Did the Ohio Democratic Party do its job for the Nov 2006 election ?

[MeDeMax]

IMHO, if the Ohio Dems Leadership studies the results of this election
with an open mind, and takes the lessons learned to its heart, we will
be more successful in 2008 and be in a position to roll out an plan
to better our state.

As it stands right now, Gov Strickland can play defense against a
republican controlled Ohio House & Senate, because we dems don't have
a team big enough to play offense with.

[Deep13]

1. Could have done more for down-ticket races.

Still, I can't discount the significance of of picking up most state-wide offices for the first time since the cretatious period.

[geiger]

2. WE, the people, are the Party; that always has to be kept in mind

Some of us are going to have to kick more butt locally, and I dont know how to do it, because of my own "conflicts of interest." It's difficult and thankless work. The only thing I really know to do is make sure ten people I know DO something or give money.

[MeDeMax]

3. In order to "kick butt locally", right about now ...

The ODP as a whole, not just the chair, should be getting in touch
with party chairs of all 88 counties for the 2007 cycle.

Request each chair to furnish a list of races and suggestions for
candidates, both interested and persuadable.

Then contact the potential candidates and let them know what resources
they can have thru the ohio dems if they run and qualify.

Arrange and announce training seminars for candidates in Feb/Mar.

Hire a couple of political consultants at an appropriate time in the
cycle that will assist each local race for a couple of hours over the
phone with basic election stuff like - formulating a platform,
fundraising, mailings, where to find more info and so on.

[geiger]

5. and give deadlines to meet after which they lose money

it's time to stop taking the Party for granted. it's ridiculous.

[MeDeMax]

7. thank you, measurable goals & deadlines are a must ...

to separate the wheat from the chaff.

You don't achieve objectives you agreed to, you don't get any more help.

Great point !

[geiger]

8. Do you think it would work?

Because now that I think of it, The State Chair is chosen by the local chairs, right? If an unpopular policy is put in place, then it could either mean trouble or peer pressure to get with the program. It could go either way. Probably about as easy as herding cats, as they say.

[MeDeMax]

9. I hope it works, the ODP chair is elected to sheperd ...

the party and its candidates, not to be a Ms. or Mr. Nice.

The chair should be the one applying pressure on others
to get with the program, not the other way around.

I don't know who elects the state chair, but if the chair
institutes unpopular policies that produce better candidates
and win elections, the party membership should be grateful
for such leadership.

[rexcat]

4. The ODP did much better than I thought they would...

that said there is still much more work to do in the State. We need to work on the Ohio Senate and take over the House next election. As far as local stuff, where I live there is not much hope (Mason, OH - Warren County) but what would help, even in Warren County, would to see Democrats run for office. Democrats don't run here because they get slaughtered at the polls. Of course if you don't run the chances of winning are less than if you do run for office. By Democrats running for office even when the odds are against us is important because we need to get our message out to the public. Maybe over time we can actually change some minds.

[MeDeMax]

10. democrats can prevail in warren county ...

I know how republican Mason is, but even there a
candidate with the right ideology and the ability
to persuade the voters that her or his platform is
consistent with the voters' values can prevail.

If you were using support for the war as an example.

The dem party has the responsibility of burying the
republican candidates for making the world less safe.

Then the dem candidate has to persuade the voters that
choosing them makes the world safer.

Many religious conservatives were bullied & blackmailed
into supporting the republican party in 2004. They were
concerned, like the rest of the country, about the start
and prosecution of a war of choice under false pretenses.

But they were preached to, to show faith by supporting
the president. Many of those who preached, and their
parishners, are now doubting if they did the right thing
in 2004. They are also wondering who to support in 2008.

And this is where the Warren County dems and the ODP come
in, together they have to recruit candidates than can
persuade warren county voters that the candidates'
ideology is consistent with the voters' values.

Mean Jean squeaked in by the skin of her teeth this time,
if she isn't cannon fodder by 2008 for continuing her
support of the war, our party hasn't done its job.

