
Meanwhile, there’s no record on Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s Web site that Attorney General Marc Dann’s campaign ever received a campaign contribution from Spitzer. The New York Times reported last May that Dann received “a small check from Mr. Spitzer,” which seemed to delight Dann.
“I almost framed it, and didn’t cash it,” the newspaper quoted Dann as saying.
Leo Jennings III, Dann’s spokesman, said that Spitzer never actually made a contribution although he told Dann that he was going to. The Spitzer donation was not supposed to be for $10,000, said Jennings.
If Spitzer had pledged such a large contribution and didn’t make it, “I would have gotten on a plane to New York and gone and got it,” said Jennings.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
President Bush expected in Bellbrook
President Bush is expected in Bellbrook next Thursday, March 27, for an Ohio Republican Party fundraiser at the home of Marty and Lisa Grunder. Marty Grunder is the founder and president of Grunder Landscaping Company in Miamisburg.
“It reaffirms the importance of the Dayton area as the epicenter for Ohio for the national election,” said Greg Gantt, chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party, who has been invited.
The invitation says that for $10,000 you can go to a private reception with a photo opportunity. The luncheon reception is $1,000. Those who can’t attend but would like to contribute are asked to give $5,000, $2,500, $1,000, $500, $250 or “other.”
The fundraiser is for Victory 2008, the Ohio GOP’s segregated federal account for supporting Republican candidates in 2008. Doors open at 10 a.m. and guests are asked to arrive no later than 11 a.m., the invitation says.
Event co-chairs are listed as: Jim and Janet Dicke; Marty and Lisa Grunder; Bill and Sandy Gunlock; Rob and Jane Portman and and Raj and Indu Soin.
The White House has not released President Bush’s public schedule for next week and Marty Grunder declined comment on the event.
Permalink | Comments (67) | Post your comment |
County commissioners back Strickland $1.7 billion bond plan
The County Commissioners Association of Ohio has endorsed Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed $1.7 billion bond issue which Strickland says would create 80,000 jobs.
The county commissioners association is a bipartisan group and the issue was supported unanimously by the 30 elected commissioners from across Ohio who sit on the governing board, a press release said.
“The proposal not only focuses on investment in new opportunities for Ohio’s economic future, but also provides over $1 billion in partnership with local governments to address Ohio’s infrastructure needs,” association President Daniel Troy, a Lake County commissioner, said in a press release.
Strickland, a Democrat, still hasn’t got support from the Republican-controlled legislature to put the issue on the November ballot and said on Wednesday, March 19, that within a few days backers of the issue will begin gathering signatures to put the issue on the ballot through a petition drive.
Strickland said that while he’ll begin gathering signatures he still will work with legislators to try to get the issue on the ballot through their action.
To get the issue on the ballot through a petition drive, backers must first gather 1,000 signatures and send the amendment to Attorney General Marc Dann to check that it is correctly written. After getting Dann’s approval, they then must gather more than 400,000 signatures from registered voters to get it on the ballot.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Brunner wins JFK profile in courage award
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s plan to eliminate touch screen voting machines may not be getting very far in the legislature but it’s gotten Brunner some high-profile attention. Brunner wants to replace the touch screen machines with paper ballots read by optical scanners.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation announced Tuesday, March 18, that Brunner and California Secretary of State Debra Bowen are this year’s winners of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
“As we prepare to cast our ballots for the next president of the United States, our confidence in the integrity and reliability of the voting process has never been more important,” Caroline Kennedy, JFK’s daughter and president of the foundation, said in a press release.
“Secretaries of State Debra Bowen and Jennifer Brunner have each demonstrated exceptional leadership in working to ensure that voting systems provide a full and accurate count of the vote. Our democracy depends on voter trust. Debra Bowen and Jennifer Brunner’s efforts to earn that trust have made them true profiles in courage.”
They are to receive the awards at a ceremony in Boston on Monday, May 12.
Do you think Brunner deserves the award?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment |
Amstutz wants to ban keno
State Sen. Ron Amstutz, R-Wooster, (pictured below at right) today, March 19, said he’s preparing legislation to prohibit the Ohio Lottery Commission from operating Keno or related games.
It was the second straight attack on Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to use $73 million in revenue from Keno, a video lottery game, to help close a projected $733 million budget deficit.
On Tuesday, March 18, Strickland, at the request of Republican lawmakers, pulled a request for the state Controlling Board at its meeting next Monday, March 24, to approve releasing nearly $18 million for equipment to operate Keno in bars and restaurants and other outlets. Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, said there should be a public hearing first on the Keno plan.
Amstutz’s proposal, however, would ban, not just postpone the start of Keno, which lottery officials hoped to have up and running by July 1. Amstutz said the state should focus on helping Ohioans develop workforce skills, not provide more gambling outlets.
Asked about the proposed ban, Strickland said:
“Well, of course, I’m not deliriously happy about it.”
He declined to say whether he’d veto it if approved by the legislature.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment |
Sherrod Brown comes to town
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is the keynote speaker Tuesday at the Montgomery County Democratic Party’s annual Frolic For Funds.
“We look forward to kicking off campaign efforts for all of our local candidates, and we are honored that Sen. Brown can be a part of this event,” said Mark Owens, county party chairman.
The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Dayton Convention Center, with program activities beginning at 7 p.m.
The Frolic is the local party’s largest source of revenue, Owens said.
