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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.
Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > April > 16
Friday, April 16, 2010
Martin Gottlieb: Republicans’ dance with with Tea Party hard to watch
2010 ELECTION
If the Republican Party and the Tea Party were on “Dancing with the Stars,” their best dance would be about troubled, secret, unrequited and closeted romance. It would be too awkward for Judge Len.
The Tea Party people don’t like it when you say they are a dance partner of the Republican Party. Last year, after attending the first big Tea Party rally in Dayton, I felt I needed to describe what it was, given that the Tea Party was new. I referred to it as an “anti-Obama” thing, having no idea I was saying something controversial.
But many attendees took issue.
This isn’t about party, they said. We’re mad at the Republicans, too, most specifically, over President George W. Bush’s bank bailout, but also about other aspects of the Bush years.
Tea Party leaders insist they invite Democratic speakers to their dances (and get some acceptances).
OK. But the main organizer locally is a former campaign aide to J. Kenneth Blackwell, the most conservative big-name Republican in Ohio. And the only politician among the speakers at that first rally was perhaps the most conservative elected Republican in Montgomery County, Seth Morgan. And, after all, the event was promoted by likes of anti-Democratic Fox television.
Since then, the Tea Party and the Republicans have fought the new health care law in tight enough unison to please any dance judge.
In this primary season, the candidates coming out of the Tea Party movement are Republicans. Congressman Mike Turner’s opponent, Rene Oberer, is one. Meanwhile, it’s been hard to find a Republican candidate who isn’t eagerly asking the Tea Party to dance.
So the Tea Party must expect to be seen as basically Republican — at least until it decides to enter elections as a Third Party. The case against forming a third party is, of course, that it could hurt the Republicans.
Well, if hurting Republicans is the big no-no, what are people supposed to think? All that having been said, the Tea Party people do have a legitimate gripe about some Republicans using their name. This is where the dance gets intricate.
So Jon Husted’s a Tea Party Republican, huh? That’s the impression you would get from his Web site and from a party mailing that’s gone out in his behalf. Both have a red, white and blue picture of a tea cup at the top, with the label “Tea Party Values.”
One Tea Party leader said that Husted’s opponent in the Republican primary for secretary of state, Sandra O’Brien, might legitimately claim some support of some local Tea Parties. But “Husted has no business doing it. Period. It’s laughable. It’a joke…. (H)e has for the past 10 years been part of the destruction of Ohio’s economy.”
Husted is a regular Republican, conservative to be sure. But he voted for a sales tax increase under Gov. Bob Taft. He has generally presented himself as a problem-solver, not a warrior.
He consciously gives off a very different vibe from, say, Morgan or Ken Blackwell, the party’s nominee for governor in 2006. They are true “movement conservatives.”
Husted is also the leading legislative sponsor of an effort to reform the drawing of political districts so that not as many are absolute locks for one party or another. He says the current system fosters polarization.
Hard to imagine the Tea Party people having a problem with polarization. A reformed system would have fewer Seth Morgans.
Rather than be honored by Husted and the Republicans’ bow to their importance, the Tea Party people are angry. One presented the Husted claim as an act of “war.” The dance goes psuedo-violent.
Another leader, Rob Scott, head of the Dayton Tea Party, said the Husted claim is “not genuine” and “uncalled for.”
Of course Scott is also the spokesman for Morgan. (Talk about ties between the Republicans and the Tea Party!)
Morgan is legitimately touting the Tea Party’s support in his bid for state auditor, over Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost, who has been endorsed by the state party. Scott clearly doesn’t want any confusion about who the Tea Party thinks has “Tea Party Values” in that race.
For Husted, there’s no down side to trying to co-opt the Tea Party in the primary. Apparently he’s also decided there’s no down side in the general election either.
But if there are any moderates left in the Republican Party, and they’re watching this awkward dance, they’d probably rather be watching Pamela Anderson. Maybe even Kate Gosselin.
Permalink | Comments (27) | Post your comment | Categories: Columns, Elections, Martin Gottlieb, Miami Valley Politics, Ohio politics
TweetEditorial: Jones the better choice for Warren Co. GOP
2010 ELECTION
The Republican contest to choose a state senator to represent Warren County (and eastern Hamilton County) has become something of a family feud.
Sen. Shannon Jones was appointed to the seat in August, following the death of Sen. Bob Schuler. She had done a short stint in the Ohio House, while her opponent for that appointment and in this contest, Michelle Schneider, had formerly been in the Ohio House.
Both women have represented parts of Warren County and were part of their party’s leadership. They have very similar conservative views. They once were friends and even roomed together in Columbus for a time.
You wouldn’t guess that by their campaign messages.
Ms. Schneider has painted her opponent as bought-and-paid-for by energy companies. Ms. Jones has fired back, portraying Ms. Schneider as a tax-and-spender. Neither characterization is fair.
In truth, both are good candidates with strongly conservative voting records and reputations for hard work. Either could do a good job, at least from the perspective of people who share their views. But the high-energy Sen. Jones, seen by some in the party as an up-and-comer, is the best choice.
In her short Senate tenure, Sen. Jones has spent time learning about the tough issues, worked to build relationships on both sides of the aisle and shown a strong work ethic.
She did, in fact, receive $31,000 in contributions traceable to an Akron energy company, but the Ohio Elections Commission found probable cause that Ms. Schneider’s claims that the contributions totaled $160,000 were false.
In response to Sen. Jones’ charges about her support of higher taxes, Ms. Schneider says, yes, she did vote for tax increases during her time in the Ohio House. She adds that she regrets some of those votes, including a temporary 1-cent sales tax increase, half of which became permanent.
But she argues that the big picture is broad tax reform that she credits with improving the state’s business climate. Some of those votes also came as a result of pressure from then-Gov. Bob Taft and Republican leaders during a fiscal crisis of the early 2000s, she says.
To some extent, this primary race was prompted by hard feelings about the way Sen. Jones was picked after Sen. Schuler’s death. She was selected by a committee of senators, though she had served less than two years in the legislature; that ruffled some feathers.
NOTE: Find letters of endorsement for these candidates here.
Before that, Sen. Jones had primarily worked as a political staffer, running former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine’s Cincinnati office and managing U.S. Rep. Mike Turner’s 2002 primary campaign.
Ms. Schneider, by comparison, had worked in local government, including four years as mayor of Madeira near Cincinnati.
She argues Sen. Jones was only picked for the job for her fundraising prowess. Sen. Jones has a big money lead over Ms. Schneider.
In the Senate, Sen. Jones has paid attention to some of the bigger issues, including health care, energy, foreclosures and the budget.
She says she wants to help get a bipartisan budget planning commission off the ground, in an effort to get in front of a crippling shortfall that’s being projected for the next budget.
There’s not been a lot of bipartisanship being shown in Columbus, so, if she’s sincere, that would be a good thing.
Sen. Jones is the best choice for Warren County Republicans.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: 2010 endorsements, Editorials, Scott Elliott
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