The last election portends disaster for the GOP in this area of the country. The last bulwarks against the blue tide flooding out of the Northeast into the Great Lakes region have been swept away (OH and IN). The 'Rats have the region ringed, from NY to MN.
If the 'Pubs are ever going to rebuild as a national party, they've got to re-take IN and OH in this area. Even as a regional party, it's on shaky ground, with VA and NC and FL tumbling into the 'Rat column. You know you're fighting from a weak position when you have to re-take formerly solid territory.
You are right. I don’t know how people can’t see this. They act like no states (except their state matters). They are wrong. As for being lectured by a Virginian (I’m from Virginia-my family lived there for more than 300 years) about the ‘South’-give me a break. There are two Dem Senators in Virginia...take the plank out of your eye my friend. Ohio still has one GOP Senator who voted against the stimulus package. Virginia cast to votes for stimulus.
The main reason the Ohio GOP lost was that the guys who ran it were crooks. If the unemployment rate goes over 10 % and there are some terrorist attacks, both of which I consider likely, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, and Florida will vote Republican again.