Ohio House resolution to honor Metzenbaum
Former U.S. Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, who died Wednesday, March 12 at the age of 90, got his political start in the Ohio House and a resolution is being drafted in the House to honor Metzenbaum
Ohio House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, praised Metzenbaum.
“Howard Metzenbaum was the epitome of strong Democratic politics,” Beatty, a Dayton native, said in a press release. “He never forgot who he represented. He fought tirelessly to protect consumers and working families on issues including gun control, nutritional labeling, plant closings and monopolies. He was an unwavering advocate for ordinary Ohioans and Americans and helped give them opportunities to become extraordinary.
“Howard Metzenbaum had a heart of gold and a spirit for positive change. We will miss his passion for public service, and I hope part of his legacy is the inspiration to work passionately everyday for the people we serve. I was proud to have known and worked with him.”
Metzenbaum served in the Ohio House from 1943-1947 and in the state Senate from 1947-1951.
Metzenbaum served 19 years in the U.S. Senate, retiring in 1994. When the Legislative Service Commission completes the resolution, House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, will schedule a time to present it to the full House, the press release said.
What do you remember about Metzenbaum?
Permalink | |
Brunner and Dann 0-3 in Ohio Supreme Court
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who is represented by fellow Democrat Marc Dann, lost three arguments this week before the Ohio Supreme Court in a case with the Summit County GOP over an appointment to the county Board of Elections.
As a state senator, Dann argued in an open records lawsuit against then Gov. Bob Taft that the governor should be forced to give a deposition. Dann lost.
This week, Dann argued the other side: that Brunner should not be forced to give a deposition since she is a statewide officeholder. He lost and Brunner got deposed.
He argued that Brunner’s deposition should not be videotaped. He lost.
Then Dann told the court that the video should not be made public, lest it become “campaign advertising fodder.” The attorney general’s office even reminded the court that in 2006 video of Tom Noe introducing Betty Montgomery at a court function was used in a political campaign. No mention in the filing that it was Dann’s campaign that used the footage.
By the way, Dann lost that argument too.
Who’s more conservative: Boehner or Jordan?
If you picked House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, you’re right, at least according to the National Journal, which just released its conservative rankings based on economic, social and foreign policy votes.
Boehner received a 93.3 score, putting him in a tie for first place with fellow Republicans Trent Franks, R-Ariz.; John Shadegg, R-Ariz.; Doug Lamborn, R-Colo.; John Linder, R-Ga.; and Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga.
Jordan, R-Urbana, received an 88.3 score. He was most conservative on economic issues and least conservative on foreign policy issues, according to the ratings.
Reps. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, received a 68.2 score - he was most conservative on social issues - and David Hobson, R-Springfield, got a 60.5.
George Will weighs in on Strickland for Veep
Conservative columnist George Will is the latest analyst to make the case that Gov. Ted Strickland would be a good candidate for the Democratic candidate for president - either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama - to pick as a vice presidential runningmate.
Among other virtues, Strickland would help win Ohio and with white, male voters, Will writes.
Strickland’s still not interested, said Keith Dailey, the governor’s spokesman.
“The governor has said and continues to say that if he was drafted he would not run, and if he was nominated he would not accept and if he was elected he would not serve,” said Dailey.
Politicians, however, sometimes change their minds.
Do you think Strickland would change his mind and accept if Obama or Clinton asked him to run?
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Permalink | |
Karl Rove to visit
Karl Rove, former top advisor to President George W. Bush, is coming to Kettering on April 15 for a Montgomery County Republican Party rally.
“Ohio has always played a major role in the presidential elections and this is an opportunity to hear Karl Rove’s predictions on this exciting election season,” said Gregg Gantt, chairman of the county party.
Rove, now a Fox News political contributor, is Bush’s former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor.
The rally will be at Trent Arena, 3301 Shroyer Rd. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the event begins at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $50 for VIP seating, $20 for general admission and $10 for students.
For information call 461-1776.
New poll: Ohioans want a Democrat in the White House
Nearly two-thirds of Ohio adults want to see a Democrat take control of the White House in the November election, according to a new poll released Wednesday, March 12.
“It reveals the dimension of the Republican challenge in Ohio and the dimension of the Democratic opportunity in Ohio,” said John Green, director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron which released the poll.
A key finding: 59.5 percent of the political independents wanted a Democrat to take over.
Overall, 64.1 percent favored a Democrat, while 95.9 percent of the Democrats and 14.2 percent of the Republicans wanted to see a Democrat take over.
On a related question, 69.1 percent said that regardless of how they planned to vote they thought a Democrat would carry Ohio in November. More than half of the Republicans - 55.8 percent - thought a Democrat would win, while 61.9 percent of the independents and 83.3 percent of the Democrats thought there would be a Democratic victory.
Nearly half of those surveyed - 47.5 percent - said economic issues would be most important in determining their vote for president, nearly double the 24.8 percent who said foreign policy issues such as the war in Iraq would be most important, the poll found.
The poll was the first of three to be conducted before the November election, said Green. The poll was conducted from Jan. 10-March 10 with a statewide sample of 1,507 of Ohio adults, with over samples of those residing outside northeastern Ohio. The overall margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. The poll was conducted by the Center for Marketing & Opinion Research, LLC of Canton, Oh.
The complete poll is available at:
http://www.uakron.edu/bliss/research.php
Strickland backs Clinton-Obama ticket
Gov. Ted Strickland, who helped Hillary Clinton win Ohio’s Democratic presidential primary, said today, March 11 that a Clinton-Obama pairing “would be a strong ticket” for Democrats in the November election.
