"Whose Side Are You On?"

A prominent Ohio Democratic politician recently commented on what he considers to be the crucial question in any election. The question is: "Whose side are you on?" That question is really at the heart of most domestic policy and political disputes. It is seen in the health care debate.

If you are opposed to the Obama plan, then you are for maintaining the status quo. Sure, you can say that you want a single-payer plan, or Medicare for all, or some other plan, like the plan offered by Senator Ron Wyden, but the reality is that its either the current plan or the status quo.

Why do I say that? Because it is obvious that there aren't the votes in either the Senate or the House to get a national payer plan. There aren't the votes to expand Medicare to all Americans, regardless of their age. As far as the Wyden plan goes, there probably aren't the votes to pass that plan either, especially once people realize it does away with the employer paid health insurance benefit.

So, its either the Obama plan or the status quo. Now, if you are for the status quo, then you are on the side of the insurance companies. You are on the side of those people who don't care if 30 million Americans are without health insurance, or if Americans are denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, or if insurance companies try to rescind coverage just when people need it most. If you are against the Obama plan, then that's the side that you are on.

Now, if you are on that side, then you are not on my side, or my family's side, or my friends' side, and, if you are a U.S. Congressman running for re-election, then I am not voting for you. If this attitude results in the election of a Republican, I can live with that. The Republican won't be on my side, but either are you, so there's really no difference. Further, if you are defeated in 2010, then there's a chance the Democrats can nominate and elect a Democratic who is on my side in 2012.

Think of it as a example of single-issue voting, only from the Left, not from the Right.

Gallup Sees Most States As "Blue"

Gallup has an interesting poll up showing that the Democratic Party has a marked advantage in party identification on a state by state basis. You can read about this poll by clicking here. The map below is from the article:

New ODP Video Clip on McCain Comments

John McCain made the comment that a lot of the economic problems that people face today are psychological. The Ohio Democratic Party took a video camera out and asked Ohioans if they thought the problems with today's economy are "psychological." You can see the video clip here.

More Evangelical Voters Vote in Ohio Democratic Primary

Faith in Public Life, in conjunction with Sojourners and Center for American Progress, instituted an exit poll that asked both Ohio Democratic and Republican voters in last week's election whether they were evangelical Christians. The poll results showed that 43% of white evangelical voters took part in the Ohio Democratic primary and 57% took part in the Republican primary.

This is from a Reuters news article on the exit poll:

The Tuesday poll also found that 42 percent of Ohio’s white evangelical voters ranked jobs and the economy as the most important issue area in deciding how to vote versus 14 percent who ranked abortion and same-sex marriage as the most important issue.

Such a finding may not be surprising in a Rust Belt state like Ohio, which has been shedding manufacturing and other jobs. But the poll also found that 54 percent of white evangelical primary voters surveyed wanted a broader agenda such as ending poverty and protecting the environment.

These voters are voters that Democrats can reach by talking about social justice issues and relating those issues to their faith. What Democrats can't do is decide that they aren't going to talk to such voters or try and address their concerns.

Why Ohio Democrats Need a Contested Presidential Primary

In politics, when the presidency is on the line, that campaign is the main event, all other campaigns are the undercard. In such elections, voters don't turn out to vote for state senator, or county commissioner, unless they are a relative or friend of such local candidates, they turn out to vote for president, and while they are there, they vote in the other races.

Which is why Ohio Democrats need the battle between Clinton and Obama to last until March 5th, 2008. In Ohio you become a member of a political party by voting in that party's primary election. Thus, if there is a race between Clinton and Obama there will be much more incentive for Democrats to vote than Republicans.

If what has happened in the rest of the nation, a much bigger turnout for the Democratic race as opposed to the Republican race, then registration levels for Democrats will soar. This means that local Democratic parties will be able to identify and use the names of voters who vote in the 2008 primary as potential volunteers in this fall's elections.

That's why, no matter which candidate you are supporting for president, you want this campaign to continue until after Ohio's primary. What you don't want to happen is what this writer calls for and that is for Clinton to drop out before Ohio's primary.

