It's looking like the U.S. Senate Race in Ohio has two announced for the seat - Rob Portman (R, Incumbent) and PG Sittenfeld (D).

 

Sittenfeld: Yes, I'm running for U.S. Senate

 

Ohio's next U.S. Senate election isn't until November 2016, but Democratic Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld exclusively told The Enquirer: "I'm in."

 

He hopes to take on incumbent U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Terrace Park Republican who is seeking a second term.

 

Sittenfeld, 30, of Downtown Cincinnati, will likely have to battle through a primary first. Also mentioned as potential Democratic candidates: former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and two northeast Ohioans: U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and former Rep. Betty Sutton.

 

For those who don't know, PG Sittenfeld is a Cincinnati City Councilmember. He is in his fourth year on council and has never held another position in Public Office. Despite this, he is seen as a rising star in the Ohio Democratic party. He receives good support from Democrats and Republicans (receiving 36% more votes than the #2 candidate, Charlie Winburn, a black Republican who often dominates voting in Cincinnati). He is an excellent fundraiser. He is young and charismatic. His two biggest flaws is his inexperience and lack of name-recognition. What might give him the edge over Portman if both are selected by their parties, is that 2016 is a presidential election year, and if there is excitement on the Democratic side, it may push him over the top.

 

If a big-name Democrat fights for the spot, he might lose out in the primaries. His early announcement is likely an attempt to build more name recognition before other more well-known candidates start fundraising.

Rep. Tim Ryan makes it formal: He's gone from 'anti-abortion' to 'pro-choice'

 

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/01/rep_tim_ryan_makes_it_formal_h.html#incart_river

 

In other words, "Rep. Tim Ryan makes it formal: He's running for the Senate." The old abortion switcheroo we've seen many times.

Rep. Tim Ryan makes it formal: He's gone from 'anti-abortion' to 'pro-choice'

 

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/01/rep_tim_ryan_makes_it_formal_h.html#incart_river

 

In other words, "Rep. Tim Ryan makes it formal: He's running for the Senate." The old abortion switcheroo we've seen many times.

 

Kucinich II

Bad news for Sittenfeld and Ryan...

 

Sources: Strickland to run for U.S. Senate in 2016

 

Former Gov. Ted Strickland will run for the U.S. Senate next year, sources close to him confirmed today.

 

Attempts to reach Strickland, a Democrat, by The Vindicator today have been unsuccessful.

 

However, those sources say he told political allies Thursday that he would run in the 2016 Democratic primary for the seat and was spending today talking to high-level donors about his decision.

 

Strickland, 73, will visit Israel shortly and doesn’t plan to make an official announcement until the middle of February, one source said.

However...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/01/ted_strickland_not_yet_decided.html

 

Ted Strickland not yet decided on a U.S. Senate run

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ted Strickland continues to seriously weigh a bid for U.S. Senate in 2016 and could be leaning toward one, Democratic sources said Friday.

 

But the former governor has not made a final decision, stressed a spokeswoman at the Ohio Democratic Party and a party operative who is close to Strickland.

 

The Youngstown Vindicator, citing unidentified sources "close to" Strickland, reports that he will run and make a formal announcement in mid-February.

 

"There is truly nothing to confirm," Meredith Tucker, communications director for the state Democratic Party, which maintains close ties with Strickland, told the Northeast Ohio Media Group in response to questions. "Gov. Strickland has publicly said he's considering running, and that process is still ongoing."

 

 

 

^ Strickland? How unexciting.

Tim Ryan wouldn't win. Northeast Ohio Democrats are nearly unelectable statewide at this point. Look at the last few... Nina Turner, Fitzgerald, Lee Fisher. Sherrod Brown got lucky by first running in 06, one of the biggest Democratic landslides in decades.

 

Strickland... He could win. People like the guy.

It will be extremely difficult to knock off Portman, especially in a Presidential election year.  He appeals to those Ohio suburban swing voters too much.

It will be extremely difficult to knock off Portman, especially in a Presidential election year.  He appeals to those Ohio suburban swing voters too much.

 

Unless he gets complacent like Strickland in 2010, he's in the "dead girl or live boy" zone at this point.  He doesn't say or do anything to really anger either side.  People who are going to vote for the Democratic Presidential nominee will support him to say they balanced their ticket.