Strickland, however, didn’t want to talk about an Obama-Clinton ticket, with Barack Obama as the presidential candidate and Clinton as his vice presidential runningmate.
“Clinton’s my choice for president. I want to see Clinton at the top of the ticket. If she is the nominee and were to choose Sen. Obama and he were to accept I think that would be a very strong ticket,” said Strickland.
Obama said on Monday, March 10, that he wasn’t interested in running for vice president.
What do you think about a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket?
[an error occurred while processing this directive]DeWine, Boehner join Catholics for McCain
Sen. John McCain Monday released a list of more than 100 “Catholics for McCain” that includes a whole slew of Ohioans.
Among the National Catholics for McCain are House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Columbus, Umberto Fedeli, President and CEO of the Fedeli Group and John Willke, president of the Life Issues Institute, Inc., a Cincinnati-area group that opposes legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
The group is chaired by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, and Former Governor Frank Keating, R-Okla., and includes elected officials, businessmen, grassroots organizers, students and Catholic leaders from more than 24 states.
Chabot’s office apologizes for email
The Ohio Democratic Party has leapt on a report that a staffer for Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, circulated an e-mail Friday from the National Republican Congressional Committee recruiting volunteers to man the phone banks for an Illinois congressional candidate.
According to a story in Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill, sending the email was a violation of House rules barring partisan political activities out of a public office.
Todd Lindgren, a Chabot spokesman, said the error occurred when a 23-year-old staffer forwarded an email from the NRCC to other Ohio House staffers - including Democrats - without reading it. The email was a request for phone bankers for Republican candidate Jim Oberweis in Saturday’s special election to replace Rep. Dennis Hastert. Oberweis lost the election.
“It was an inexcusable lapse of judgement,” Lindgren said, adding that the young staffer is now receiving additional ethics training. He said Chabot’s chief of staff wrote a letter to the House Ethics Committee and walked it down to the committee this morning explaining how the email got sent.
Still, Ohio Democrats weren’t ready to forgive on Monday.
“Steve Chabot was elected to represent the interests of his Ohio constituents, not the Bush administration, the National Republican Congressional Committee or dairy magnates from Illinois,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Alex Goepfert. “It might be a good idea if Steve Chabot’s office spent a little less time meddling in Illinois congressional races and a little more time focusing on the issues that Ohioans care about.”
Permalink | |
McCain veep choice could be crucial
Now that John McCain has the Republican nomination for president sewn up, he can turn his attention to picking a vice presidential runningmate.
His choice could determine how enthusiastic the party’s social conservatives will be about McCain’s candidacy. They are a key part of the GOP coalition and, perhaps more importantly, provide vital volunteer support.
Lori Viars, a social conservative and GOP activist from Warren County, backed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in Ohio’s primary but now is ready to vote for McCain. Her enthusiasm hinges on who he picks for the number two spot.
“I’ll vote for McCain over Hillary or Obama, but I won’t volunteer for him unless he picks a running mate I can get excited about. Actions speak louder than words for conservatives,” Viars said in an e-mail.
Who do you think McCain should pick for his veep?
New poll: Ohio evangelicals have diverse political views
White evangelical voters aren’t all conservative Republicans.
That’s the essence of a new poll of voters in Ohio’s March 4 primary sponsored by three groups - Faith in Public Life, Center for American Progress Action Fund and Sojourners.
Highlights of the poll were released Thursday, March 5. They included:
Forty three percent of white evangelical voters participated in the Democratic primary and 57 percent participated in the Republican primary.
A majority of white evangelical voters -54 percent - support a broader agenda that goes beyond abortion and same-sex marriage to include ending poverty, protecting the environment and combating HIV/AIDS, as compared to 39 percent that would rather stick to the more limited agenda.
Three times as many white evangelical voters ranked jobs and the economy as the most important issue - 42 percent - than those who ranked abortion and same-sex marriage most important - 14 percent.
In the Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Hillary Clinton got 57 percent of the support from white evangelicals, compared to 35 percent for Sen. Barack Obama.
In the Republican presidential primary, Sen. John McCain got 41 percent of the white evangelicals and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee got 42 percent.
Brunner’s paper ballot plan faces tough sell in legislature
Now that Ohio’s March primary is over, the debate goes on about whether Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner will succeed with her plan to have all county boards of election use paper ballots, read by optical scanners, in the November general election. The plan would require a change in the 53 counties that now use electronic touch-screen voting machines. The other 35 counties already use paper ballots.
Right now, her chances don’t look good.
State Rep. Kevin DeWine, R-Fairborn, said on Friday, March 7 that the Republican-controlled legislature would be “hard pressed” to find the $64 million that it would cost to make the change. DeWine is Ohio House Speaker Pro Tem - the number two leadership spot - and also deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. His comments came during a taping of the Ohio News Network’s “Capitol Square” program to be aired Sunday.
Democrat Brunner, in a separate appearance on the program, said she would continue to seek the money.
If the legislature doesn’t agree, she said that boards of election in counties that use touch-screen machines would be asked to have on hand a larger number of paper ballots for the general election than they had on hand for the primary. For the primary, Brunner required touch-screen counties to print a number of paper ballots equal to at least 10 percent of the turnout in a similar primary for voters who preferred paper ballots. She said she didn’t know what percentage she would set for the general election but that it would be higher.
She is requesting the change to paper ballots because a study she commissioned found the touch-screen system has serious security problems.
