Strickland seeks Hillary, Kerry approval

Ted Strickland was busted on Friday, May 19, when he sidled into New York for a fund-raiser hosted by Hillary Rhodam Clinton. To show his deceptiveness, Strickland has said nothing. The May 24 article by Joe Hallet is worth reading in its entirety. It shows the liberal side of Strickland and how his conservativism on guns is fake. Remember the Clintons assaults on the NRA. Hallett writes

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ted Strickland quietly slipped into New York City on Friday for a fundraiser hosted by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.
Known for its openness, the Strickland campaign was unusually tightlipped about the event. Keith Dailey, Strickland campaign spokesman, said it was held at a private residence, but he declined to name the owner, saying only that "it's not anyone famous."
Dailey said about 100 people attended the fundraiser, but he would not say how much money was raised. Gubernatorial candidates can accept individual contributions of up to $10,000.
Clinton came to Ohio to raise money for Strickland's congressional re-election campaign in 1998, when she was first lady.
Saturday night, Strickland was the beneficiary of a fund raiser in Toledo headlined by Sen. John Kerry, of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic nominee for president.
Carlo LoParo, spokesman for J. Kenneth Blackwell, Strickland's GOP rival for governor, said Strickland "is a classic tax-and-spend liberal, so it doesn't surprise me that he's holding fundraisers with John Kerry and Hillary Clinton."

The support of Kerry and Clinton shows the true colors of Strickland: liberal blue-state. Which means no tax-cuts, more gov't spending and anti-abortion legislation.

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JKB's legislative influence

Blackwell's influence is showing in his poll gains but also in his getting laws passed, and only as a candidate for governor.

Jim Siegel reported in the Wedneday May 24, 2006 edition of the Columbus Dispatch, page A1, about how JKB influenced the the Ohi0 House, Senate and Governor's mansion to craft modified TEL legislation (more here and here). Siegel writes

The tension and rapid-fire movement finalized a deal between Blackwell and Republican legislative leaders. Blackwell will ask the petition committee to remove his TEL amendment from the ballot -- and the committee assured Gov. Bob Taft yesterday that would happen -- in exchange for lawmakers passing a less-restrictive bill.
In less than 26 hours, the House and Senate approved a Tax and Expenditure Limitation plan that would cap state government spending at 3.5 percent per year, or the combined rate of inflation plus population growth, whichever is greater.
It took only seven hours from start to Taft's signature for a bill giving the petition committee the power to pull the TEL amendment off the November ballot.
Taft had to sign the latter bill quickly because the petition committee must act to pull the TEL amendment off the ballot at least 60 days before the Nov. 7 election -- and the bill does not go into effect for 90 days.

The people were supporting this bill enmasse and the politicos heard the voices. This is political victory for Blackwell, because he also heard the dissenting voices who moaned and complained that they would have millions and billions less funding dollars today than if Blackwel's bill had gone into effect some 15 - 20 years ago. Blackwell got his victory, and in a small sense so did the opponents.

Of course had the bill gone into effect, the tax burden on Ohioans would be a lot less today leaving them more money with which they could grow the economy and thus put more dollars into the coffers. Those complaining and opposing viewed the whole transaction through the Keynesian economics rather than market principles.

Another thing to note is how the newspaper editorialists, i.e, those on the editorial boards have made public their opposition to this bill. Since they run the boards and have some form of influence on the rest of the newspaper production, do not be surprised if the papers continue to come out against Blackwell.

So far, Ohio's opinion leaders oppose JKB. Yet the voters have elected JKB to be (R) candidate, the legislature has approved a candidate's legislation, and the polls are showing some sort of JKB gain. Hmm, we sense a trend.

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Blackwell gaining in polls

The Dayton Daily News and AP promote a recent Unniversity of Cinncinati-sponosored poll that shows Blackwell gaining in the polls. This poll of 698 registered Ohio voters has Strickland leading 50 - 44 with 7% undecided/other and a 3.7% margin of error.

Both news networks err in two ways: First No numbers were given about how the poll was weighted, i.e., were there more (R), (D) or (I) voters; and second, neither story mentions that during the primary season JKB trailed TS by 12 points. Blackwell is moving up and it has only taken him about one month.

Plus, polls of registered voters are unreliable indicators of the final outcome. They generally favor (D) over (R), so perhaps JKB is closer than the poll indicates. Regardless of its accuracy, the poll does not help the candidate of either party. The poll was written to fill up column space.

The DDN spotlighted William Hershey's 5-26 story on page A4 and Julie Carr Smyth's AP story was posted at 5:10 pm EST.

update: NPR's Ohio edition gets it right, when Jo Ingles reports on Blackwell's gain (Real Player req). She does not however list by how many he has gained.