Leonard W. Schultz, Pat Hanek's Father, Passed Away

LEONARD W. SCHULTZ, 87, of Medina passed away on Jan. 26, 2008. He is survived by his daughters, Jean (Ken) Pfister and Patricia (John) Hanek; grandchildren Abigail (Michael) Aguilar, Katherine Pfister and Nicholas, William and Joel Hanek; and great-granddaughter Angelina Pfister. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie (nee Fulton) Schultz; parents William and Mary (nee Zephirin) Schultz; and four sisters. Mr. Schultz was buried at the Western Reserve National Miliary Cemetary in southern Medina County. A memorial service was held at Carlson Funeral Home in Brunswick, Ohio.

His daughter Pat is the State Central CommiteeWoman for the 22nd District. She was elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2006. Medina County Democrats also know her as one of the people who helps run the Medina County Democratic Party Headquarters during the fall in years when there is a presidential or gubernatorial election.

Lakewood, Ohio Democratic Club Sponsoring Dem Nomination Straw Vote

Fellow Democrats and Progressives,

Would your organization be willing to cosponsor an Ohio Democratic Presidential Straw Poll this Jan 31? The Lakewood Democratic Club has secured a time and location and would like to include as many Northeast Ohio Democrats as possible. We hope you can team up with us to put on Northeast Ohio's first-ever (to our knowledge) straw poll!

Why should Iowa and New Hampshire have all the fun? It¢s our turn to have our say! This event will give Ohio Democrats the chance to cast an early vote for their choice for the Democratic Presidential Nominee BEFORE Super Duper Tuesday (Feb. 5). The winner of the straw poll will be publicly announced to let the media know who Ohioans want for president.

By cosponsoring, you agree to:

Lend your name to the event
Publicize the event to your members
Ask your members if they can volunteer to run the even (e.g. set up, break down, check in table, count votes, etc.)
There is no cost to your organization.
Eligibility To Vote: Any 18+ year old Ohio resident may cast one vote for the cost of $5 (funds defray cost of event). Voters must be physically present; no proxy voting. Non-registered persons can vote in the straw poll, then register to vote in the official March 4 primary
DEADLINE: If you can cosponsor, please let us know by Sun, Jan 13 so we can include you on the flier and still have time to publicize the event. (Preliminary flier attached.)

Sincerely,

Tom Bullock
Lakewood Democratic Club, 1st Vice President
216-337-1318

Rural Vote Starting to Turn Democratic, Ohio Led Way in 2006

According to this report from NPR the reliably Republican vote out of the rural areas of our country is staring to turn Democratic and the war in Iraq seems to be the reason. This is a very important development. The rural vote is credited with giving Bush both his 2000 and 2004 election victories.

What’s important to remember is that Chris Redfern, Ohio Democratic Chair, realized the importance of the rural vote in 2005 when he encouraged Ted Strickland to run for governor. Prior to 2006, and since 1962, Ohio Democrats had nominated eight candidates for governor. Seven of them had come from the top five counties in the state based on population. Those seven candidates won a total of three elections.

The reason why they lost was that they weren’t able to run up enough votes in the big counties to off set their losses in the areas outside of the large urban counties. The same thing happened in 2004 when Kerry won the larger counties, but lost counties that bordered the large urban counties such as Medina, Delaware, and Butler. They also lost more rural counties and didn’t carry the southeastern part of Ohio.

Contrast this with Ted Strickland who is from a rural part of Ohio. He carried not only the large urban counties, but ran up the vote in the rural parts of Ohio. He carried the southeastern part of the State.

Why did Strickland do so well all over Ohio? It is tempting to agree with the conventional wisdom and say it was largely because the Republicans nominated a nutcase for Governor. Like most conventional wisdom, however, the GOP nomination of Blackwell is only part of the story. Another part of the story is that Strickland was able to appeal to all sorts of Ohioans, not just those from large urban counties.

