In Ohio, a First (pre-emptive) Strike

[kskiska]

GOP Touts Jobs Effort by Bush

President Bush's reelection campaign moved deeper into its general-election playbook yesterday and launched a preemptive defense of his economic record in Ohio ahead of a visit by his likely opponent, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).

The decision reflects the Bush campaign's growing concern about Ohio, a state he won by 4 percentage points in 2000 but is among the hardest hit by job losses. The move is the latest of near-daily signs Bush's campaign is engaging Kerry as if he were the Democratic nominee.

Labor Department figures show that in 2003, Ohio was second only to another swing state -- Michigan -- in number of jobs lost. In January, Michigan was first and Ohio second in the number of jobs lost in the previous month.

Ohio reporters jammed a conference call that the Bush-Cheney campaign set up yesterday with Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who began by saying he wanted to "set the record straight" about how Bush's economic policies have benefited the state.



more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49161-2004Feb17.html

[aquart]

1. How safe is Rob Portman's seat? Can we dump his ass?

Oh, and did the conference call convince anybody?

Sweat, Portman. Karma's on the line.

[Corgigal]

2. Didn't Bush screw over the steelworkers

in Ohio? I mean just recently or have I lost my mind? Oh I'm probably right just the Bushie people think we have forgotten.

[rhino47]

3. I live on the Ohio border

and dumping the steel tarriffs plays alot in the newspapers in eastern ohio and cleveland.Almost daily theres news of layoffs in ohio and western pa.Comments run the range of when Bush
ended the steel tarriffs that he wrote off Oh Pa and WV.

[rexcat]

4. Portman is safe in the second congressional district

Heavy conservative repug area! Not much hope of dumping the SOB.

[saltpoint]

5. Portman's job is easy in his area of SW Ohio --

-- but he does't get many dogs to slobber up north near Cuyahoga County.

The demographic pattern right now is very similar to the Ford - Carter race in 76. Very close, but NE Ohio pushed Carter over the top (and gave him the electoral college victory, too).

Bush will do well in SW Ohio because it's such a dense Red part of the country. But he runs less well than needed in Columbus and loses NE Ohio outright.

Democrats win Ohio in 2004.