Press pack all over Clinton
Hundreds of reporters from across the state and around the globe set up their tripods, microphones and laptops at the Columbus Athenaeum last week to report on Hillary Clinton’s victory speech in Ohio. Satellite trucks lined the block, ready to broadcast her every word out to millions.
The media check-in list reads like an international press club meeting: Reuters, BBC Radio, Norwegian Broadcasting Corp., La Republica, Al Jazeera, News Limited Australia, El Pais, NHK Japan Broadcasting Corp., The Irish Times, Der Spiegel and more.
The Clinton campaign granted credentials to more than 350 journalists for her Ohio primary party.
When it comes to presidential campaigns, journalists come in two tiers: “traveling press” and “local press.” The travelers pay fees to fly on the campaign plane, have meals catered and even have a technician set up wireless systems at every stop. They get reserved seating and riser space at campaign rallies. They got spacious digs in their own room at Clinton’s shin dig in Columbus. Again, they pay the fees.
“Local press” are those that drive themselves, pack their own snacks, jump onto the nationals’ free wireless while they can, and take whatever seat they can get. On Tuesday, their digs were in a freezing cold lobby.
But whether you’re with the Dayton Daily News or ABC News, your bags still get sniffed by security dogs.
Permalink | |
Clinton wins 75 delegates; Obama takes 66
The results aren’t official but it looks like Sen. Hillary Clinton will pick up 75 delegates to the Democratic National Convention and Sen. Barack Obama will gain 66 as the result of voting in the Ohio Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, March 4.
The unofficial results are based on the Ohio Democratic Party’s formula for allocating delegates.
Ohio Democrats will send 141 pledged delegates to the convention. This includes 92 delegates allocated to the state’s 18 congressional districts and 49 at-large delegates awarded based on the statewide outcome of the primary.
Clinton appears likely to pick up 48 delegates in the congressional districts, while Obama is likely to get 44. Of the statewide delegates, Clinton is expected to get 27 and Obama 22.
In the congressional districts, delegates are allocated on a proportional basis. If a district has four delegates, it takes a winning margin of 62.5 percent of more of the vote to get a majority - three. Otherwise, each candidate gets two delegates.
The likely allocation of delegates was based on nearly complete returns that showed Clinton winning 55.2 percent of the vote and Obama 44.8 percent of the vote. The allocation could change slightly as final official returns become known.
The breakdown of delegates by U.S. House district is:
District 1
Clinton - 2 Obama - 2
District 2
Clinton - 2 Obama - 2
District 3
Clinton - 2 Obama - 3
District 4
Clinton - 2 Obama - 2
District 5
Clinton - 2 Obama - 2
District 6
Clinton - 4 Obama -1
District 7
Clinton - 2 Obama - 2
District 8
Clinton - 2 Obama - 2
District 9
Clinton -3 Obama - 3
District 10
Clinton - 4 Obama - 2
District 11
Clinton - 2 Obama - 6
District 12
Clinton - 2 Obama - 3
District 13
Clinton - 3 Obama - 3
District 14
Clinton - 4 Obama - 2
District 15
Clinton -2 Obama -2
District 16
Clinton - 3 Obama - 2
District 17
Clinton - 4 Obama - 3
District 18
Clinton - 3 Obama - 2
Turnout up, according to projections
According to an exit poll by Edison/Mitofsky, estimated turnout for the Ohio Democratic primary was 2.25 million or 26 percent of the voting eligible population. Edison/Mitofsky estimates turnout among Republicans was 1.1 million or 13 percent of the voting eligible population.
How does that jibe with past presidential primaries? In 2004, 1.2 million Ohio Democrats voted and 777,972 Ohio Republicans voted, according to research by professor Michael McDonald at George Mason University. The number represented 28 percent of the voting-eligible population.
In 2000 - the last time both parties had contested primaries - 978,512 Democrats voted and 1.36 million Republicans voted - 30.6 percent.
Add up Edison/Mitofsky’s estimates, and it appears 39 percent of the population voted.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner estimated 52 percent of voters would turn out on Election Day. Early Wednesday, it was too soon to tell what the official turnout was.
Permalink | |
Working class turn out for Clinton
Exit polls indicate that Sen. Hillary Clinton’s appeal to working class voters worked Tuesday, March 4, with middle-class voters and voters without college degrees supporting her at higher levels than they supported Sen. Barack Obama.
Among voters whose household income was less than $50,000 in 2007, 56 percent supported Clinton, while Obama only garnered 42 percent of their support. Voters whose household income was $50,000 or more also were more likely to back Clinton, giving her 52 percent support compared to Obama’s 47 percent. Voters whose household income was $100,000 or higher split evenly between the two.
Voters who received only a high school diploma were also more likely to back Clinton, supporting her 65 percent to Obama’s 33 percent. Voters who received some college or an associate degree also were more likely to back Clinton, giving her 52 percent support to Obama’s 47 percent. College graduates, meanwhile, split 50-50 on the two, while postgraduates backed Obama 53 percent to Clinton’s 42 percent.
Of the 1,162 Democratic voters polled by Edison/Mitofsky, 34 percent came from a household that included a union member and 66 percent did not. Of those in union households, 18 percent of voters polled were union members and 15 percent had another family member in their household.
Republicans of all incomes supported Sen. John McCain overwhelmingly, meanwhile, with households earning between $50,000 and $74,999 supporting him the most - he received 62 percent of their support. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who conceded Tuesday night, did slightly better among voters who lived in households earning less than $50,000. Voters earning $100,000 or more backed McCain 64 percent to Huckabee’s 30 percent.
