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2014 Gubernatorial Election

Guest E Rocc
Guest E Rocc
in Ohio Politics

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Ed Fitzgerald (D) just announced his choice for Lt. Governor: Ohio State Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney from Cincinnati. I think this is a pretty good choice for Fitzgerald. It gives him more leverage in SW Ohio and with the African American community.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20131120/NEWS010801/311200090

 

COLUMBUS — Cincinnati’s Eric Kearney, the minority leader in the state Senate, will serve as Democrat Ed FitzGerald’s running mate in the 2014 gubernatorial election.

 

In Kearney, of North Avondale, FitzGerald gains a lieutenant governor candidate who has all the right connections: Kearney is a prominent legislator. He founded one of the largest African-American publishing firms. He and his wife, attorney Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, are longtime friends of Barack and Michelle Obama. And Kearney is an excellent fundraiser, having served on President Obama’s national finance committee and co-chairing the president’s fundraising efforts in Ohio.

 

FitzGerald, the Cuyahoga County executive, is also seeking to leverage Kearney’s clout in increasingly Democratic Hamilton County.

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& SW Ohio

Very few and far between are voters who pay any attention to who the Lt Governor is.....

^True, but he could be hugely valuable on the campaign trail. I know Kearney is pretty popular in general in Cincinnati, but is especially loved in the black community. It will be interesting to see how this state election pans out.  I think Kasich is VERY unpopular in Cincinnati/Hamilton County, but is probably loved in the 'collar counties' of Butler, Warren, and Clermont. He has mellowed a bit since his firestorm of a first year, but he cut some pretty deep wounds in the state. Giving $400 million away to other states to fund rail projects, taking $50+ million away from the Cincinnati streetcar, not offering state assistance to Pure Romance, slashing municipal funding across the state, etc. If Kashich wins reelection, it will speak to the weakness of the Democratic Party in this state.  This is an election we (dems) MUST win.

I really wish there weren't people like Chris Redfern and Chris Schrimpf in politics these days.  Their only job is to further drive the wedge...... issuing cheesy, pre-prepared statements overblowing issues which don't even need any added emphasis.

 

I still maintain that the Lt. Gov selection means squat in the end.  Kasich's re-election is going to largely depend on state of the State's economy come November 2014.  If the unemployment rate starts heading in the wrong direction, as it did in the last report I saw, he is in trouble.  The problem with running as a no-nonsense results oriented guy is that you have to actually produce the results and can't resort to trying to explain the uncontrollable complexities which might have frustrated your efforts.

I found an interesting fact this week, Kasich's Lt Governor, Mary Taylor, is married to Don Taylor, President & CEO of Welty Construction in Akron.  Ironically, Welty is 100% union & only uses union subcontractors.  Maybe it's just me but this must've created some strife somewhere in the along the line for him, considering his wife was 2nd in command to the biggest anti union push the state has ever seen...

I found an interesting fact this week, Kasich's Lt Governor, Mary Taylor, is married to Don Taylor, President & CEO of Welty Construction in Akron.  Ironically, Welty is 100% union & only uses union subcontractors.  Maybe it's just me but this must've created some strife somewhere in the along the line for him, considering his wife was 2nd in command to the biggest anti union push the state has ever seen...

 

Probably not, because the SB2 push mainly had to do with public employees. 

 

The "right to work" push was never, as far as I know, endorsed by the Kasich Administration. 

And the Kasich administration was not the source of SB5.  He got the majority of the bad publicity for it, but it really was a train which was propelled by the conservatives in the General Assembly.  The administration did not get so involved until the re-draft, which made something which was both unreasonable and unworkable to just unreasonable. 

EDITORIAL: Time for Kearney to quit governor's race

 

From the Cincinnati Enquirer

 

The question will arise during the campaign: If this is how Kearney manages his business, how will he be at managing the state? That may or may not be a fair question, but it will be a question. You can bet Republicans will remind voters about it every chance they get, especially since Democrats have jumped all over state GOP chair Matt Borges for his tax problems.

 

And it will obscure debate over issues that matter to Ohioans – jobs, the economy, and yes, taxation.

 

That’s why Kearney should withdraw from the race, to give Ohioans a chance to have a fair debate on real issues that matter.

EDITORIAL: Time for Kearney to quit governor's race

 

From the Cincinnati Enquirer

 

The question will arise during the campaign: If this is how Kearney manages his business, how will he be at managing the state? That may or may not be a fair question, but it will be a question. You can bet Republicans will remind voters about it every chance they get, especially since Democrats have jumped all over state GOP chair Matt Borges for his tax problems.

