Had enough? Dispatch Ohio Poll puts Strickland, Sherrod well out front

[farmbo]

http://www.dispatch.com/?story=dispatch/2006/07/23/20060723-A1-01.html

DISPATCH POLL
Strickland far ahead, early poll indicates
Democrat strong across board; Brown maintains 8-point edge over DeWine in Senate race
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Darrel Rowland
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



Democrat Ted Strickland has surged to a surprising lead of 20 percentage points in the first Dispatch Poll on Ohio’s Nov. 7 race for governor.

Meanwhile, Democrat Sherrod Brown holds an 8-point edge in his bid to unseat two-term Republican Sen. Mike DeWine.

Strickland’s 47-to-27 advantage over GOP rival J. Kenneth Blackwell is fueled by a more than 3-to-1 lead among independent voters, combined with Blackwell’s inability to sell himself to Ohio Republicans.<snip>

Hell, that's even a 15% lead for Strickland the way we count votes here in Ohio!

And Sherrod Brown continues to impress. All the photoshopped twin tower photos in the world can't stop him.

:bounce:

[yellerpup]

1. Great news!

Woo-hoo! :kick: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[SammyBlue]

62. I agree, but until Blackwell's candidacy is destroyed, he can still

attempt to ratfuck to win. He wants to oversee his own election.

[yellerpup]

65. Lucky for us, he has been destroying his own campaign.

All he has to do is be himself! Got to slap him back about that overseeing business. Down boy! You ain't the Decider here. Put him in jail.

[yourout]

2. Needs to stay above 10 points or.....

the usual Rovian tricks will still prevail.

[NewJeffCT]

10. My thoughts exactly

Have they even fired up the GOP slime machine yet in this race?

[OzarkDem]

16. GOP has hired the Swiftboat team

who made the ad about 9/11 and Sherrod Brown using doctored photos.

The GOP is also still trying to get a whispering campaign going that says Ted Strickland is gay.

[NewJeffCT]

19. How does being gay

disqualify one from public office?

Or, are they going to equate it to what happened in NJ?

[OzarkDem]

22. It doesn't and he's not

But I suppose the cretins at the GOP think they can use it to divert independent and GOP voters from voting for him. I think they've really jumped the shark on those negative tactics. I think they turn voters off, now.

[MissWaverly]

34. agree, with you glad I sent him money

this is the same thing that did with McCain, saying that he had an illegitimate child,
next they will be saying that he is involved with Abramoff, I look for that to come.
They say anything to tear someone down, they only reason they picked "gay" is that plays
well with the fundamentalist base which is strong in Ohio.

[OhioBlue]

61. I couldn't agree more

they've completely jumped the shark on the "gay bashing" in Ohio. Blackwell and his ilk were on cloud nine after Issue 1 passed by such a large margin in 2004. It seems they are obsessed with homosexuality now. The whisper campaign is ridiculous and really shows their desperation. The idiots will learn that this will backfire - the whisper campaign tactics have been revealed. Rovian politics had its day, but like everything, something else is sure to come along.

My thoughts: 1. while many of our average Ohioans can be swayed to vote against "gay marriage", they're still not so intolerant to hate homosexuals and not likely to agree with someone like Blackwell that thinks homosexuality is a disease.

2. The whisper campaign, character attacks, outrageous lies about an opponent that is so Rovian have been revealed and many of our fellow Ohioans are catching on. I think many Ohioans have a skeptical nature to them and Blackwell/Rove tactics just aren't going to get much traction this year. They will end up making themselves look like gossiping teenagers trying to tear down the popular homecoming queen and will probably drive more voters away from themselves than Strickland.

Anyway - jumped the shark - perfect analogy for their tactics IMHO.

[EST]

78. In Ohio, in today's Orwellan climate, attempting to do anything

more than keeping your head down, your trap shut and your shades drawn, or even voting while gay, is definitely a non starter.
This has been the thrust of the republican strategy.
Bush didn't really say "I'm the decider." What actually happened was that he had a case of budweiser hiccups and he really said, "I'm the divider," but "honesht ossifer, I ware'nt shpadin'" ancohol got the better of his lisp.

