About Local Races?

[actappan]

So, since OH is a battleground state, we ex-pats (moved away from CMH 'bout 4 years ago) are getting a lot of presidential campaign news - but noting on the local races. I try to glean something from the Columbus Dispatch, DDN, or the Plain Dealer on occasion - but there's not a whole lot there either.

Pretty much the only thing I've heard about it Eric Fingerhut's hike (cool but gimmicky) - whats the OH public's feel for other races? Any chance of beating back the GOP tide?

[Philostopher]

1. Probably not, here.

I live in District 3, Tony Hall's old district (that Republicans gerrymandered to include a lot of rural voters who traditionally vote for Republicans without even looking at the names). I don't really know what kind of chance the woman has who's running against the incumbent.

http://www.mitakidesforcongress.com/

Jane Mitakides is a great candidate, I've donated what I can to her campaign and I really like her -- but she's running against Mike Turner, who was Dayton mayor (and spent a lot of money he didn't generate revenue to replace, but it looked good in the newspaper and a lot of Dems bought into the hype), probably will win. He has a war chest she can't hope to match, and Republican backing because he's voted with Bush* about 95% of the time.

But hey -- she might do it, I don't know. Tony Hall didn't retire the seat until a couple of months before the election (Bush* had promised him a diplomatic position, then hemmed and hawed around until it was too late for the Democrats to really field a candidate and run against Turner). I know I'll probably send her more money before the election, and I'll feel good voting for her (not just against Turner). He's a piece of crap Bush*-enabler. Who wouldn't feel good voting for anybody who wasn't?

[AngryOldDem]

2. Mitakides vs. Turner

**I don't really know what kind of chance the woman has who's running against the incumbent.**

I almost joined the Mitakides campaign last week -- unfortunately, I had to turn it down because of a lot other big commitments this fall -- and I asked what their numbers looked like. They said they have not yet begun polling. They are on a "watch list" as one of the more promising congressional races, though. But yeah, you have to be realistic.

That's always been the trouble with the 3rd District -- once an incumbent gets in, the job seems to be his for life. We had Chuck Whalen forever; then Tony Hall, and now I'm afraid Mike Turner (thanks to the nifty redistricting, which you mentioned).

She's run a fairly quiet campaign so far, which will have to change soon if she wants any kind of chance against Lapdog Mike, especially down in the southern part of the district.

She gets my vote.

[Philostopher]

3. Just curious ...

the whisper around here was that the only reason Bush* put Tony Hall on that hunger committee was because they wanted this district, and they knew the only way they were going to get it was if they got Hall out, since he was so popular. He'd have won even with the redrawn district, I suspect -- he wasn't especially liberal, and even the Republicans must have voted for him in droves, if they didn't even bother to field a candidate the last time or two he ran.

They will play dirty -- offering him a diplomatic post he couldn't pass up, then putting off appointing him until too late for the Dems to field a candidate to run against Turner, was smart politicking whether I like it or not.

I hope Jane pulls it out, but it is Ohio. The only saving grace is at least we won't 'get Diebolded' around here! If she loses, she loses honest this year.