 

And it will obscure debate over issues that matter to Ohioans – jobs, the economy, and yes, taxation.

 

That’s why Kearney should withdraw from the race, to give Ohioans a chance to have a fair debate on real issues that matter.

 

While I want to see Kasich win, the fact is whatever damage Kearney would do to the Dem ticket has been done.  Pushing him to quit will only turn off his close supporters.

Kearney resigns as Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate

 

North Avondale’s Eric Kearney has resigned as Democrat Ed FitzGerald’s running mate in the 2014 gubernatorial race, after news reports by The Enquirer and other Ohio newspapers revealed that he, his wife and his business owe up to $826,000 in unpaid taxes.

 

“It’s undeniable that this has come to be a distraction from a discussion of the vital issues facing Ohio, and the choice voters must make in this election,” Kearney said Tuesday in a statement. “I have discussed this with Ed FitzGerald, and while I will always be grateful for him selecting me to be his running mate, we agree that the best course of action is for me to step aside from the campaign.”

 

The campaign has yet to choose a new candidate for lieutenant governor, but plans to do so in January, if not sooner, FitzGerald told The Enquirer.

 

Cont

"It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton

I'll plug my nose to vote for FitzGerald to place a counterweight on the ultraconservative and batshit insane statehouse, but he's going to lose and it's really a shame that the Democrats couldn't find anyone better.

I'll plug my nose to vote for FitzGerald to place a counterweight on the ultraconservative and batshit insane statehouse, but he's going to lose and it's really a shame that the Democrats couldn't find anyone better.

 

As a homo, I can't bring myself to vote for any Republicans. I might not always vote for the Democrat, but I won't even vote for the gay Republican who represents me in the Ohio House. No courage.

 

I'm starting to worry that Kasich will win re-election, but I think his Achilles Heel is Jobs Ohio. From the outside, it's difficult to tell what it has accomplished, other than sucking up hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Other than an actual indictment of Kearney, this is as bad as it could possibly be.  He can't defend the choice any more, but did make it.  He's taken the idea that "Public Official 14" is at best indifferent to questionable ethics and reinforced it with concrete and rebar.

 

Barring a major scandal eruption of Krakatoan proportions, Kasich will be reelected.  Even the economy tanking won't hurt him as that will be blamed (correctly, if it happens) on Obamacare.

The Kearney matter got Ed Fitzgerald's name in the news.

"There is no such thing as *bad* publicity".

"as that will be blamed (correctly, if it happens) on Obamacare."

 

I wanna read the article that ties those two things together.  Or not.  Scratch that actually.

 

 

 

 

The Kearney matter got Ed Fitzgerald's name in the news.

"There is no such thing as *bad* publicity".

 

By the time the election actually gets close enough, this won't matter.  There will be new issues to discuss.  Have to remember what a small percentage are actually "undecided" voters, that aren't voting R or D automatically...

The Kearney matter got Ed Fitzgerald's name in the news.

"There is no such thing as *bad* publicity".

 

Tell that to Bridget McCaffery.

 

I'd say Dimora, but she almost got re-elected despite it all.

  • 2 weeks later...

The Fishwarp is now leaking that Portune IS running.

The Fishwarp is now leaking that Portune IS running.

 

So all of the "Public Official 14" stuff will come out in the primaries, so we can be all "hey, we aren't the ones who brought it up!". 

 

Nice.  :evil:

Does anyone outside of SW Ohio know who Portune is?

Fitzgerald was smart to start campaigning so early. Dunno if Portune thinks he can get the state parties to rig the election for him the way they did on a county level...

Does anyone outside of SW Ohio know who Portune is?

Fitzgerald was smart to start campaigning so early. Dunno if Portune thinks he can get the state parties to rig the election for him the way they did on a county level...

 

The only way he can do it is the way I mentioned above, which might make it close but isn't likely to put him over the top.

Does anyone outside of SW Ohio know who Portune is?

Fitzgerald was smart to start campaigning so early. Dunno if Portune thinks he can get the state parties to rig the election for him the way they did on a county level...

 

People in Hamilton County don't even know who Portune is. 

 

Does anyone outside of SW Ohio know who Portune is?

Fitzgerald was smart to start campaigning so early. Dunno if Portune thinks he can get the state parties to rig the election for him the way they did on a county level...