The Republican poll surveyed 777 voters in the state.
McCain also did well with voters from all educational backgrounds, winning among high school graduates and postgraduates alike.
Despite conservative criticism, most voters say McCain “about right” on issues
Sen. John McCain beat former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee Tuesday, March 4, among all age groups as well as men and women, according to exit polls by Edison/Mitofsky.
McCain especially did well among voters over the age of 60 - 65 percent supported him, while 24 percent supported Huckabee. Huckabee conceded Tuesday night.
Forty-four percent of Republican voters polled considered themselves born again Christians, and 42 percent of Republican voters considered the economy the number one issue facing the country. Twenty-two percent considered Iraq the top issue facing the country, while 17 percent listed immigration and 17 considered terrorism their top issue.
And despite heavy criticism from some conservatives within his party, 46 percent considered McCain’s positions on the issues “about right.” Forty percent of voters, meanwhile, said he was not conservative enough.
Fifty-five percent of voters said they did not consider the views of talk radio hosts important, while 37 percent said they did.
McCain’s age - he is 71 - was also not an overwhelming concern for Republican voters. Eighty percent of voters polled said they did not consider his age an important factor in their vote.
The poll, of 777 Republicans, also had McCain receiving heavy support in southwest Ohio. He received 61 percent support to Huckabee’s 33 percent.
Democratic exit poll shows echoes of 1992
Once again, it’s the economy, stupid.
Sen. Hillary Clinton won Ohio Tuesday, March 4 after campaigning on the same issues that won her husband the White House in 1992: the state of the nation’s - and Ohio’s - economy.
The economy was the top issue for Republicans and Democrats alike in the state, according to an Edison/Mitosfky exit poll of voters in the state taken Tuesday.
Democrats overwhelmingly said that U.S. trade policy has cost the state jobs and that they worried about their family’s financial situation. Republicans, meanwhile, said the state of the nation’s economy is either not good or poor.
And among Democrats, voters who viewed the economy as the nation’s most pressing issue were also more likely to vote for Clinton than Obama. The poll found 56 percent of voters most concerned about the economy supported Clinton, and 41 percent supported Obama.
Voters who believed that U.S. trade policy had cost the state jobs were also more likely to back Clinton than Obama - but so were voters who believed that U.S. trade policy creates jobs.
The exit poll found that southwest Ohio voters were slightly more likely to vote for Clinton than Obama giving her 51 percent to his 49 percent.
The poll projected that she would win in every region of the state except northwest Ohio and Toledo, which backed Obama 49 percent to Clinton’s 48 percent.
Fifty-nine percent of Democrats said the economy was the most important issue facing the country, while 19 percent said Iraq and health care was the most important issue, respectively. And 78 percent of Democrats polled said they were either very or somewhat worried about their family’s financial situation over the next year.
Twenty-four percent of voters believed that Clinton had attacked Obama unfairly during the campaign, while eight percent said Obama did. Twenty-nine percent said both bashed the other unfairly, while 35 percent said neither did.
The sample of 1,612 voters also found that Democratic voters in Ohio overwhelmingly viewed change as more important than experience.
Forty-five percent of voters polled said they believed it was more important to vote for a candidate who can bring about needed change. Twenty-nine percent said they supported voters who had the right experience.
CNN, Edison/Mitofsky projects Clinton wins Ohio
Both CNN and Edison/Mitofsky, a polling firm doing polling for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX News, CNN and the Associated Press, have projected that Sen. Hillary Clinton will win the Ohio Democratic primary.
Exit polls show Clinton with slim lead over Obama in Ohio
Sen. Hillary Clinton holds a 51 percent lead to Sen. Barack Obama’s 48 percent in Ohio, according to exit polls by Edison/Mitofsky.
The results show that Clinton is getting heavier support than Obama with women. Obama, meanwhile, is winning among men.
The race, however, remains too close to call. The poll is a sample of 1,577 Democratic voters in the state.
Huckabee concedes; McCain is GOP nominee
Edison/Mitofsky is projecting that Sen. John McCain has won both Texas and Rhode Island, which gives him enough delegates to take the GOP nomination.
McCain won Vermont and Ohio. In Ohio, exit polls project him winning 58 percent to 33 percent for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Huckabee conceded tonight at about 9:20 p.m. EST. In a brief speech to supporters, Huckabee said he felt party unity was important, and congratulated McCain on running a strong race.
Permalink | |
No results until after 9 p.m.
A spokesman for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said a federal judge has ruled that the Sandusky County Board of Elections must stay open until 9 p.m. because the county ran out of ballots.
And according to a report by the Associated Press, the chairman of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has also indicated a federal judge has ordered the board to keep 15 precincts open until 9 p.m.
The latter order came after Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign filed a federal lawsuit after hearing reports of ballot shortages in Cuyahoga and Franklin counties.
“We are working to ensure that every Ohioan who wishes to cast a ballot today may do so,” said Paul Tewes, Obama’s Ohio political director.
Permalink | |
More new Democratic data
The poll showed more men backed Sen. Barack Obama than Sen. Hillary Clinton - men went 52 percent to 47 percent for Obama. Women, meanwhile, were more likely to back Clinton. She received 54 percent compared to Obama’s 45 percent.
