Posted on 09/26/2004 11:49:18 AM PDT by Pontiac
Cornfields have turned from summer green to wispy stalks of beige. Only a few melons remain in their bins. But in the Farm Belt of northwest Ohio unlike much of the state the election has yet to ripen for harvest.
(snip)
It's no surprise that Kerry, a Democrat, draws cheering crowds in the Industrial Heartland of Northeast Ohio, nor that Bush owns the reliably Republican Southland of southwest Ohio.
But the president also is outpolling Kerry in the state's growing Exurbia, central Ohio, and in the hills of Appalachia.
That leaves the 21 Farm Belt counties typically conservative but independent key geography in the battle for the Five Ohios. If a battle remains.
(snip)
Green believes another dramatic finish is enticingly possible. "There is a history in Ohio of races closing in the end," he said. "And there is some history that Kerry is that kind of candidate. He tends to come on strong at the end."
Their polar opposites seethe in disbelief in Northeast Ohio, a region that has bled jobs during the Bush presidency. They are astonished that Bush could be winning Ohio, skeptical of polls that say Kerry is losing and angry at newspapers that tout them.
(snip)
But others suspect the polls are on to something. They bemoan Kerry's inability to connect with Ohio voters.
(Excerpt) Read more at cleveland.com ...
This is no time to relax. We must redouble our efforts.
We need to hustle folks. We need to get out there and educate the masses and energize the conservative base.
WE can not allow a rural voter gap
NEO Ping
Late voter registrations could cause Election Day havoc
Associated Press | September 26, 2004
CLEVELAND - Voter advocates worry that a flood of new registrations and address changes will lead to confusion and lost votes on Election Day.
In Ohio's largest counties, election boards are getting nearly double the number of registration cards submitted in 2000. The scramble is only expected to intensify this week, as the Oct. 4 registration deadline nears.
"We think this will be the sleeper issue in this election," said Kay Maxwell, national president of the League of Women Voters. "Plenty of people can fall through the cracks."
Ohio is so crucial in this year's presidential campaign that voter registration groups are stepping over each other to locate every unregistered resident.
"Ohio's the subject of such a national focus that we're almost drowning each other," said Josh Gildrie, state coordinator for the New Voters Project. "It's absolutely amazing what's going on."
Election boards across the state have hired extra staff members, extended working hours, or both to process cards. Some boards are processing them 24 hours a day.
At Cuyahoga County's elections board, Ohio's largest, about 20,000 cards sat in bins last week, waiting to be checked and entered into computers. Director Michael Vu said the board will spend about $175,000 on extra workers to process the cards. He expected to eliminate the backlog over the weekend.
John Williams, Hamilton County's elections director, said the backlog was still about 5,000 last week - down from 14,000.
"This is an election unlike anything 30-year pros have seen," he said.
The loss of jobs in Northeast Ohio started way back long before GWB was elected to office. And no president can do much about it either.
I know, because we left Youngstown way back in 1970, when we saw the handwriting on the wall. Northeastern Ohio and Western PA started dying a long agonizing death with the end of the American steel industry.
Did you see the Ohio predilection for increasing taxes to the point no industry in their right mind would locate here.
I can’t argue that point. I live in Lake County where the populace is taxed for a public transportation system (buses) that typically runs as far as I can tell at less than 25% capacity.
And a metro parks system that makes Central Park look like a slum. The park system is so over funded that it constantly looking property to acquire.
Then there are the handicapped programs that are so lavish that the county is a magnet for people all over the country.
That, and the behavior of the Labor Unions... any businessman who had to stay competitive with similar businesses in other parts of the country had to pack up and leave, or go belly-up.
What can any president do about such self-destructive behavior? Not much, really.
Kerry is so full of digested waste material, and I would venture a guess that only those who are responsible for the destruction of the area are going to vote for him.
By the way, the Democrat mayor of Youngstown does have a clue, and has endorsed GWB.
"The loss of jobs in Northeast Ohio started way back long before GWB was elected to office. And no president can do much about it either."
"I know, because we left Youngstown way back in 1970"
Some of those huge steel mills around Youngstown have entirely disappeared, the land gone back to fallow earth. It's quite amazing really.
It is amazing to me how many Demoncrat leaders are crossing party lines this year to endorse Bush.
It is sKerry actually.
All kidding aside it actually shows that there are intelligent and honest people on the other side that really do care about this republic.
I may have to change my opinion about Demoncrats and give them some respect.
Nahaaaaaaaaaaa
I wish I could follow your example and move back home. (I too am a transplant here)
I married a local girl who will not consider moving away from her family.
And my home town in North West Ohio farm country (healthy R territory) is economically depressed and does not offer any hope of gainful employment.
As to my Libertarian streak, Friedrich Hayek points the way to wealth in this nation. We need to get the government off the back of industry. Central Planning is a proven way to destroy the incentive create.
Yes a lame attempt at humor aimed at the rabid anti Bush Dimmycrats.
To the best of my knowledge I never dated a Liberal (Dimocrat or otherwise, did date a music education major so maybe). But in my early dating period it never came up in conversation.
Did you ever marry?
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