Did P.G. Sittenfeld renege on staying in Senate race?

 

P.G. Sittenfeld told Democrats he'd abandon his U.S. Senate campaign if former Gov. Ted Strickland entered the race.

 

Then, one week after Strickland launched his campaign, the 30-year-old Cincinnati councilman told supporters he was "all in." He phoned Democratic officials and, according to those officials, told them his thinking evolved. Circumstances had changed. A primary against Strickland would be tough – he'd always known that. But he felt he had a shot, against the 73-year-old former governor and, eventually, incumbent GOP Sen. Rob Portman.

 

Some of Strickland's supporters – and they are many, including practically every Ohio Democrat The Enquirer called – are calling out Sittenfeld for failing to make good on his word.

 

But it's unfair, and unwise, for Sittenfeld to drop out now, said Tim Burke, chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party.

 

Cont

Strickland gets Democratic party support, money

 

The Democrats' Senate campaign arm announced Tuesday that it would back ex-Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland in the 2016 Senate race — a promise that will likely bring with it millions of dollars in ad spending and other financial support.

 

The announcement by the national party is another blow to Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, who is also vying for the Democratic nomination. Strickland and Sittenfeld are competing for the chance to go up against Republican Sen. Rob Portman in the general election.

 

"Ted Strickland has a long record of fighting for working folks in Ohio, and there is no question that he is the strongest candidate to defeat Rob Portman," Tom Lopach, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement Tuesday morning.

 

Cont

I think P.G just wants to keep his name in the news cycle for a couple of weeks. He will dropout at some point and get behind  Strickland.

I think P.G just wants to keep his name in the news cycle for a couple of weeks. He will dropout at some point and get behind  Strickland.

 

That would be a safe prediction had PG not announced that he is "all in." I predict he stays in but attempts to stay positive in any direct references to Strickland.

No one will care or remember the "all in" article in a couple of years. If he goes for this; the more it makes him look like a Dino, that's just trying to help Portman to split the NE democratic voters.

^That doesn't even make sense. He isn't running as a 3rd party candidate so there won't be any splitting of voters. Running in a primary does not make one a "Dino."

The biggest sign yet that Sittenfeld is in the Senate race to stay

Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier

 

When it comes to the race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, P.G. Sittenfeld isn't going anywhere.

 

I'd heard the rumor that the Cincinnati Enquirer confirmed last week that the Cincinnati councilman had told Democrats across Ohio that he would get out of the U.S. Senate race if Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland got in.

 

That rumor is one reason why political watchers across the state saw reporters write so many will-Sittenfeld-get-out stories attempting to get into his head and figure out what he's thinking taking on one of Ohio's two big Democratic kahunas.

 

Cont

Cotton Letter Arms Ohio Democrats Against Portman

By Jesse Bethea, Columbus Underground

March 12, 2015 - 9:49 pm

 

As expected, Ohio Democrats are charging full speed at Senator Rob Portman, armed with Portman’s signature on a letter to the leaders of Iran, advising them against agreeing to the nuclear deal being negotiated by the Obama administration.  The letter, written by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton and signed by 47 Republican senators including Portman, has been met with heavy criticism abroad and at home with many questioning the constitutionality of legislators not only dabbling in, but actively disrupting a sitting president’s foreign policy.

 

While critics of the 47 senators disagree over whether the Cotton letter represents treason against the Republic or just a spasm of inappropriate legislative trolling, few can argue that Democrats, especially those in Senate races across the country, have been handed an opportunity given public disapproval of the letter.  Former Governor Ted Strickland, Portman’s most experienced opponent, jumped on that opportunity this week by calling the letter “reckless” and demanding that Portman apologize to Ohio.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cotton-letter-arms-ohio-democrats-against-portman-jb1

Sittenfeld disclosure months late; investigation likely

 

P.G. Sittenfeld failed to file a required campaign finance disclosure until six months after it was due, The Enquirer discovered in a review of City Council-related records.

 

Staff at the Hamilton County Board of Elections are reviewing the late filing and are likely to refer it to the Ohio Elections Commission for investigation. Penalties for the tardy disclosure could include fines of up to $18,200 – or up to $100 for every day the report was late.

