Gov's race

Joe Hallett editorializes about the state of the '06 governor's race on page E5 in the Sept 18, 2005 edition of the Cleveland Dispatch (paid sub. req.)

He concludes that the GOP nomination is "Blackwell's to lose" since Blackwell is 15 points ahead of Montgomery and Petro. For the Democratic side, Lisbon leads Coleman by 7 points.

Hallett also opines that

Once considered a long shot, Blackwell raised his profile last year by constantly being in the news during the presidential race and appearing in voter-education TV ads paid for with federal funds. Blackwell has endeared himself with the conservative GOP base, particularly the religious right, by campaigning in churches and hitching his candidacy to the anti-abortion movement and last year's successful Ohio campaign to ban same-sex marriage.

There are definite opinions in this issue. As far as Blackwell 'constantly being in the news' during the '04 campaign, Blackwell had no other choice since the Democrats threw lawsuit after lawsuit at him, Kerry drug the campaign out for another day or so, and Nader continually sued him. Blackwell also appeared in those ads since Ohio Law dictates that the SOS be in charge of running elections. Hallet has a point about the drawbacks of campaigning in churches. That makes me nervous.

Blackwell also has not hitched himself to the anti-abortion movement. Hallett himself later points out that it is Petro who has flip-flopped. Blackwell was also the only Ohio politician of note to agree with some 70% of Ohio's voters. Every other Ohio politician did a duck and run. Blackwell is the candidate with principles. Now that he is governor, he is making them more public than when he was SOS.

Read the article. Too many insinuations about Blackwell in what could have been a generally fair article.

Please e-mail the Editor-in-Chief with any questions.