Crazy Idea 2006: Sen. John Edwards (D-Ohio)???

[displacedyankeedem]

Okay, it might just be the fact that its 4am and I cannot get any sleep, but I have an idea to pitch to you folks.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Democrats are going to have a hard time recruiting an opponent for Mike DeWine in 2006. Now, if one can be found in Ohio, great. But if, within say 6 months, nobody emerges, here's my idea: Bring John Edwards up to Ohio and run him against DeWine.

Here's my reasoning: Edwards "Two Americas" message is tailor made for the economic disaster that the Republicans have foisted upon Ohio. As an outsider, he could unite several parts of the state under one banner. He'd be able to raise enough money to build a field organization to circumvent the woefully bad State Democratic Party Apparatus. He's well known in Ohio (he probably spent so much time up there during the 2004 campaign that he qualifies for residency).

Opinions?

[Timebound]

1. Hmmm....

How long do you have to be a resident to run for office? I think in NC you must have been for 12 months before you can apply to run (and that's with a permanent address)

Depends on the laws. You can probably check local government websites and find the info, or Google it.

[displacedyankeedem]

2. In Ohio, one year of residency is required

Come on, John, you know you've always wanted that lake house.....and if you get one in Ohio, it could be of added value....

Here's the relevant law.

When's the filing deadline for the Democratic primary?

§ 731.02. Qualifications of members of legislative authority.

Members of the legislative authority at large shall have resided in their respective cities, and members from wards shall have resided in their respective wards, for at least one year immediately preceding their election. Each member of the legislative authority shall be an elector of the city, shall not hold any other public office, except that of notary public or member of the state militia, and shall not be interested in any contract with the city, and no such member may hold employment with said city. A member who ceases to possess any of such qualifications, or removes from the member's ward, if elected from a ward, or from the city, if elected from the city at large, shall forthwith forfeit the member's office.

The purpose of establishing a one-year residency requirement in this section is to recognize that the state has a substantial and compelling interest in encouraging qualified candidacies for election to the office of member of the legislative authority of a city by ensuring that a candidate for such office has every opportunity to become knowledgeable with and concerned about the problems and needs of the area the candidate seeks to represent. In enacting this requirement, the general assembly finds that the one-year period is reasonably related to this purpose, while leaving unimpaired a person's right to travel, to vote, and to be a candidate for public office.

HISTORY: RS Bates § 1536-613; 96 v 59, § 120; GC § 4207; Bureau of Code Revision, 10-1-53; 127 v 574 (Eff 9-16-57); 138 v H 1062 (Eff 3-23-81); 146 v H 99. Eff 8-22-95.

[Timebound]

3. Hmmm...

Could be possible...

But how will we convince him? :)

[Kolesar]

4. How effective was his "two Americas" campaign in the Ohio Valley

The K/E put a lot of effort into having Sen. Edwards campaign in small towns in Appalachian Ohio. I wonder if it was considered to be effective.

[Emops]

5. This is not the stupidest idea I have ever heard.

Lord knows Ohio has no real Democrats of their own...

How does one start an effective "draft" movement?

[Emops]

6. Also,

a similar movement to get Wes Clark up here to run for Senate might be successful, too.

When I met him in Columbus last fall, as he was signing an autograph, I asked him jokingly, "How about moving up here to Ohio and running for Governor?" He just laughed, because of course I wasn't serious, at the time at least.

[Eurobabe]

7. damn, now that would make me want to stay

I just moved here in January, and so far, Raptureland Warren County (norht of Cincinnati) is not to my liking too much. For Wes, I might consider it.

[Emops]

9. I feel for you.

I grew up in Lebanon, which is so Republican it's sickening. Even the church marquees there tell you who to vote for- isn't that illegal?

[MeDeMax]

16. sorry to hear that

warren county with their "closed door" counting is perhaps the most repug county in Ohio, close to my former county Butler.

[roseBudd]

19. I tried to steer you to a nice turn of the century house near UC

in Cincinnati. :)

Cincinnati is very blue in the creative class neighborhoods! And our housing stock was built when home building was an art, not just a way to get rich turning out half ass product made out of particle board.

[displacedyankeedem]

8. How about sending Wes Clark to MO?

I'm thinking that we might also have big trouble recruiting a candidate there. Missouri is just north of Arkansas, isn't it..........

Think about seeing these signs out on the campaign trail:
John Edwards for Ohio!
Wes Clark for Missouri!

[OzarkDem]

10. I don't think he'd do it

Though, it would be great if he could. Something tells me he wouldn't want to disrupt his wife & kids lives for a move like this right now.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

11. We have plenty of Democrats to run against him...

Ted Stickland
Sherrod Brown
Marcy Kaptur
Dennis Kucinich
Tony Hall
Charlie Luken
Mike Coleman

Some of these (like Coleman) may decide to run for governor. But all of these folks have won elections in the past and have statewide name recognition. I think Edwards running in Ohio will yield the same result as Keyes running in Illinois.

[Emops]

12. I hadn't thought of Tony Hall.

Haven't heard much out of him lately.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

13. He's working at the U.N.

Food Program (but not Oil-For-Food, one hopes).

[Andrea]

14. Well, some of these I don't know about, but

Mike Coleman has declared for Governor, so he's out (and he'll make a great Governor), I understand that Marcy Kaptur is not interested in leaving the House, have heard the same thing about Sherrod Brown, and I don't think Dennis Kucinich, as much as I really respect him, could win statewide.

I don't think Edwards would do it. He seems really dedicated to NC. If someone did convince him, he'd have my vote and I think he could win. It would be better to come up with a home grown candidate.

I don't know much about Charlie Luken (former Cincinnati mayor?) nor Tony Hall. Please tell us more about these two.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

15. Luken and Hall

Luken is actually the current Mayor of Cincinnati, but he has decided not to run for re-election. Means his dance card is open. He's not the "Best Democratic" in the world, which means that he would have some cross-over appeal. He's played coy for the past four years with privatizing city services, which hasn't exactly endeared him to labor.

Hall is much like Dennis Kucinich -- a pro-life progressive. He represented the Dayton area for twenty years in Congress before being appointed to a position in the U.N. Again, he's not the most liberal Democrat in the room, but he's a pretty far stretch better than what we've been getting. And he neutralizes the religious right.

[MeDeMax]

17. charlie (luken) has good name recognition

in southern ohio, were a majority of the 'pubs are.

[MeDeMax]

18. I think he would win hands down

Sen Edwards that is, his message resonated really well up here in NEO.

I don't think he'll go for it though. He is likely to be running for prez in '08 again.

Running for a sen. in '06 & prez in '08 is too much fodder for the other side.