Posted on 05/07/2009 9:22:31 AM PDT by Big_Monkey
A few sites have noted the Quinnipiac poll in Ohio, showing Gov. Ted Strickland with high approval ratings, way ahead in hypothetical matchups against Republicans, and the possible Democratic candidates leading next year's Senate race as well.
What struck me about the poll was the astonishingly low name ID for just about all of the Republican candidates. (The good news for the GOP is that this will change in the next 18 months.) For example, 31 percent of respondents didn't know enough about Mike DeWine to have an opinion of him. He was a two-term senator, folks.
Similarly, 68 percent of respondents said they didn't know enough about likely GOP Senate candidate Rob Portman to have an opinion of him. I realize U.S. Trade Representative and director of OMB aren't huge glamour jobs in Washington, but he was in Congress for about 12 years. Must not have made much news outside of his district.
Finally, 70 percent of respondents said they didn't know enough about likely GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich to have an opinion of him. Never mind his nine terms in the House and chairing the budget committee, he had a show on Fox News on Saturday nights . . . that apparently 70 percent of Ohioans have never seen.
Draw a line across the center of the state just below Columbus.
That’s the conservative area. If succession ever does come, there will probably be a North Ohio and a South Ohio.
Actually, I think if you drew a line separating Ohio from everything North of the Ohio Toll Road and east of US 77 (Essential divesting Ohio of Toledo, Cleveland and Akron), that would give you an incredibly comfortable GOP majority.
I just can't believe how incredibly uniformed Ohioans seem to be about politics - only 30% knew John Kasich? How is that possible?
I’m a Cincinnatian and know that these names have been floating around Ohio for many years. Either the poll is way off or a lot of Ohians are living with their heads buried in the sand.
We are from N. Ky and moved to the Cleveland area 4 years ago - their heads are up their butts. These Obamabots up here don’t care to know the news - they vote by race and by what the unions tell them to. Try to discuss a news article and all you get is a “deer in the headlights” look. As one obamabot who’s staring to see the light said about Zero’s abortion policy “I didn’t vote for that...”
Frankly, South Ohio would do well to divest itself of this area and let the ship sink.
Except for the fact that OH has a long history of electing only RINOs, never conservative Republicans to offices higher than Congressman, two of three of the Republican names mentioned in the article probably have higher ratings now than once voters learn or remember who they are.
I'm not sure I follow your logic. Are you saying that once Ohioans find out that Portman and Kasich aren't purely orthodox conservatives they're going to become less popular?
I grew up in Ohio and I can't remember there ever being a statewide appetite for a purely conservative Governor or Senator - as you say, Ohio has never elected one. Before Voinivich and DeWine we had 25+ years of Metzenbaum and Glenn, two of the most liberal Senators that you could find.
I actually think as more people learn about both Kasich and Portman, they'll become more acceptable to Ohioans, not less precisely because they're not conventional Republicans.
What did they do conduct the poll on a college campus?
Yep our county always goes republican and we are on I-70 between Columbus and Wheeling WV. I think you could draw the line at I-70 and just dip under Columbus and that area is all conservative.
Ohio has had a great influx of people,illegal and legal,that are ruining the republicans chances here,along with the schools,media and political brainwashing,it’s a mess,the best thing is dem’s usually destroy there own chances when in power. This state was built on coal,timber,farming,and water commerce,it will not succeed on solar power,wind and organic gardening.As far as our politicians ,dewine,voinovich and the rest were and are just about worthless.Kasich and a few others are really good,but msm never reveals their identity unless its negative publicity.
You’re right, only I was referring to the RINOs Kasich and DeWine because I really don’t know that much about former Congressman Portman other than he served in Bush II’s administration (Trade Rep.?.) I meant that since OH will only elect at most RINOs, Kasich and DeWine couldn’t get elected any place except for somewhere like OH where they are the FAR right compared to Metzenbaum et.al. Someplace where conservatives can be elected, those two would have the highest ratings while nobody remembered or knew who they were.
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