Click on graphic to the right to enlarge
African-Americans, meanwhile, were more likely to back Obama, while whites were more likely to vote for Clinton. Sixty-one percent of whites went for Clinton and 38 percent backed Obama, according to the Edison/Mitofsky poll. Eleven percent of African-American voters backed Clinton and 89 percent backed Obama.
Obama also did better with voters under 44, while Clinton received strongest support from voters 45 years old and older.
Permalink | |
McCain wins Ohio
Sen. John McCain has won the Ohio Republican Party, according to exit poll data by Edison/Mitofsky.
In a random poll of Ohio voters, McCain received 58 percent of the vote to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s 31 percent.
The Democratic race remained to close for the polling company, which sends its information to the Associated Press and CNN as well, to call.
Clinton held a narrow lead over Obama, according to that poll.
Permalink | |
Two sides of the coin on the McCain win…
Here’s Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern’s take on John McCain’s easy primary victory in Ohio:
“During his brief primary campaign in Ohio, John McCain voiced his support for job-killing economic policies, told state manufacturing workers that their jobs were never coming back, then took the weekend off for a barbeque on his ranch,” he said. “Is it just me, or have Ohioans seen this movie before?”
Now, here’s Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, on McCain’s win:
“Ohioans have spoken, and I’m confident that John McCain will be our nominee and our next president. In times like these, America needs a strong leader with experience, and that’s John McCain.”
Permalink | |
Republicans on talk radio hosts…
Thirty-six percent of Republican voters ranked the views of talk radio hosts as either “very” or “somewhat” important. Fifty-six percent, meanwhile, ranked it as “not too” or “not at all” important, according to the Edison/Mitofsky exit poll of 516 Ohio Republicans.
Forty-two percent of Republicans polled said they believed Republican candidate John McCain was “not conservative enough” on issues and 47 percent said McCain’s positions were “about right.”
And 81 percent of voters said age was “not an important factor” in deciding which Republican candidate to support. Seventeen percent said it was an important issue for them in their decision.
Permalink | |
About the Republicans…
Edison/Mitofsky has polled 516 Republicans so far, and more men then women are showing up at the polls, according to the earliest wave of results.
Of the Republicans voting, 40 percent are over the age of 60, with 49 percent between the ages of 30 and 59.
Forty-three percent considered the economy the most important issue facing the country, while 22 percent considered Iraq their top issue. Nineteen percent viewed immigration as their top issue, and 15 percent considered terrorism their top issue.
Permalink | |
On the unfair attacks question…
Twenty-six percent of voters felt that Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama unfairly. Meanwhile, eight percent believed Barack Obama had the low blows of the campaign.
Twenty-five percent said both unfairly attacked the other. Thirty-six percent, meanwhile, felt neither unfairly attacked the other.
Permalink | |
Another nugget from the Dems….
Forty-eight percent of Ohio Democrats polled said they voted for the candidate they felt could best bring about needed change. Twenty-six percent said they voted for the candidate who they felt had the right experience.
Fifteen percent said they were voting for someone they felt “cares about people like me.” And seven percent said they voted for the candidate that had the best chance to win in November.
Permalink | |
First wave of Democratic exit polls….
The first wave of Democratic exit polls are in: more women are voting than men, and the highest turnout is among white women, according to exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky. The earliest results were gleaned from 1,020 Ohio voters.
Of those polled so far, 75 percent are white and 20 percent are African-American. Three percent are Hispanic.
Thirteen percent are between the ages of 17 and 29; 27 percent between the ages of 30 and 44; 33 between the ages of 45 and 59 and 26 percent older than 60.
Eighty percent of voters in the Democratic primary made their decision a week ago or more.
Fifty-nine percent considered the economy the most important issue facing the country, followed by 18 percent considering Iraq most important and 19 percent considering health care their most important.
Bomb threats, flooding part of Election Day mix
Problems at the polls Tuesday were minor but manageable as of late Tuesday afternoon, according to Patrick Gallaway, a spokesman for Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
Lucas County had voting machine problems, but the problems were remedied, he said, and voters stymied by the electronic machines there voted by paper ballot. There were also two bomb threats - one in Trumbull County, one in Lake County. “Both were investigated and found to be nothing,” Gallaway said.
A handful of counties also reported brief power outages throughout the day.
In Jefferson County, the board of elections moved three voting locations because it was low-lying and officials feared it would flood. A Franklin County Committee please judge asked for and granted that order. The Secretary of State gave voters in those locations the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot at the board of elections.
Gallaway said “the worst-case scenario” - that the polls would be kept open later - didn’t look likely as of late Tuesday afternoon.
The Ohio Republican Party, meanwhile, expressed concern that field staff on the ground in Cuyahoga County had reported that ballots were being picked up, transported and delivered exclusively by Democrats, a violation of a Secretary of State directive on midday pickups. Gallaway said the office had yet to hear that report. “I don’t know where that’s coming from,” he said.
Permalink | |
Rhine McLin, media darling
Yup, that was Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin on the cover of today’s USA Today, talking about how she is torn about which candidate to support as a superdelegate.
McLin is one of 21 Ohioans who are superdelegates - party luminaries whose vote at the Democratic National Convention hold sway over who will receive the Democratic nomination. The eventual nominee will need 2,025 delegates to get the nod.
McLin, who has professed to being torn over whether to support Clinton or Obama, told USA Today - as she has told the Dayton Daily News - that she doesn’t plan on endorsing before the March 4 election. She said she wants to follow the will of the voters.