 

The Democratic Cincinnati councilman, who is running for U.S. Senate, raised $17,470 for his City Council campaign fund in the first six months of 2014. That's well above $10,000, the threshold at which Ohio law requires city candidates to disclose fundraising and spending in July of each year.

 

Cont

Portman's first quarter fundraising take? $2.75M in 90 days

 

Sen. Rob Portman raised $2.75 million in the first three months of this year, a haul that hints at a super competitive – and very expensive – Senate race in Ohio next year.

 

With the 2016 Senate election still nearly 20 months away, Portman, R-Ohio, will report a cash balance of more than $8 million, according to figures provided by his campaign and obtained exclusively by the Enquirer.

 

The first quarter ended on March 31, but candidates do not have to file their campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission until April 15.

 

Cont

Here’s how much Sittenfeld has raised for the Senate race – and how bad a poll shows him losing

Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld raised more than $750,000 for his U.S. Senate bid in the first three months of 2015, a total his campaign touted as being an impressive haul for a first-time statewide candidate.

 

But the total came on a day that a poll showed just how steep a mountain Sittenfeld must climb to show his fellow Democrats he’s a better candidate than former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Terrace Park.

 

Sittenfeld raised $757,043 from about 1,000 people, his campaign said in a news release. The campaign did not release a detailed list of contributors or expenses, which is due April 15.

 

Cont

Sittenfeld's campaign manager out, new hires coming

 

Less than three months after launching his bid for the U.S. Senate, P.G. Sittenfeld is reshuffling his campaign staff.

 

Sittenfeld's campaign manager – Cincinnati native and longtime friend Ramsey Reid – left the campaign about a week ago, said Dale Butland, Sittenfeld's spokesman.

 

Butland said the campaign will announce a new manager and other hires soon. He said Reid's departure was not a shake-up, but part of Sittenfeld's strategy from the get-go.

 

Cont

The numbers from that Quinnipiac poll were terrible for Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld - and more than a little discouraging for the incumbent U.S. Senator Rob Portman:  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/04/06/strickland-leading-portman-by-9-points-in-latest-poll.html

 

In a head-to-head matchup of each Democratic candidate against Portman:

Strickland 48% - Portman 39% - Other 13%

Portman 47% - Sittenfeld 24% - Other 29%

 

In an opinion of Portman/Strickland/Sittenfeld favorable, unfavorable or haven't heard enough/no response:

Portman:  38% favorable; 14% unfavorable; 45% not heard enough

Strickland: 49% favorable; 29% unfavorable; 23% not heard enough

Sittenfeld:  5% favorable;  5% unfavorable; 90% not heard enough

^ I like how 45% of respondents have "not heard enough" about Portman despite the fact that he's been our Senator since 2011. Makes me wonder how many of the "favorable" views of Strickland are based entirely on name recognition, from people who vaguely remember him being governor.

The numbers from that Quinnipiac poll were terrible for Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld - and more than a little discouraging for the incumbent U.S. Senator Rob Portman:  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/04/06/strickland-leading-portman-by-9-points-in-latest-poll.html

 

In a head-to-head matchup of each Democratic candidate against Portman:

Strickland 48% - Portman 39% - Other 13%

Portman 47% - Sittenfeld 24% - Other 29%

 

In an opinion of Portman/Strickland/Sittenfeld favorable, unfavorable or haven't heard enough/no response:

Portman:  38% favorable; 14% unfavorable; 45% not heard enough

Strickland: 49% favorable; 29% unfavorable; 23% not heard enough

Sittenfeld:  5% favorable;  5% unfavorable; 90% not heard enough

 

The thing I remember most about Strickland is how he whined after losing to Kasich. Like, he sounded pathetic.

The numbers from that Quinnipiac poll were terrible for Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld - and more than a little discouraging for the incumbent U.S. Senator Rob Portman:  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/04/06/strickland-leading-portman-by-9-points-in-latest-poll.html

 

In a head-to-head matchup of each Democratic candidate against Portman:

Strickland 48% - Portman 39% - Other 13%

Portman 47% - Sittenfeld 24% - Other 29%

 

In an opinion of Portman/Strickland/Sittenfeld favorable, unfavorable or haven't heard enough/no response:

Portman:  38% favorable; 14% unfavorable; 45% not heard enough

Strickland: 49% favorable; 29% unfavorable; 23% not heard enough

Sittenfeld:  5% favorable;  5% unfavorable; 90% not heard enough

 

The thing I remember most about Strickland is how he whined after losing to Kasich. Like, he sounded pathetic.