I'm sure there are people of good conscience in Ohio, maybe even a few republicans, for various reasons, who have been overwhelmed by the anti flavor of the cycle propaganda from the band of braggarts in charge. Problem is --those bastards got a head start on us.

[McCamy Taylor]

57. The Dem Gov of Georgia had >10 points in 2002 and Diebold stole it.

[Botany]

3. COLUMBUS DISPATCH 11/8/2006 headline

Late Surge Pushes Blackwell DeWine to victory.

Columbus, Ohio 11/8/2006
Jonathan Riskind

Ohioans re-elected Mike DeWine to the Senate while making
Governor elect Ken Blackwell the State's first African American
Governor. Despite being being behind in the polls and fund
raising to their Democratic challengers both candidates won
their races by comfortable margins.

Ohio Democratic Chairperson Chris Redfern, said that the
358 percent turnouts in key GOP areas helped both Dewine
and Blackwell. "We have no reason to doubt the outcome of
election and look forward to working with our fellow Ohioans
to move the state forward." Redfern told members of the media.

[farmbo]

8. Ouch! Too close to home...

I hope your crystal ball shorted out on you with this prediction.

:eyes:

[Botany]

11. I have been sending Riskind e mails about the stolen election.

This is what I get back, when he responds ...... (it was about Robert Kennedy's Rolling
Stone piece and Bob Herbert in the NY Times "If the vote was counted fairly in Ohio
Kerry would be President.)

"The analysis is incorrect. The dispatch and other Ohio papers have looked at these issues and come up with different conclusions. Salon, not a conservative bastion, did a critique of the rfk article that hits the major points. Thanks for writing."

I have come to the conclusion that many writers and members of the media
do in fact know the truth about the 04 election and are stonewalling big time.

Hell State Issues 2, 3, 4, 5 all got hammered in the vote even though polls showed them
up by 15 points (2 of the 4 issues) ..... and the Dispatch's polls on issues have been with in
1 % of the outcome for the past 30 years.

[OzarkDem]

17. Word for word that's almost the exact same response

that the Cleveland Plain Dealer is using. That can't be coincindence. Ohio's major news dailies are refusing to cover the stolen election story.

[Botany]

25. they know it was stolen

Some might not but people like Riskand and the NY Times know that
it was dirty. Keep repeating the same line over and over.

So Kerry won Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Akron, Canton, Toledo,
Warren, Portsmouth, Athens, Stuebenville, and Hamilton. (Lancaster too if they
had had a fair count) But still lost the State? Please.

Yes rural Ohio is red but not red enough to overcome those #s.
A friends husband in Knox county registered to vote (along with all of his friends)
for the first time in a long time to vote against bush .... he had 10 or so of friends
do the same these are "good old country boys" who work factory, trucking, construction,
and farming ..... They were all new voters against bush .... and they reflected the
feeling in much of rural Ohio .... except for the right wing christian talaban ......

[OzarkDem]

36. In 2004, I think some knew it in advance

I would bet the farm that at least the Plain Dealer knew in advance it was going to be stolen in 2004 and also knew how it would happen.

The Plain Dealer's slanted coverage of the report on Cuyahoga County's screwed up primary this year shows they know its going to be stolen again. Their first headline, even before the report was released, was exonerating Deibold.

We need to put pressure on these creeps to start covering the problems with Diebold and the RFK, Jr. article.

[PegDAC]

69. Likewise

the Dayton Daily News.

[pauldp]

33. Manjoo's Salon article has been ripped to shreds

by Steve Freeman and many others, including many in our
ER forum. Tell him to look at Freeman's responses which
were published in Salon.

There is Bigtime gatekeeping going on with respect to
election stealing in Ohio.

[OzarkDem]

37. Thanks for the info

Gatekeeping is a mild word for it.

[LynneSin]

47. That's what I'm afraid of

:cry:

[sinkingfeeling]

76. I do believe we have a winner! Werent we told by the 'media' in 2004

that the polling companies were disgraceful and the exit polls were just plain wrong?

[blue sky at night]

4. Great News...........

anyone who needs a Strickland Bumpersticker, let me know.

