Is Ohio Turning Blue?

Human Events Online ^ | 08-12-05 | Gizzi, John

[conservative_2001]

"The second district is the most Republican in Ohio.We should have gotten 65%.Something is wrong."

True, but don't try using logic with the FRino's here.

Voters in Ohio are mad about Bob Taft's tax increases. Republicans in the 2nd District nominated a candidate who voted for all those tax hikes.

Voters in Ohio are mad at Bob Taft's corruption. Republicans in the 2nd District were dumb enough to nominate a candidate who can easily be tied to him and with ethics problems of her own.

There were 11 candidates, and we just happen to nominate a candidate who is both a taxaholic and the 2nd most unelectable candidate in the field. We can't blame the media for this one. We can't even dish all our blame on Bob Taft, as we could have nominated someone who can't be tied to him. Republicans in the 2nd District, including a number of RINO's on this site, put us in this position.

[Gipper08]

It seems RINOs are taking over.These days the definition of a conservatives means whatever anyone wants it to mean.What do you think about 08?

[mabelkitty]

Not if Blackwell becomes Governor.
If they keep putting up these RINO Republicans and expect to get elected, they will find out the hard way they miscalculated.
Maybe yanking their power from them is what they need at this point.

[mabelkitty]

Ohio won't matter much in the next ten years.
We're losing thousands of people every year, so the Census will drop us in the standings.

[atlanta67]

yes that is true, but I reject this idiotic notion of a red and blue state as though the way states vote is something permanent.

OH voted DEM in 1976, 1992 and 1996.

Just because they might elect a DEM gov next year doesnt mean squat. CA, IL, PA, WI, MI, OH, NY, NJ, MA all had GOP govs in 1996 and Dole didnt carry a single one of those states.

RED/BLUE is just a way for the media to be lazy and not do any real political reporting

[atlanta67]

no one has been killed by Tafts incomptence, that was the final straw in IL

[mabelkitty]

He's clean.
He was not part of the Taft-Graft for the very reason that the RINO Mafia was laying the groundwork for Petro or Montgomery to run for Governor - by trying to squeeze out Blackwell, they basically boosted his chances.

[atlanta67]

he would have looked foolish running against Enron given so many people had been already found guilty.

[atlanta67]

""Is Ohio turning blue? Possibly. It definitely has become a battleground state""

there is no such thing as a state permanently being a battle ground state.

OH is consistently about 2 points more GOP than the nation as a whole (2004 was the exception). If the election nationally is 50/50, then yes OH is a battle ground state.

if the GOP candidate is winning nationally 55/45, then no OH is NOT a battle ground state. Then states like IL, CA, NJ are battleground states. If the DEM is winning 55/45, then MO, VA become battleground states.

[atlanta67]

""It seems RINOs are taking over.These days the definition of a conservatives means whatever anyone wants it to mean.What do you think about 08?""

if you think RINOS are taking over you must be very new to party politics. RINOS have less influence in the GOP today than they did back in the 1970s and 1980s.

the problem is that since conservatives have won som many elections since 1980 and have suffered so few set back (1986), they have become very demanding that members of the GOP be philoshopically pure.

Both Senators from ME are called RINOS frequently,m but few here sem to realsie that both Snowe and Collins are more conservative than the constituents they serve.

[atlanta67]

""The story to the MSM is that 2006 will be like 1994. The MSM just can't get over the fact that the stories they are reporting just aren't matching reality.""

let them think that. One huge thing that aided the GOP in 1994, was the so many DEMs retired.

[atlanta67]

""Hackett is a lib and he came within 4 points, even while literally and publicly calling the President a POS.""


i dont think you paid much attention to what was going on in the local OH media...that is what he did at the national level, not the local level

[conservative_2001]

It seems RINOs are taking over.These days the definition of a conservatives means whatever anyone wants it to mean.What do you think about 08?

The RINO's have certainly taken over Ohio. When the Bob Taft/Jean Schmidt tax hikes passed in 2003, only 8 out of 62 Republicans in the House voted against it. Of course, those 8 are the "bad Republicans" for not supporting their RINO leaders Taft and Householder. The 54 tax-hikers are the good Republicans according to the hierarchy.

I'm still taking a wait-and-see approach for 2008. My inclination is to think we need someone from outside the DC beltway so we can put a fresh face on what will be 6 continous years of Republican-only rule. And besides, Governors run better than Senators anyways. Though I'd support a DC insider if that person was revealed to be the best candidate.

If Jeb Bush ran I'd look hard at him. As long as the Democrats run Hillary they can't bash Governor Bush on the nepotism issue. I'll definitely take a look at any conservative Governor in a blue state, such as Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota. Isn't Carcieri in Rhode Island also conservative?

Things can change in 2 years when the race really gets hot, so I'm not too focused on names right now. I just know I'll be taking a long look at any clean, conservative governor who's popular in their state who isn't a tax-hiker like RINO Bob Taft.

[conservative_2001]

the problem is that since conservatives have won som many elections since 1980 and have suffered so few set back (1986), they have become very demanding that members of the GOP be philoshopically pure. Both Senators from ME are called RINOS frequently,m but few here sem to realsie that both Snowe and Collins are more conservative than the constituents they serve.

There's a big difference between expecting to get conservatives in Maine and expecting to get conservatives in a conservative Congressional district. I usually don't bother criticizing Snowe and Collins, or the 3 liberal Republican Congressmen from Connecticut, because as you noted, they're probably about as conservative as we'll get from those states. I know that we'll get some votes from them, but not others.

Some districts you might get some conservative votes on economic issues, but not social issues. Some districts you might get conservative votes on social issues, but not economic issues. If it's not a conservative district, that's probably the reality we're facing.

That's what makes it especially important to get conservative representation from conservative states/congressional districts. Our best chance of passing legislation is to start with a good conservative base that we can count on for virtually any vote, then get the rest of the votes where you can.

[atlanta67]

""There's a big difference between expecting to get conservatives in Maine and expecting to get conservatives in a conservative Congressional district.""

most here cant see it that way.

[youthgonewild]

let them think that. One huge thing that aided the GOP in 1994, was the so many DEMs retired.

I'd say Clinton was a much bigger factor. Gays in the military and HillaryCare went over like a lead balloon. It was much more than open seats that were taken, Jim Sasser, Tom Foley and Harris Wofford were taken out as incumbents.

[Gipper08]

I was referring to the Frist,Allen,Brownback,Santorum wing of the party who are "conservative" to the core yet Big government seems not to bother them.

[balch3]

I was liking Allen, until he started criticing the President. Now I don't know. Maybe the rumors are right and Cheney will run. It seems like a longshot, but maybe he can be convinced for the good of the country.