 

People in Hamilton County don't even know who Portune is. 

 

 

Which means he has to run based on who he isn't.

 

Who's got the popcorn....

I hate to break it to you E, but nobody pays any attention to gubernatorial primaries.  And the PO whatever thing is a dead end anyways....... it will only matter to those who are looking to reinforce their vote for Kasich.

 

Kasich has got a bit of a hole to dig out of, so he's lucky he doesn't have a stronger candidate to run against.  He's pissed off the wingnuts (the reason why I will probably vote for him), but he's not delivered from an economic progress standpoint.  It's like that saying about when you fight a war for oil, get some oil.  He rans on jobs, jobs, jobs and Ohio is still lagging behind.  It would be nice for him if he could justify his performance by citing the complexities created by the recession and the impact it had on the state, but people who tend to vote his way don't want to hear about that.

Population growth follows job growth. And the economy outside of Ohio is growing.

 

Census estimates for 2013 by state are now out. Ohio's not keeping up. 2010-2013, OH population increased 0.3%, but the US as a whole increased 2.4%

 

OH 2010  11,536,504 (Census)

OH 2013  11,570,808 (Estimate)

 

US 2010  308,745,538 (Census)

US 2013  316,128,839 (Estimate)

 

http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2013/index.html

 

....Kasich had his chance. He doesn't deserve another four years.

 

But budget cuts and firing people always result in job growth

What's the word on Charles Earl's campaign?  That's what could make this election very interesting, more so than any of these primary races in my opinion.

it would be interesting to know the negotiations going on with some of these primary challengers.  It's not uncommon for the incumbent/favorite to offer these challengers money or a position to drop out of the race/not run in exchange for a cabinet position or the like....  Seems easier for Kasich to do this since he's the incumbent.  Fitzgerald might burn up a good portion of his campaign fund in the primary and be outspent when it comes to facing Kasich.

I think I've read more in this thread on gubernatorial primaries than I have previously in my entire life.  It's a non-issue.  It's Kasich vs. Fitzgerald and nothing is going to change that.  To the extent either spends any money leading up  to their 'official' nomination, it will be targeted at the other, not their primary 'challengers.' 

 

That said, I suspect Kasich is actually quite ecstatic that these schleps are choosing to challenge him in the primary as opposed to making a big stink about his recent changes to the electoral process which effectively prohibited third party candidates in the general election.  I'm frankly surprised the Tea Party and self-proclaimed Libertarians are so mum on this.

^ I'm sure his personal finances would have been in much better shape if he weren't taxed so much.

Was he threatened? (Did someone dig up dirt on him?)

Was he paid?

 

It happened all too quickly to say it's due to the way the contest was playing out.

^ I'm sure his personal finances would have been in much better shape if he weren't taxed so much.

 

"He's" a she

^ Ah, for some reason I missed that it was the candidate for Lt. Governor and not the candidate for Governor (obviously I didn't bother reading the article). I knew the Lt. Gov candidate was a woman. Thanks.

 

Edit: Sheds more light on why the guy said his dropping out wasn't due to his running mate.

OH Dem Chair puts smackdown on Portune

 

Todd Portune, literally at the eleventh hour, makes a provocative statement with nothing in the way of facts.

He’s not a serious candidate for statewide office. He’s undermining what’s left of his reputation. He ought to be ashamed of himself.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/01/08/possible-rival-questions-fitzgeralds-support-among-blacks.html

 

Considering the fact that Kasich and Frank Jackson have a rather solid working relationship, it sounds like Portune found another way (other than the corruption case) to bring up potentially damaging stuff the GOP might not wish to.  Is he one of ours?  :shrug:

Even Hamilton County's party chair is sticking with Fitzgerald. Not sure who is taking Portune seriously except E Rocc.

Is he one of ours?  :shrug:

Portune lives in Hamilton County's Green Township which is a hotbed of GOP corruption, paranoia & racism. He might very well be a mole.

Is he one of ours?  :shrug:

Portune lives in Hamilton County's Green Township which is a hotbed of GOP corruption, paranoia & racism. He might very well be a mole.

 

Why do so many of the Hamilton County officials live in Green Township?

Is he one of ours?  :shrug:

Portune lives in Hamilton County's Green Township which is a hotbed of GOP corruption, paranoia & racism. He might very well be a mole.

 

Might not.  Dimora's town went 58% Romney in 2012, Russo's 65%.

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