Five suburban mayors bolt the GOP (Ohio)

[Algorem]

Source: Plain Dealer

Posted by Joseph L. Wagner March 05, 2008 12:23PM


At least five Republican mayors in Cuyahoga County switched parties Tuesday as part of a carefully orchestrated coup by Democratic Chairman Jimmy Dimora...




"They see the dominance of the party structure. You might as well get on the winning team." He said the party-jumping is a backlash to Republican rule in the nation and Ohio...


"George Bush made me feel embarrassed to be a Republican. Ken Blackwell made me embarrassed to be a Republican," she said...


Dimora said he has been recruiting the Republican mayors for months. His main pitch has been that Democrats control most of the powerful political seats in Cuyahoga County, as well as the State House. "And Democrats will soon have the White House," he said.



Read more: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/03/five_suburban_mayors_bolt_the.html

[LeftCoast]

1. That's excellent news! I am really shocked at the total collapse of the OH repub party!

I never would have believed this four years ago.

[pattmarty]

8. That's what happens when you become so arrogant.

Barring any stupid disastrous mistakes on the Dems part, this year nationwide should be a blowout for the Dems.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Time to abandon the S. S. AWOL Republicon Homelander

No one of honor -- or even without honor but some intelligence -- wants to be associated with the corrupt republicon homelanders and their Massive Failures in every sector.

[ingac70]

3. Funny...

but that doesn't change the fact these guys are "conservative". They'll just pollute the party.

[blm]

4. After Clinton loyalists collapsed Dem party structure in mid90s, too many Dems switched to GOP

because of their growing strength.

I'd hate to see that repeat just as GOP is weakening its grip, thanks to Howard Dean's chairmanship.

Bush and his loyalists have run the GOP structure into the ground. Because they used it only for THEMSELVES. Sounds familiar.

[aquart]

9. Yeah. Obama shouldn't have hired so many Clinton people.

Or do you mean he only hired the DISloyal ones?

[blm]

15. McAuliffe is with Hillary. Carville is with Hillary. The Bushlovers are ALL with Hillary.

.

[sasquatch]

5. Good work guys

:thumbsup:

[Kolesar]

6. Translation: There is nothing to be gained by kissing Latourette &Regula for earmarked pork projects

Latourette used to have this power to stifle mayors and even congressmen and keep them from campaigning for his opponents. No more. They lost the majority in the last election and the trend is not their friend.

Good work, Jimmy Dimora!

edit: Latourette and Regula are long serving GOP congressmen from Northern Ohio who are on powerful funding committees.

[aquart]

10. Are they in play?

[Kolesar]

14. Regula's district is pretty close to parity Dem:Rep

Candidate recruitment may determine the outcome in that race.

Latourette's district, mine, will be a tough fight. It's the wealthiest district in Ohio, by far. Nominee Bill O'Neill has done impressive fundraising so far, which tells me that *somebody* thinks it's playable.

If the gop has a massive shortfall of money this year, they may not be able to execute their very expensive TV ads and get out the vote campaign.

O'Neill says he refuses to take money from the energy industry. He "gets it". I met him at a Democratic function, and he is a quick study.

[trthnd4jstc]

7. After the Republicans look at their Party's Abuses of Power...

They should change their party to the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is a bigger tent than the Republican. I do wish for the Democratic Party to become more democratic. In some places it is like, St. Louis City, and County, but in Metro-East Illinois, the party is exclusive. I am still involved and trying to help the Party though. The Democratic Party believes in a balanced budget, not leaving our fellow citizens to desparation over ones economic situation. The Democratic Party, though not perfect allows liberals, and leftists, centrists, and conservatives in it. The Republican Party only wants Moderates, to Conservatives.

[aquart]

11. Uh, no, thank you.

The last thing I want is a bunch of Bush enablers calling themselves Democrats. We have enough of those already.

[trthnd4jstc]

16. Some of these Republicans are Republicans from birth.

Some of my fellow veterans are Republicans. They are seriously doubting the Republican Party. Isn't our tent wide enough for them?

[Nostradammit]

22. Hillary springs to mind.

[Bilbo Heugan]

12. Sheer political opportunism, plain and simple.

If these guys had Democrat ideals, they wouldn't have still been Republicans, so they could not have been converted. These are just five more conservative operatives moving the Democratic Party to the right.

[frog92969]

17. Yeah, that's just what we need.

More republicans with a (D) by their name.
Like it isn't confusing enough already.

[Pharlo]

19. It may be partly 'political opportunism', but it is also

the price we pay for a two party system. If someone is honestly disgusted with their current party, the ONLY viable option they have, in many instances, is the opposition. In a parliamentary system, there are enough established parties between the progressive liberal and the ultra conservative to give a person an option. Here, that is not always the case.

[frog92969]

20. I guess you're right.

But it's no less disturbing.

[Dan]

13. hahha

I have always felt that if America were conquered by a foreign power - our political leaders would be the first to switch allegiance..

[frog92969]

18. So his plan from the start was to bait neocons with power

and then offer them mole status.

Who's side is this guy on?
We're supposed to be happy about this?

[bronxiteforever]

21. Kick & R-