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Blackwell the racist: part 1,543,428

The Dayton Daily News runs a May 10 editorial (free reg req) that hints at Blackwell being a racial sell-out and ends up giving him a good-boy, good-dog pat on the head. The opinion begins by noting that the primary race was free of racial overtones and issues. It notes that most people vote (D) because the (R) party does not address minority issues. After all the racial Nixon adopted the "Southern Strategy." The racist Republicans opposed affirmitive action. The racist Bush administration tried to limit law school quotas.

The money quote is the final few paragraphs in the editorial. The newspaper writes,

Mr. Blackwell might also lose votes because he's black, of course. But the race factor didn't seem to hurt him much in a primary where nearly all the voters were white and conservative.
Not long ago, it was conventional wisdom that black candidates did worse in elections than they did in polls, because some people who were planning to vote along racial lines wouldn't admit that to a pollster.
But that was back when black candidates were always Democrats.
It's a new era. That's a good thing. And the people who are grinding their teeth know that better than anybody.

Notice here the condescending congratulations the newspaper gives to the GOP and JKB. It is similiar to an owner who pats his dog on the head for fetching the newspaper. Doggy want a treat?

The newspaper fails to note that conservatives and (R) voters vote on principle and self-achievement more than elecatibility. The opposition to affirmative action falls under the self-inspiration category. Plus it was the Democrats that enacted "Jim Crow" laws and Democrats who opposed the 1964 and 1965 civil rights legislation. Republicans voted for the 1964 & 1965 acts. Because Barry Goldwater and a few other (R) senators voted against the laws based on constitutional opposition, LBJ and the DNC successfully labeled Goldwater and the 1964 GOP as anti-racial.

Of course since the race is out this early, this could signal desperation on the part of the Democrats.

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Blackwell the Racist: part 1,543,427

The race card is out after Blackwell's primary victory. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) ran a May 10 column by Ohio University's Thomas Suddes, wherein Mr. Suddes claims, (via Lexis-Nexis)

[i]n the war to define Republicanism in Ohio, Blackwell ran best in counties most open to harangue-from-the-balcony appeals - of, say, a George C. Wallace in 1968 or of the Detroit Catholic "radio priest" Charles E. Coughlin in the 1930s. (Coughlin was one of the "Demagogues in the Depression," to cite historian David Bennett's study.)

Yes, JKB's victory makes him a racist like presidential contender Wallace and radio host Coughlin. This historical parallel falls apart because JKB is running for governor, not president or Roman Catholic Priest. Secondly, Wallace was based in Atlanta and Fr. Coughlin was a national host (possibly). Mr. Suddes reasoning is more full of DNC talking-points than any worthwhile analysis.

Mr. Suddes deserves credit for using various polling data to support his claims. (Brief side note: did you know that Hitler was a racist?). The chief ground of support underlying Mr. Suddes reasoning process is the numerical fact that

[i]n 1968, no big nonslave state gave Wallace a bigger share of its presidential vote (12 percent, one in eight votes) than Ohio did. And Coughlin's 1936 proxy (William Lemke) ran better in Ohio than [he did] nationally.

Again take note that JKB is not running as a national candidate but as a statewide candidate for governor. The comparisons continue to decay. Mr. Suddes should have found a governor's candidate who campaigned similiar to JKB for the reasoning to work. He did not. He failed.

Mr. Suddes also notes that JKB is not running a "pocket-book" campaign but a "God-guns-gays" campaign. So, Blackwell deserves criticism for choosing principle over donor-slobber? Pointing out the rest of the flaws in Mr. Suddes racist rhetoric is a waste of engergy. Read the column and see for yourself.

One final note: playing the race card so early might be a sign of desperation on the left. Take heart and be of good cheer.

Final exams are done for the semester and so is the senior theses in History. Blogging should improve.

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Blackwell is racist: part 1,543,426

An AP report (via Lexis-Nexis) on May 8 stongly hints that Ohio's black state Treasurer Jenette Bradley lost because she is black and female. Her white opponenet Sandra O'Brien toured with JKB for the campaign.

When Bradley said, "Things like race and gender, they can play both ways... Obviously so, since Ken won and I lost," she strongly implied that her race and gender hurt her, but helped JKB. (By the way did you know that Hitler was a racist?)

But wait a second, it turns out again that issues and principle swayed the voters. From the get-go O' Brien focused on the differences. O'Brien e-mailed on Day 1,

"[w]ith regards to the social issues, I am pro-life. My opponent is pro-choice. I am a National Rifle Association member and support the Right of all Americans to bear arms. According to published reports, my opponent was against concealed carry in Ohio."

Oops for the AP. Once again (R) voters chose the candidate who agreed with them on the issues of life and guns. Principle over politics. Gender and race had nothing to do with the choice for treasurer.

Plus, Taft appointed Bradley to the office, and voters are sick of the governor's corruption and RINO actions. Genuine conservativism is the cure.

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