UPDATE: She got profiled in the Washington Post today. Describing her signature spectacles - one pane is round, the other square - she quipped, “That means Dayton is well rounded and you can get a square deal.”
Permalink | |
Eye on Ohio: “Leader” ad for Obama
Obama ad talks about leading America in a new direction
THE AD: “Leader,” 2 minutes.
WHERE TO SEE IT: Aired during nightly news programs in Ohio and Texas on Monday, March 3.
SCRIPT: “I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message.
“For years, we’ve watched politicians divide us, seen lobbyists put their interests ahead of ours, and heard our leaders tell us what we want to hear, instead of what we need to hear.
“The question you have to ask yourself is this: Who can take can take us in a fundamentally new direction? I’m running to finally solve problems we talk about year after year after year.
“To end the division, the obscene influence of lobbyists and the politics that value scoring points over making progress. We can’t afford more of that — not this year, not now.
“I’ve spent my life working for change that’s made a real difference in the lives of real people. That’s why I passed up a job on Wall Street — to fight joblessness and poverty on the streets of Chicago when the local steel plant closed.
“That’s why I turned down the corporate law firms to work as a civil-rights lawyer — to fight for those who have been denied opportunity. That’s why I fought for a tough new ethics law in Illinois and Washington — to cut the power of lobbyists — and I won.
“That’s why I brought Democrats and Republicans together to provide health care and tax relief to working families. And that’s why I opposed this war in Iraq from the start. It wasn’t popular, but it was right.
“This country is ready for a leader who will bring us together. That’s the only way we’re going to win this election. And that’s actually how we’ll fix health care and make college affordable, become energy independent and end this war.
“I’m reminded every day that I’m not a perfect man. And I won’t be a perfect president. But I can promise you this: I will always tell you where I stand and what I think. I will listen to you when we disagree. I will carry your voices to the White House and I will fight for you every day I’m there.
“On Tuesday, help change Washington; let’s bring Democrats, Republicans and Independents together, not just to win an election, but to transform a nation.”
VIDEO: The campaign put Obama in a dark gray suit, white shirt and red-patterned necktie. He speaks directly into a camera. He sits in an office-like environment with a soft glow of a brass table lamp over his shoulder. Although the camera rarely is off him, the viewer gets glimpses of graphics, including newspaper endorsements in Cleveland, Dayton, Canton and Toledo.
ANALYSIS: It’s extraordinarily rare for a campaign to buy two consecutive minutes of TV time. But it’s not rare for candidates to aim messages at people who watch the evening news; they vote. Polls in Ohio and Texas show Obama and Hillary Clinton within a few percentage points of each other.
The Obama camp calls this ad “Leader.” It should be called “Closer.”
Obama has to close the deal. He has to get those last few votes to swing his way. He twice mentions the word Republican — a naughty thing for a Democrat. And also reminds Independents that they can vote for him.
David Sartin is a reporter for The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. E-mail: dsartin@plaind.com.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Eye on Ohio
Eye on Ohio: “Partner” ad for Clinton
Clinton ad talks about fighting for the American worker
THE AD: “Partner,” 30 seconds.
WHERE TO SEE IT: Began airing in Ohio Monday, March 3.
SCRIPT: Hillary Clinton: “I have talked with people from Cincinnati to Dayton to Parma.”
Man 1: “The economy in this part of the state is terrible.”
Man 2: “We need a leader who cares about the people.”
Clinton: “It’s time that the American worker had a partner in the White House.”
Woman 1: “She’s going to bring jobs back here to Ohio.”
Man 3: “And fight for working families here in the United States of America.”
Man 1: “Hillary Clinton can turn this country around.”
Clinton: “The wealthy and the well-connected have had a president. It’s time the middle class had a president, who will stand up for you. I’m Hillary Clinton and I approved this message.”
VIDEO: The color video starts with people listening as Clinton delivers a speech in front of an American flag. Four people offer quick testimonials while standing outdoors in urban settings. Then three shots show Clinton greeting plant workers and shaking supporters’ hands at campaign rallies. It ends with Clinton, mic in hand with a giant flag as the backdrop.
ANALYSIS: Sen. Clinton is focusing on jobs and the economy, which polls show consistently rank as top concerns for Ohio Democrats. She pledges to be a partner with the American worker, but it’s the anonymous female supporter who makes the declarative statement: “She’s going to bring jobs back here to Ohio.”
In a 30-second commercial, Clinton doesn’t give details of how she’ll stand up for the middle class. But she has promised to reopen trade agreements to add stricter labor and environmental standards, provide universal health care, lower taxes for the middle class and create a $50 billion fund to develop green technologies, which she says will create 5 million new jobs.
Laura A. Bischoff is a reporter at the Dayton Daily News. E-mail: lbischoff@daytondailynews.com.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Eye on Ohio
Second poll shows Clinton with 9-point lead over Obama
Sen. HIllary Clinton has a nine-point lead over Sen. Barack Obama in a second poll released Monday, March 3 of likely votes in Ohio’s Democratic presidential primary.
The poll from Public Policy Polling of Raleigh, N.C. shows Clinton ahead, 51-42 percent, a gain of four points since a PPP poll conducted last week. The results track closely with those in an Ohio Poll, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati, also released Monday which showed Clinton leading 51.3-42.3 percent.
Two other polls also were released Monday. A Quinnipiac University poll shows Clinton ahead, 49-45 percent. A poll conducted by Zogby and released by Reuters, C-SPAN and the Houston Chronicle shows Obama ahead, 47-45 percent.