[rexcat]

16. Mean Jean did squeak by again...

She is not liked by many of the republicans in the county but the rest of the republican candidates won easily in Warren County, including Blackwell and DeWine, etc. It was not much of a contest.

As far as the voters in Warren County I doubt that any Democrat would appeal to the voters who consistently vote republican here. They are extreme in their convictions. I don't think I could vote for a "Democratic" candidate that appealed to these people. The person would be just to much to the right for my tastes.

The good news here is the demographics are slowly changing in the area (seeing more progressives, moderates move into the area). People who move from the coasts like the community because of the school system and other amenities but there is a lot of territory to cover before a Democrat wins here!

I have actually thought about running for city council just to get a (D) behind someone's name. It would drive the republicans crazy. The reality is there would be a better chance a snowball would stay intact at the center of the earth than me winning. Way to much "baggage" here (progressive, liberal, not superstitious, etc.). Having to pay for running for an office I know I can't win seems like a waste. Also my wife said that she would divorce me and the kids would be put through hell by their peers here in Mason. What is humorous about that though is the kids are in 5th grade (twins) and most of their friend's parents are Democrats and Democrats are a real small minority in Mason/Deerfield Township, go figure!

[MeDeMax]

17. if your wife agrees not to divorce you for running

(yeah, your fellow DUers don't want to cause marital discord)

Forget city council, go after the big fish in Warren County. Two of the three commissioners are up to re-election in 2008.

http://www.co.warren.oh.us/commissioners/

...
Warren County Emergency Services Director Frank Young said he had recommended increased security
based on information received from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation in recent weeks.

Commissioners made the security decisions in a closed-door meeting last week, but didn't publicize
the restrictions that were made until after polls closed.

"If we were going to make a judgment, we wanted to err on the side of caution," Commissioner Pat South
said Thursday. "... Hindsight is 20-20. There was never any intent to exclude the press.

"We were trying to protect security."

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/11/05/loc_warrenvote05.html

The South family and the Young family have been using the county as personal vote piggy bank, IMHO.

What do you have to loose ? (after wife agrees that is :) )

[Ninga]

6. In another election, the party might have "wildly exceeded" expecations. But

who's kidding who here?????

This was the YEAR that was handed to Ohio on a silver platter.

Blackwell was the turkey and the rest of the platter filled with scandals and the awful war.


Ohio simply left too many chips on the table that a stronger player might have been willing and able to pick up.


How do we get the Ohio Dem leadership to take its lessons to heart?

Just take a look at Michigan and how hard Gov. Jennifer Granholm has had it with a GOP state house. I don't know if there were very many gains in Michigan, I think I will check it out.

[MeDeMax]

11. Granholm must be happy ...

http://www.michigandems.com/110906prs.html

State House of Representatives - Despite the gerrymandered districts,
Democrats picked up 6 seats and took control of the House for the first time
since 1997. Democrats now hold 58 seats to the Republicans' 52, and have a
net gain of eleven seats in the last two cycles.

[Ninga]

12. My brother-in-law is a Dem county chair in Mich. I was able to observe first hand

their state party operation during the 2004 presdential race.


Their ground operation, use of technology, and organizational mindset is very impressive. They were able to put together some semblance of co-operation with the 527's which consequently provided economy of scale when it came to phone banking, etc.

We simply do not have that in Ohio, nothing comparable.

The fragmented and contentious way Redfern came to the post, with the fighting and name calling, will require him to build coalitions before he can build operations.

My view of him is from the outside, but my sense of urgency tells me that for him to rest on his precieved laurels is a waste of time.

[geiger]

13. I hate the fact that we have term limits in Ohio and that the brain drain is just tremendously

harmful. I have the urge to be more circumspect about this particular election, however. If you read George Knepper's classic book Ohio and Its People, you get a real sense of the historic tensions and conflict in Ohio, whether it be over politics, religion, or regional development. Ohioans, until recently, seems to have been able to rise to challenges and overcome obstacles in a way that tapped into the diversity and wealth of the state, both in terms of its peoples and their traditions and the State's natural resources. It's like we've allowed ourselves to become paralyzed with uncertainty and fear over our differences, rather than use them.