[OzarkDem]

18. I have some Brown ones, too

Also window signs. PM me.

[katinmn]

5. Finally, some GREAT news. Blackwell should be in jail

not running for higher office.

Hope Brown's lead widens, too!

[AX10]

6. KICK

:bounce:

[blue neen]

7. That is wonderful news.

It looks like Ohioans HAVE "had enough." :)

[leesa]

9. Ohio has awakened. I guess they tired of being the slaves of the GOP.

This is SUCH good news. I want to see that wretch Blackwell go down more than anything. Hopefully we will someday see him go to jail for crimes related to the 2004 election.

[skipos]

12. Keep it going! nt

[Son Of Spy]

13. Yeah!

Way to go Ohio!

[tomp]

14. sounds too close to call. nt

[smoogatz]

21. 47-27 is too close to call?

Or did you mean the 8-point spread in the senate race?

[OzarkDem]

24. Probably more the Brown race

They're pulling out all the stops to swiftboat Brown. In addition, the news media is refusing to discuss the stolen elections in 2004 or to report on the potential for it happening again in 2006.

[rzemanfl]

68. Of that 20% five percent will get tired of waiting in line, five per-

cent will be sent to the wrong precinct, five percent will "spoil" their ballots and six percent will have their vote flipped by the machine. Damn right it's too close to call.

[reichstag911]

15. Hah!

"Blackwell’s inability to sell himself to Ohio Republicans?" Uncle Ken sold himself a long time ago, most egregiously with his conduct during the '04 election. I guess it sucks being a Repub house negro, doesn't it, Kenny Boy? They'll let you commit crimes on their behalf, but they just ain't gonna turn out for ya. :rofl:

[DemReadingDU]

20. Good news, for now

But I'm too cynical to believe that these polls mean anything once election day is here. Republicans aren't going to allow Stickland and Brown win.

[smoogatz]

23. This is incredibly good news.

It's long been my view that without African-American vote suppression in the '00 and '04 races, Ohio would have been a majority Dem state. Now, if white Indy voters have swung hard to the Dems, it's pretty much a lock. The Repubs will have a hard time claiming vote fraud if they're running the election.

[cmd]

26. Fantastic!

Keep donating and keep working to support them.

[otohara]

27. It Will Be Hard to Steal This One Kenny

this is excellent news for Ohio. In CO, the govs race is close but democrat Ritter holds the lead.

[rucky]

28. Thank you Barbara Yardlow!

"Respondent Barbara Wardlow, a 70-year-old Republican from Clarksville near Cincinnati, said she’s never voted for a Democrat, but that may change this fall.

She said she doesn’t like Blackwell but wants to learn more about Strickland before deciding."

I'm not even going to ask why she doesn't like Blackwell.

[Blutodog]

29. The Diebold factor

Now add in the Diebold factor and he'll lose by the same amount in Nov. of course the exit polls will be wrong again as they always seem to be in Ohio.

[Nictuku]

30. I needed some Good News

Thank you for posting this info!

[Straight Shooter]

31. I hope Bootlicker Blackwell suffers the same fate as Harris in Florida.

Selling your soul to the devil doesn't pay off as well as it used to, does it?

[RubyDuby in GA]

32. I hate to be the buzzkill in this party, but...

Democrats Roy Barnes and Max Cleland had double digit leads over their republican opponents too in 2002 for the governor and senator race in GA and funny enough Diebold said those double digit leads in every poll conducted didn't mean a thing.

I'm just sayin'...

It's disheartening to know your team can win in a fair election, but that there is no such thing as a fair election anymore.

[MissWaverly]

35. there is a difference in Ohio

Blackwell does not have a groundswell support in the Republican base. I think that is going
to make a big difference. I agree that Cleland lost due to the machines and I think Kerry
won with at least 3% over Bush; but if there is not the support from the GOP base, this will
not fly.

[Demeter]

38. The Tsunami of November, 2006 Approaches

Get out your hip boots and shovels and start digging!