 

It showed how out of touch he really was.  And, I suspect, still is.

 

At the time, I was surprised.  I honestly suspected he threw that election.  It was his to win.

^ It was a huge year for Republicans so I don't think it's surprising at all that he lost. It was still a pretty close race.

The numbers from that Quinnipiac poll were terrible for Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld - and more than a little discouraging for the incumbent U.S. Senator Rob Portman:  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/04/06/strickland-leading-portman-by-9-points-in-latest-poll.html

 

In a head-to-head matchup of each Democratic candidate against Portman:

Strickland 48% - Portman 39% - Other 13%

Portman 47% - Sittenfeld 24% - Other 29%

 

In an opinion of Portman/Strickland/Sittenfeld favorable, unfavorable or haven't heard enough/no response:

Portman:  38% favorable; 14% unfavorable; 45% not heard enough

Strickland: 49% favorable; 29% unfavorable; 23% not heard enough

Sittenfeld:  5% favorable;  5% unfavorable; 90% not heard enough

 

The thing I remember most about Strickland is how he whined after losing to Kasich. Like, he sounded pathetic.

 

What did he say?

The numbers from that Quinnipiac poll were terrible for Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld - and more than a little discouraging for the incumbent U.S. Senator Rob Portman:  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/04/06/strickland-leading-portman-by-9-points-in-latest-poll.html

 

In a head-to-head matchup of each Democratic candidate against Portman:

Strickland 48% - Portman 39% - Other 13%

Portman 47% - Sittenfeld 24% - Other 29%

 

In an opinion of Portman/Strickland/Sittenfeld favorable, unfavorable or haven't heard enough/no response:

Portman:  38% favorable; 14% unfavorable; 45% not heard enough

Strickland: 49% favorable; 29% unfavorable; 23% not heard enough

Sittenfeld:  5% favorable;  5% unfavorable; 90% not heard enough

 

The thing I remember most about Strickland is how he whined after losing to Kasich. Like, he sounded pathetic.

 

What did he say?

 

Paraphrasing, but he said something to the effect that voters never gave him a fair chance....blaming the voters for losing the election.

Ted to P.G.: This isn't a Little League game

 

COLUMBUS – Ted Strickland – and not P.G. Sittenfeld – received the endorsement of the Ohio Democratic Party Saturday, despite a few pleas that the party avoid stifling a primary for the chance to face U.S. Sen. Rob Portman in 2016.

 

"This is not a Little League Baseball game. This is a U.S. Senate race," Strickland told delegates on the state party's executive committee. "I think I am the guy who is best positioned to have a possibility of winning this seat."

 

The former Ohio governor received 82 votes out of the 102 Democrats who were present, more than the 60 percent he needed to receive the endorsement. Strickland's supporters had warned party leadership earlier in the week that they were working to orchestrate a rogue endorsement on Saturday.

 

Cont

Spot on: Dem justice urges pals to leave party over PG snub

^ It was a huge year for Republicans so I don't think it's surprising at all that he lost. It was still a pretty close race.

 

All he had to do was distance himself from Obama.  Instead, he brought Obama and Biden to campaign for him the weekend before the election.

 

The polls were neck and neck, until then.

Spot on: Dem justice urges pals to leave party over PG snub

 

That might make sense if either Strickland already had the race in the bag or he was already toast.  In a case in which widespread defection has at least a considerable probability of costing the D nominee the seat, you have to believe that the Republican establishment welcomed the O'Neill exhortation as much as the Dem fringe did.

 

It was more than 15 years ago now, but it's still legitimate to consider how much Nader changed history by siphoning away Gore voters in Florida.  ETA: It's also fair to learn from Republican mistakes, including how many seats they cost themselves by ousting electable candidates in primary elections in favor of tea party lunatics.  The lunatics usually lost, and in the cases where they won, they generally were ineffective in office; many lost reelection after the initial wave of purifying anger that swept them into office subsided.

Spot on: Dem justice urges pals to leave party over PG snub

 

That might make sense if either Strickland already had the race in the bag or he was already toast.  In a case in which widespread defection has at least a considerable probability of costing the D nominee the seat, you have to believe that the Republican establishment welcomed the O'Neill exhortation as much as the Dem fringe did.

