Democratic Candidate for Ohio Governor?

[NEOBuckeye]

As I mentioned in another thread, the Ohio GOP is already lining up candidates to take Taft's place. Meanwhile, there is no apparent challenger from the state-level Democratic Party, which remains just as impotent and disorganized as ever.

Many have nudged the long-reigning and successful Democratic Mayor of Akron, Don Plusquellic, to run. But Plusquellic has remained adamantly opposed to running a statewide campaign for the governorship. Meanwhile, in what appears to be a trend of celebrities seeking the governor's mansion in their home states, former Cincinnati Mayor-turned-Talk-Show-King Jerry Springer is reportedly considering a campaign.

Could Jerry Springer be Ohio Democrats' best hope? Or will a dark horse emerge? Dennis Kucinich, maybe?

Thoughts? Comments?

[galadrium]

1. I really hope Springer gets back into politics

I saw him speak at UC about 8-9 months ago... he is awesome. Reminds me of the days he did the cahnnel 5 news in Cincinnati.

[Wabbajack]

2. I'm not from Ohio

But I really doubt Kucinich or especially Springer would have a chance. Either Congressman Ted Strickland or Sherrod Brown would be best I think.

[Philostopher]

3. Is there any talk of Strickland running?

I think you're right about him. I think he still represents the district where I grew up. He's a centrist, seemed like a decent guy when I was watching him lose to McEwen and Cremeans two or three elections in a row.

You gotta respect any Democrat who can win an election where most of his constituents are rural -- southern Ohio rural voters are tough for Dems to win.

He's a good speaker and quite charming, as well. I hadn't heard anything about him considering it -- I hope he does.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

11. Strickland would be a very credible statewide candidate.

Strickland has proven to be a good vote-getter in those seasaw elections with Cremeans and McEwen...and he gets votes in a district that is fairly rural "red-state-values" backwoodsy ( like what David Brooks writes about)...

...so I think Strickland could win statewide, yeah, but I would hate to see his Congressional district go GOP.

[NEOBuckeye]

5. Rep. Sherrod Brown threatened to run against Taft in 2002

I forget what the deal was, but the prospect of Brown running apparently freaked the Republicans out so much that they gave him what he was looking for. He seems to have a good amount of pull in Congress and among Ohio Dems, so he probably could have raised the dough to have defeated Taft quite soundly. It's too bad he didn't run then. Taft is such an inept and impotent excuse for a chief executive. He's every bit as stupid as Dubya, sans Dick Cheney and Karl Rove with their hands perpetually shoved up his ass.

I think Brown would have as good of a chance as ever this year, were he to run.

On Edit: Okay, now I remember. The Repugs were going to eliminate or merge Brown's district, but he told them if they did, he would run for governor. They backed off. I think that says something about Brown's viability as a candidate!

[Lady President]

4. Mayor Coleman?

I keep hearing that Mayor Mike Coleman (Columbus) is being groomed to run. Of course, he's currently saying that he loves being the Mayor and doesn't plan to run, but no one is buying that story.

I'm not sure how I feel about his potential candidacy. I like him a whole lot better than Springer.

[NEOBuckeye]

6. Sounds a lot like Mayor Don Plusquellic in Akron

Unfortunately, I think he's pretty adamant about staying in town here. He's repeatedly said that he doesn't think he's got enough friends in Columbus. It's too bad, really. If he could do for Ohio what he's done for Akron, we'd look and feel like a completely different state in less than a decade.

I don't know a great deal about Mike Coleman as the Mayor of Columbus -- other than that he was born in Cleveland. But from what I have seen of Columbus, I'd say he's doing a fine job. No question that he'd get my vote!

[eileen from OH]

7. I want Tom Sawyer to make a comeback. . .

Though Strickland seems to be the name I hear more than any other.

Please, no Springer. Kucinich and Sherrod Brown need to stay put in the House.

eileen from OH

[Toucano]

8. No Springer!

That man kissed credibility goodbye long ago.

I appreciate his views on the issues and I appreciate his financial contributions to the party.

He needs to get over his delusion that he can ever be a viable candidate. He chose a career in exploitation TV and he has to live with the results.

[asthmaticeog]

9. Springer would be a good idea

He's a very serious Dem of the Tip O'Neill school, and given his audience, he could be the guy that finally succeeds in getting underclass Republican voters to see how they're voting against their own interests.

http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=8
http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=9

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

10. I'm interested in Springer.

I heard a piece on him on "This American Life", which has piqued my curiosity about him. Seems like he was the "comeback kid" in Cincy politics back in the 70s.

And the Democrats are so hopeless when it comes to statewide races I dont see how Springer running could hurt,..

[Philostopher]

13. I met Springer, back in 1982.

It was State Government Day, and I was the editor of our high school newspaper. It was during the primaries for governor, when he ran against Celeste. First vote I ever cast was for him, in the primary, back when he was still a fairly respectable guy. Celeste won the primary and went to the statehouse, but between retaining a tax hike Rhodes had put in place (Ohio has to balance its budget annually) and additional tax raises, the Republicans played it out that he'd raised taxes something like 70%. In reality, he'd maintained a 40% temporary tax an additional year and tacked on another 30% for that year, but you know how that goes. The usual parrots started squawking 'Tax and spend liberal! Tax and spend liberal!' and all that other voodoo that they do so well.

Sad what Springer attached his name to, and ultimately, regrettable -- he was a really good commentator and journalist on the NBC affiliate, when I was a teenager. He had that quality so few pols seem to have -- when he talked to you, you really had the sense he was listening. He actually started out his talk show career in Cincinnati, interviewing authors and entertainers as they passed through the city. It was a good show, and he was an excellent interviewer.

*sigh* -- he really disappointed me. He's brilliant and charismatic and talented, and it's like he wanted to sabotage any respectability he might have had in the future. I'm afraid that's not a taint that washes off easily, either -- I don't think he'd have a snowflake's chance of accomplishing anything but campaiging for other people, now.

[gpandas]

12. hey! i'm from the last demo area of ohio-neo...

i hope someone new and vigorous comes up to run. tough living in a red state,eh