Take guns for example. Strickland’s position on guns is not favored by a lot of Ohio Democrats who come from large urban counties. Yet, in 2006, it was not possible for the GOP to demonize Strickland on this issue. Because the GOP couldn’t demonize Strickland on that issue, a lot of voters for whom guns are a deal breaker actually listened to Strickland on other issues such as education, jobs, and corruption.

Redfern deserves credit for realizing that the Ohio Democratic Party had to expand its reach in order to win state-wide victories in 2006. National Democrats who want to learn about winning the rural vote could do a lot worse than talking to both Strickland and Redfern.

The Political Power of Intensity

One Saturday last October both Sherrod Brown and Mike DeWine appeared for voter rallies and campaigning in Medina County. The Sherrod Brown event drew around 150 people. The DeWine event drew six people. Think about that for a minute. An incumbent GOP Senator running in a very tough re-election campaign was only able to attract six people to the GOP Medina County Headquarters. As a friend of ours pointed out recently the above example shows the power of intensity in political campaigns.

This brings us to Senator Clinton's campaign in Medina County and Ohio. When he was recounting that story, our friend was remarking on why he thinks that Senator Clinton's campaign will have trouble in Ohio. He believes that Democratic activists will not be as emotionally committed to her campaign as Republicans will be emotionally committed to defeating her. He believes that while Democratic activists will still vote for Senator Clinton, she will not arouse their passions like other candidates such as Barack Obama.

In the link in this entry's title is a news article about Senator Clinton's speech at the Ohio State Democratic Party dinner last Saturday, April 12, 2007. In the article there is a note about dinner attendees not responding with enthusiasm when Congresswoman Stephanie T. Jones tried to lead them in a chant for Hillary. Although it is early, this incident may show a lack of political passion for Senator Clinton in Ohio. If true, that will make it much harder for her to win Ohio in 2008.

Ohio State Democratic Party Dinner Tickets Available

Pam Miller, Medina County Democratic County Chair....
I still have a few tickets available for the Ohio Democratic Party State Dinner, this Saturday, with Senator Hillary Clinton. Tickets are $150. Email pamelabmiller@gmail.com or call 330-725-7487.

Framing the Recent SCOTUS Decision on Abortion: Republican Supreme Court Refuses Another Opportunity to Overturn Roe

The recent decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States of America in the cases of Gonzales v. Carhart et al. and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America are being portrayed as defeats for abortion right advocates, and, by extension, for the Democratic Party. The reason why the Democratic Party is being seen as suffering a setback is because of the perceived support of the Democratic Party for Roe v. Wade.

There is another way, however, to portray this recent decision. This is at least the third time since the Roe decision that the Republican majority of the United States Supreme Court has refused to overturn Roe v. Wade. There are seven Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justices on the Court as opposed to only two Democratic-appointed Justices. This has been the situation for several years because since the Roe decision, only two Democratic-appointed Justices have been named to the Court. Thus if Roe hasn't been overturned, it is because Republican-appointed Justices don't want to overturn it.

Keeping Roe around makes sure that the conservative base of the GOP stays motivated. It helps in close elections like 2000 and even 2004. Overturning Roe, however, carries the substantial risk of a backlash from women against the GOP. It could cause suburban women in particular to abandon the GOP. It would deprive GOP nominees for President of a potent issue and put GOP candidates for state legislature positions in swing states in a bind.

Since approximately 90% of abortions are performed in the first trimester of pregnancy, the impact of the two recent decisions will be limited, which is exactly what the GOP wants. What it doesn't want is for Democrats to point out that it is a GOP appointed and dominated SCOTUS that is keeping Roe around.

LaTourette Joins Dems on Employee Free Choice Act

An examination of House Roll Call 118 for the 110th Congress shows that Steve LaTourette, (R-OH), was the only Ohio Republican to vote with the Ohio Dems for the Employee Free Choice Act. As far as we can tell, all the other Republicans voted against this bill, which was being pushed by organized labor to restore equality in the battle for union representation. This is the second time that LaTourette has sided with Dems in an important vote while all other Ohio Republicans voted with the Republican leadership, the first being on the Iraq War Resolution opposing the surge ordered by President Bush.