Blackwell was no babe in the woods. He had won repeatedly statewide. What sank him was running in a terrible year (2006), and having the baggage of the corrupt liberal RINO Taftite Establishment, for which he had nothing to do with, around his neck.
I vehemently disagree that the best Ohio can do is the likes of weasel Kay Sick. The state can very much elect actual Conservatives if given the option in a good year.
I also disagree that Ohio will knee-jerkly vote Democrat for President this year. That 3-5% you cite was the margin of loss for the last two weak ringers the RINOs put up. Running a nominee who actually wants to win, one who motivates the base, Ohio will be in the bag. Pennsylvania will be in the win column this time, too, for the same reasons.
After the failure of bubba Bob Taft, Blackwell could have been the 2nd coming of Christ Himself and he would have still lost with an R by his name.
This state votes for wartime Presidents and has been trending steadily leftward for the past 20 years. Kasich is as conservative as you’re going to see from here on out. Hate to break it to you. There’s a reason the Congressional districts are hilariously gerrymandered in this state.
With the Cincy and Columbus burbs going leftward, the 3 C’s outweigh the rest of the state (before you even bring in Toledo and Dayton). A statewide election is going to bring a centrist Republican (Kasich, Portman) or a leftist Democrat.
As it is, the ONLY reason Kasich won so handily is the Ohio Democrats are morons and ran an idiot from Cleveland without fully vetting him first. Kasich would have been in deep trouble had Strickland run again or if Brown had left the Senate.
Disagree all you want - we’ll see who is right in November.