Ohio GOP Collapse?

[czawadzki]

Bob Novak at RealClearPolitics had this to say about the Dispatch poll:

"Republican senators at last week’s Tuesday luncheon meeting were stunned by news from Ohio of the Columbus Dispatch poll showing Sen. Mike DeWine behind his Democratic challenger, Rep. Sherrod Brown, by 8 percentage points.

The GOP senators had taken for granted that Sens. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania and Conrad Burns in Montana are in trouble for re-election. However, it was widely assumed in Washington that DeWine was in relatively good shape because Brown is too liberal for Ohio.

Ohio, long regarded as the national key to Republican fortunes, is shaping up as a disaster area for the GOP in the wake of Gov. Bob Taft’s unpopular administration. The Dispatch poll has Democratic Rep. Ted Strickland leading Secretary of State Ken Blackwell by 20 percentage points for governor."

I tend not to trust the Dispatch polls and we are a little early in the season -so a lot can change but - this can't be too bad.

[NEOBuckeye]

1. Sherrod isn't too liberal; It's DeWine who is too conservative

The GOP doesn't get it. They assume that voters naturally want conservative politics and politicians to dominate government. Most voters, however, are increasingly liberal in their views, and want leaders who will reflect those views.

Additionally, the Rovian propaganda machine is losing its' effectiveness as more people become willing to assess the situation critically. They can see that marginal issues like gay marriage, flag burning and abortion don't result in a better economy, more jobs and lower gas prices.

[Earl from Ohio]

2. or Dewhine is too wimpy...

what a wuss.

[femrap]

3. Maybe Ohioans have smartened up and

realized that the Pugs were manipulating them by using wedge issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and gun control. Now that a number of them have had to file bankruptcy and/or work 2 jobs to make a living...they're ready to listen to a man who has been fighting for working and middle class people and their jobs.

DeWine just wants to get rid of the Estate Tax...he cares only for the wealthy.

[mtnester]

4. The only chance the GOP has in these races now

is to go completely negative. Also to go to utter fabrication - i.e. the Strickland is Gay attempt.

If everyone will notice, Bob Bennet apologized for the TACTIC of insinuating Ted and his wife gay, not the insinuation (lie) itself.

Get ready for ugly kids. Uglier than Robi-Resnick, uglier than we have EVER seen.

Oh, another BTW - also watch for EVERY Repub candidate to make sure you have NO idea they are a Repub.

[geiger]

5. I say, let them continue to under-estimate us

They'll bounce back, though. They will use the poll results as a way to twist arms harder for money.