 

It was more than 15 years ago now, but it's still legitimate to consider how much Nader changed history by siphoning away Gore voters in Florida.  ETA: It's also fair to learn from Republican mistakes, including how many seats they cost themselves by ousting electable candidates in primary elections in favor of tea party lunatics.  The lunatics usually lost, and in the cases where they won, they generally were ineffective in office; many lost reelection after the initial wave of purifying anger that swept them into office subsided.

 

The Ohio Republican Party shared his post on Facebook.

 

That said, he's pretty much already toast, running against Portman.  Who can, if I am not mistaken, run for re-election even if he is the Vice Presidential nominee.

The Republican Party has had total control of Ohio's government from 1994 - 2006, and then again from 2010 onward.  If anyone here thinks that Ohio is doing better now than it was in 1994, relative to other states, then who cares about Strickland's complaint that he was brought down because of the 2008 crash? (He wasn't, it was the fact that Democrats basically never show up in non-presidential elections in Ohio.)  If anyone here thinks that 4 years of Democrats controlling 2/3rds of Ohio's government is enough to ruin the policies enacted over twelve years of total Republican control, then can't the only conclusion be that Republican policies must not be that effective if they can be ruined in a quarter of the time it takes to fully implement them?

The Republican Party has had total control of Ohio's government from 1994 - 2006, and then again from 2010 onward.  If anyone here thinks that Ohio is doing better now than it was in 1994, relative to other states, then who cares about Strickland's complaint that he was brought down because of the 2008 crash? (He wasn't, it was the fact that Democrats basically never show up in non-presidential elections in Ohio.)  If anyone here thinks that 4 years of Democrats controlling 2/3rds of Ohio's government is enough to ruin the policies enacted over twelve years of total Republican control, then can't the only conclusion be that Republican policies must not be that effective if they can be ruined in a quarter of the time it takes to fully implement them?

 

All he had to do was distance himself from Obama a little bit, and he would likely have won.  Joining the suit against Obamacare would have locked it in.  There was little to no excitement over Kasich.  The NRA even endorsed Strickland, so the hard right was quite unenthusiastic.

 

Voters who are not strictly partisan seem to prefer what political enthusiasts call “gridlock”.  In 2010, that meant Republicans for Congress.  Conversely, a moderate Democrat with a decent record as governor (as Strickland was perceived) was at an advantage.  He wrecked the perception by embracing Obama’s policies.

 

This suggests he’s not flexible enough to beat Portman.  Or even come close.  He’s certainly not energizing enough.

 

^It's hilarious to me that people in this country think that Obama is some sort of radical politician.  He couldn't be any more center left.  I mean, the guy signs into law a Republican healthcare bill proposed in 1994 and he gets labeled a socialist and an enemy to the Republic. 

^ It was a huge year for Republicans so I don't think it's surprising at all that he lost. It was still a pretty close race.

 

All he had to do was distance himself from Obama.  Instead, he brought Obama and Biden to campaign for him the weekend before the election.

 

The polls were neck and neck, until then.

 

You keep trying to sell that narrative but it doesn't line up with the facts....... just like your 2012 predictions about "all your friends who voted for Obama the first time..." was shown to be totally false.  The 2010 elections, like most mid-term elections, were about turnout and the Dems got killed on turnout in 2010.

Spot on: Dem justice urges pals to leave party over PG snub

 

That might make sense if either Strickland already had the race in the bag or he was already toast.  In a case in which widespread defection has at least a considerable probability of costing the D nominee the seat, you have to believe that the Republican establishment welcomed the O'Neill exhortation as much as the Dem fringe did.

 

It was more than 15 years ago now, but it's still legitimate to consider how much Nader changed history by siphoning away Gore voters in Florida.  ETA: It's also fair to learn from Republican mistakes, including how many seats they cost themselves by ousting electable candidates in primary elections in favor of tea party lunatics.  The lunatics usually lost, and in the cases where they won, they generally were ineffective in office; many lost reelection after the initial wave of purifying anger that swept them into office subsided.

 

The Ohio Republican Party shared his post on Facebook.

 

That said, he's pretty much already toast, running against Portman.  Who can, if I am not mistaken, run for re-election even if he is the Vice Presidential nominee.