There are new opportunities for economic development and at least at the university level we have the educational infrastructure to back it up, e.g., development of botanicals and polymers. There are going to be some missteps along the way, but I think we have to look for ways to seize opportunities. I think Strickland is making a big mistake putting Fisher in charge of economic development; to me it mirrors the early campaign move to isolate Fingerhut. Now it's like they don't want Dennis Eckhart around. Whatever you think of Dennis Eckart, he knows a lot more and has a lot more experience in economic development than Lee Fisher. Plus, Fisher is full of himself. You cant go around with an ego like that and expect others to check theirs at the door. A wise man in Wooster once said, "there is no limit to what a wo/man can accomplish as long as s/he doesnt care who gets the credit." So, in that respect, I am more worried about the Srickland-Fisher team than I am about Redfern and his operation.

[MeDeMax]

14. poli, reading your posts is educating ...

Your understanding of the different political personalities in our
state is quite deep, I appreciate the perspective you bring to the
discussion, even if we dont always agree.

[geiger]

15. Ohio is DEEP that is my love of OHIO

[adeshell]

19. I agree with that...

if we can't take the state legislature in this year where it couldn't possibly be worse for Republicans, when can we take it?

[geiger]

20. we have to build on what we accomplished

and not beat ourselves up in a fruitless exercise of over-analysis.

[Grillydad]

27. After we reapportion the districts!!! n/t

[Kolesar]

18. Dems claim PD thinks they're morons

Grudge Match
By First Punch
Article Published Dec 6, 2006

In a letter to editorial chief Brent Larkin, Senators C.J. Prentiss and Teresa Fedor objected to two recent shots. One piece was ostensibly about the hypocrisy of self-styled reformers giving the vacated Senate seat of Attorney General-elect Marc Dann to shopping mall heiress Capri Cafaro. Implication: After two failed congressional runs, they had to throw her a bone to keep her money flowing.

Yet in an odd digression, the piece swerved out of its way to bash Fedor -- recently elected Senate Democratic Leader -- as "lightly regarded" by colleagues.

This wasn't the first time the donkey caucus got a Gordie Howe elbow from The Incredible Shrinking Newspaper. In a recent piece praising Senator Eric Fingerhut, The PD implied that the rest of the Dems are not particularly "bright" -- pretty much a lock bet when referring to any state official.

But Democrats are now taking umbrage to the hits, though they're having a hard time spelling it. "We don't know where it came from," says spokeswoman Amanda Conn, who adds that Fedor wants a meeting with the paper's editorial board. "We just want to open the channels of communication and let them know what we've done."

Yet Larkin makes no apologies for the characterizations. In a year when Democrats won across the land, the Ohio caucus saw only modest gains. "Lo and behold, those geniuses in the Ohio Senate picked up one seat," Larkin says. "I rest my case."
http://www.clevescene.com/Issues/2006-12-06/news/firstpunch.html

[Sara Bradi]

21. the man has a point

[Kolesar]

22. I am still trying to figure out what issues the Dems ran on

"Culture of Corruption" is not an issue. I found Strickland's message about education to be well founded. Most of the other important issues of the day were "left on the table" and we cannot credibly say we have a mandate to act on them.

Energy costs
Global warming
Health care for all
Jobs
Globalization, which is IMHO the root cause of immigration

[adeshell]

23. The message was

"we're not them"...

Good enough for me.

[Kolesar]

24. Well, I have never been able to vote for a member of Ronald Reagan's party

So my decision was made well in advance.

[rucky]

25. Boehner barely had a challenger.

I think we could've put up a bit of a fight in my district.

[MeDeMax]

26. I had hoped Hackett would rise to that challenge ...

If Hackett had run he might have prevailed, IMHO. It would have been quite something for Paul to unseat their leader.

Somewhere in washington * and Frist are wishing they hadn't campaigned against Daschle in 2004.