[Lasher]

39. Wow, this is great news from the Buckeye State!

The 2006 Ohio Senate race polls have been bouncing all over the place, but it's great to see Brown ahead again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_United_States_Senate_election%2C_2006#Opinion_Polls

Assuming the election will be fair, and assuming all the most recent polls are correct, and if the election were held today, we would pick up 5 seats in the US Senate - only one short of what we need to regain control there!

Those pickups would be in Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. And get this, we're very close to being ahead in New Jersey, which could give us seat number 6 and victory! In that race, a July 15 Quinnipiac poll put Kean (R) ahead 40% to 38%, but Menendez (D) had been in the lead in every previous poll since July 15.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_United_States_Senate_election%2C_2006#Polls

Other close races include Tennessee and Virginia.

Here is a link for you, where you can check out the latest 2006 Senate race polling for each state. Wikipedia is doing a good job of keeping this information current.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:United_States_Senate_elections_by_state

Go, Democrats! The momentum appears to be in our favor! :woohoo:

[Awsi Dooger]

45. Winning New Jersey would be a hold, not a pickup

That's the seat Corzine gave up after being elected governor. He appointed Menendez, who is now the incumbent. It's one of four or five close races we need to hold our own seats.

This is like the first quarter of a basketball game. I'd rather be 10 points ahead than 10 points behind, but against an incumbent senator it's hardly a certainty and we need more polls confirming Brown's lead. The thing that makes me question Ohio is not Diebold, but the aspect we are relying on short term dissatisfaction with the state GOP, much more than any demographic surge in our favor. There is no blue shift like in Colorado or northern Virgnina, things that make sense and go at a steady pace. We need to pick up these seats now and take full advantage of GOP implosion, otherwise the state becomes 2-4 points red again.

[Mummyman]

48. There is still positive news

True, it would be a hold, but I believe that NJ will definitely go Democratic in the end. They always do when it comes down to it.

And just to give some more positive thoughts, there are still a few others states that I believe can make the sixth seat picked up by the Democrats, giving us the Senate: Virginia, Tennessee, and Nevada. Virginia would be my first choice, since George Allen is such a duschbag, and a few months ago, the Republicans thought Virginia wasn't even going to be a contest.

I am trying to be realistic, but I actually think that it's a reasonable possibility that we can get the Senate and the House in November.

[Lasher]

50. This just in...

I just found a more recent NJ Senate poll, and this one gives us the lead. I decided to post that in a new thread. So we're up 5 and need one more.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2737473&mesg_id=2737473

[Lasher]

52. I was hoping you would weigh in

Duh, we're incumbent in NJ. I knew that, I was just checking to see if you did. Check out my post below, I found a new NJ poll that puts us back in the lead.

Do you think our chances look more hopeful than you did when we last communicated?

[Awsi Dooger]

54. I love our chances to have a big year, but not to take control

No, I haven't adjusted my estimate upward signficantly. My goal is +3 or higher. Picking up 5 is a longshot, then the 6th one is even more of a dropoff. If we had one more top tier pickup opportunity then perhaps a national tide could net +6. Getting Webb or Ford over the line is difficult to envision, although Ford isn't facing an imcumbent. Nevada is no chance. I admittedly get frustrated when that race shows up on any list of possibles.

I've seen this on DU before, that's part of the problem. There were countless threads in '02 and '04 projecting us to sweep every senate race and take a commanding lead in the senate breakdown. This year we have much more of a thereotical national edge, but I'm hesitant to get overly certain about knocking out incumbents in red states like Ohio, Montana, Missouri. Once the vote totals start rolling in, all of a sudden the statewide realities show up and the polls can mean squat. There's a reason I use a PAN or Partisan Adjustment Number to amend these polls, like a pointspread in sports. It's amazing how polls can be off year after year in certain states in the same direction, but we just accept the phony margins of error and the poll findings. A good rule of thumb is the poll tends to underestimate the partisanship of the state. For example, if a senate Democrat is ahead by 2 points in a poll in a blue state like New York, it's probably more than that. However, in this situation you've got polls in red states, Montana, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia. My poll adjustments in those states are toward the GOP although Virginia has now changed and I've eliminated the red PAN. What I'm saying is, the polls in those states are most likely too favorable to our side. When the result comes in and differs, people here scream Diebold when IMO it's innacurate pre-election polling.