 

I think you and I might have different evaluations of Portman's invulnerability.

 

And I have nothing against Portman, he just seems ... like the generic ballot personified.  I'd be curious to know if he's ever won an election in the face of an unfavorable generic ballot or lost an election in which the generic ballot was in the GOP's favor.

^ The polls I've seen have Strickland ahead of Portman. I think it will be a dead heat.

^ It was a huge year for Republicans so I don't think it's surprising at all that he lost. It was still a pretty close race.

 

All he had to do was distance himself from Obama.  Instead, he brought Obama and Biden to campaign for him the weekend before the election.

 

The polls were neck and neck, until then.

 

You keep trying to sell that narrative but it doesn't line up with the facts....... just like your 2012 predictions about "all your friends who voted for Obama the first time..." was shown to be totally false.  The 2010 elections, like most mid-term elections, were about turnout and the Dems got killed on turnout in 2010.

 

Strickland was a well-liked (even among Republicans, relatively speaking) and uncontroversial Democratic governor who lost a very close race in a landslide year for Republicans. He then proceeded to leave office as a relatively popular governor, especially given the economic climate of the time.

Strickland has control of Appalachian voters who often vote republican otherwise. I don't think a lot of them showed up in 2010. They'll be there to vote against Hillary lol

I go down towards Athens for work a lot, and I can tell you, there's a lot Democrats down there. The type of guys where if you met them you'd assume they're Republicans just due to their overall attitude and demeanor, but they're all card-carrying, Obama-voting Democrats. It's very interesting.

^Blue-dogs.  Not necessarily Obama voting dems, but dems.  WVa is typically a democrat state, filled with blue-dogs, but didn't vote for Obama.

^Blue Dogs in most of Appalachia for sure, and that's probably more relevant to the main topic here, but I wouldn't lump Athens in that.  Athens County actually voted overwhelmingly for Obama even in 2012- like almost as overwhelmingly as Cuyahoga County did: http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/results/president

Sittenfeld is a money-raising machine. Columbus news says P.G. has raised $767K to Strickland's $651K early on. What did P.G. spend on the Cincy City Council race? 300K?

Strickland has control of Appalachian voters who often vote republican otherwise. I don't think a lot of them showed up in 2010. They'll be there to vote against Hillary lol

 

Good point.  Plus he's as solid as you can be on the Second Amendment. 

 

If Tim Kaine gets the nomination (as I expect) and the GOP nominates a country club type they are also there.

 

Athens County is different because of the college vote, meaning professors as well as students.

Strickland has control of Appalachian voters who often vote republican otherwise. I don't think a lot of them showed up in 2010. They'll be there to vote against Hillary lol

 

Good point.  Plus he's as solid as you can be on the Second Amendment. 

 

If Tim Kaine gets the nomination (as I expect) and the GOP nominates a country club type they are also there.

 

Athens County is different because of the college vote, meaning professors as well as students.

 

Yes, that's certainly a factor in Athens' blue-ness, but the guys I've met down there that I'm referring to don't fit those groups... I'm talking coal miners and similar professions, road workers, blue collar type guys that live in the country and own guns but are all staunch Dems. The party is just really strong down there historically and they still vote that way.

Strickland would have a great shot at beating Portman. As someone who wants to see Ohio's senate delegation become completely blue, I think that Sittenfields's refusal to back off is highly questionable. His lack of experience and name recognition is a problem. If we had IRV or some voting system that is fairer than the one we have, I'd be all for him running. However his campaign and all of this controversy is possibly going to hand Portman a reelection that he may not have won otherwise. Maybe that's what Sittenfield, and more importantly his supporters, want. In reading his background without knowing him personally, it screams "DINO" to me.

^I'm not the biggest Sittenfeld fan, but I think you're way off on your assessment of him.

 

He has mostly championed Democratic ideas (raising the minimum wage, universal pre-k, etc). He definitely dragged his feet on the streetcar, but eventually switched sides when his vote was needed to continue the project.

 

Should we just stop having primaries? It sounds like you are against primary elections. I understand there are better voting alternatives, but usually primaries are better than not having a primary IMO.

I think most people who are for P.G. will just switch over to Strickland when P.G. loses the primary.

 

The main goal for P.G. this round is to get his name out there.