The Public Policy Polling poll shows Obama not getting the level of support from young people in Ohio that he received in other states. He’s ahead of Clinton 49-46 percent among voters 18-29 years old and lags behind her 48-44 percent among voters 30-45 years old.
Among likely voters in the Republican presidential primary, also set for Tuesday, March 4, John McCain leads Mike Huckabee, 50-33 percent, with Ron Paul getting 10 percent.
PPP surveyed 1,112 likely Democratic primary voters and 612 likely GOP primary voters from March 1-March 2. The margin of error on the Democratic side is plus or minus 2.9 percent and plus or minus 4 percent on the Republican side.
Polls show Clinton ahead in Ohio
Two statewide polls released Monday morning show Sen. Hillary Clinton leading over Sen. Barack Obama among likely Democratic voters.
The Ohio Poll, conducted by the University of Cincinnati, has Clinton capturing 51.3 percent compared with Obama’s 42.3 percent. A Quinnipiac University poll shows Clinton at 49 percent compared with Obama at 45 percent.
The Quinnipiac poll was taken between Feb. 27 and March 2. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. The Ohio Poll was taken between Feb. 28 and Mar. 2 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percent.
Another poll released Monday, conducted by Zogby and released by Reuters, C-SPAN and the Houston Chronicle, finds Obama holding on to a slim lead over Clinton in both Ohio and Texas, which is also voting March 4. Obama leads 47 percent to 44 percent in Texas and 47 percent to 45 percent in Ohio.
Polls: It’s neck-and-neck in Ohio
With less than 24 hours before polls in Ohio open, Sen. Hillary Clinton holds a narrow lead over Sen. Barack Obama among likely Democrats in the state, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday morning.
Clinton, who the Quinnipiac poll has consistently shown leading Obama, now holds a 49 to 45 percent lead over Obama. That’s a nail-biter compared to the 55 to 34 percent lead Clinton held in a Feb. 14 poll. In a Feb. 25 poll, she led Obama 51 to 40 percent.
The poll shows most of Clinton’s support is among women, while men are more likely to back Obama. Low-income voters also back Clinton 50 to 44 percent, as do older voters, who support her 55 percent to Obama’s 39 percent.
Obama, meanwhile, leads 58 to 37 percent among voters under 45.
Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute predicts that turnout will tell the tale on March 4.
“It’s not just whether it is higher than normal, which everyone expects it to be,” he said. “The key question is whether turnout is disproportionately higher among some demographic groups than others.”
The poll was taken between Feb. 27 and March 2. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.
A second poll released Monday morning, conducted by Zogby and released by Reuters, C-SPAN and the Houston Chronicle, finds Obama holding on to a slim lead over Clinton in both Ohio and Texas, which is also voting March 4. Obama leads 47 percent to 44 percent in Texas and 47 percent to 45 percent in Ohio. On Sunday, an earlier version of the poll gave Clinton a 1 point advantage in Ohio.
It also found Sen. John McCain holding an easy and consistent lead over fellow Republican, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
That poll has a margin of error of just under 4 percentage points.
Clinton will be in Columbus on Tuesday
Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced Sunday, March 2, that she will spend election night in Columbus. Ohio is one of four states with primaries that night - Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island will also have elections March 4.
Sen. Barack Obama will spend election night in Texas, his campaign confirmed Sunday.
The campaign has yet to release details of where in Columbus Clinton will be. Tomorrow morning she’ll be in Toledo. After that, she’s scheduled to fly back to Texas, according to her campaign. She’ll fly back to Ohio at some point Tuesday.
Boxing champ endorses Clinton
Hillary Clinton got the endorsement of a hometown hero on Sunday, March 2 while campaigning in the Youngstown area.
Middleweight boxing champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik announced his endorsement for Clinton on stage with Clinton at Austintown-Fitch High School, her campaign announced.
That puts Clinton on the board with her opponent Barack Obama in the race for sports hero support.
Former Ohio State basketball star Greg Oden and former Ohio State football star Eddie George have endorsed Obama.
“Hillary Clinton is my kind of fighter. She’s experienced and tough enough to deliver the changes Youngstown and Ohio need,” Pavlik said in a statement issued by the Clinton campaign.”
“She’ll fight for the good jobs we need to get our economy moving again and stand up for working people everywhere. I know that as president she’ll come out swinging on Day 1 and never stop fighting for us. I am proud to support her for president.”
Clinton said that she was honored to “have him in my corner.”
Poll: Clinton and Obama deadlocked in Ohio
A poll released Saturday, March 1 by Reuters, C-SPAN and the Houston Chronicle finds Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama deadlocked in the Buckeye state with just three days before the March 4 primary election.
The poll found that Obama leads 45 to 43 percent in Texas, another big-delegate state holding an election March 4. That’s down from a 6-point advantage he held Friday and within the poll’s 4-point margin of error.
Republican front-runner John McCain had huge leads in both states over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the poll, conducted by Zogby International, found.
In Ohio, 6 percent of Democrats say they are still undecided. In Texas, it’s 7 percent.
The rolling poll was conducted Wednesday through Friday and surveyed 701 likely Democratic voters in Ohio and 708 in Texas. The poll of 600 likely Republican voters in Ohio and 596 voters in Texas had a margin of error in both states of 4 percent. In a rolling poll, the most recent day’s results are added and the oldest day’s results are dropped to track changing momentum. Zogby will continue the poll until Tuesday.