Rhode Island has blue PAN but I'd feel much better there if Chafee was more objectionable and had a lower approval rating. Too bad Democrats don't switch party registration temporarily and make sure Laffey wins the primary. I know there has been significant registration shift but I think that's Chafee supporters who want to make sure he wins the primary.

You're being a bit conservative about the New Jersey polls and projection. Menendez had a good lead until the government shutdown. That will be a tight race but I'm confident Menendez will regain the lead in the polls and go on to win.

[Lasher]

88. I'm still going to hope you're wrong.

And I know you won't mind at all if we somehow do manage to pick up the needed 6 seats.

I'm still doing like I have all along. I just use the most recent poll in each race, regardless of anything else except that, and come up with my unsophisticated tally. With polling frequency on the increase now, it's getting to be time consuming even keeping up with that.

I agree about Nevada. I think that one's showing up on lists of competitive races because of early speculation that Goodman might have run. If you're thinking about the WSJ poll in particular (which was just updated yesterday, check it out), their definition of 'battleground states' is obviously not the same as 'competitive races'. They're tracking New Mexico, for example, where Bingaman is ahead by 22%. But they're not tracking Rhode Island, where Whitehouse currently leads by 1%. Go figure.

The Washington race is not being discussed much, but I've been anxious about it. Cantwell has never trailed in any poll, but both Strategic Vision and Rasmussen gave her only a 4 point lead in their latest surveys.

I know it can be frustrating sometimes when folks won't be realistic because they are hoping for too much. But hope is a good thing. If we have hope we will try even though the odds are against us, and sometimes we will win. The Connecticut race is already a good example of this. To have come this far against the odds, Lamont has already won, IMO. If he does manage to pull off a win in the general election, that would be incredible.

So I'll continue with my cheerleading and you try to keep our feet on the ground. I think we make a great team.

[Eric J in MN]

40. Is Matt Damschroder going to withhold voting machines from black

...neighborhoods, again?

http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2004/995

[liberal N proud]

41. That will make it a little tougher for Kenny to steal the election

Both for himself and for Dewine

[saltpoint]

42. I believe a lot of people in the Buckeye State are done with the bullshit.

Taft. Ney. Blackwell. All of it.

Around 10:00 p.m. on November 7th, be thankful for the everyday technology of color television. And watch the screen as Ohio goes blue.

Gonna be a Blue Buckeye November.

[chill_wind]

43. Including a 3:1 lead among Independants. Very big message. nt

[long_green]

44. I certainly don't wish Blackwell success but...

this is one is strictly for the "better late than never" file. The Republican voters in Ohio were perfectly happy when Blackwell was conniving to steal an election from the voters of Ohio, and through Ohio, America, but now they develop a conscience. And when? When it's time to decide whether or not to support a black man for governor. This is a lesson even Ken Blackwell could not fail to learn. Repent now, sinner!;)

[LynneSin]

46. Anyone who thinks we have this one in the bag is fooling themselves

I still say DeWine and Black"Not-So"Well win thanks to Diebold even if STrickland and Brown are leading going into election day

[HughBeaumont]

67. Then, let's see how he explains overcoming a 20 point deficit.

Somehow, I doubt the media will collectively sweep this under the rug. The theft, unlike last time (well, not to you and I, but the rest of the world), will be way too obvious and they'll go down in flames should they steal this one.

BootBlackwell is acting FAR too cocky and not even remotely worried, as are his handlers and sycophants. Kind of makes you wonder what they're up to.

[LynneSin]

75. You think our media will report it?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

They'll probably have new Natalee in Aruba stories available on the day after the election

[HughBeaumont]

77. Well, RFK Jr DID get his 2004 Election investigation in a major magazine

Even if the Scaife-owned newsdailies and even Salon scoffed at and dismissed it, it's still gaining a buzz among mainstream America.

Granted, I don't expect the media to change anytime soon, but should Crackwell win, it will make them look stupendously foolish trying to defend how he possibly made up a 20-percent deficit in a few months with his hate-baiting, non-relevant issue campaign.

I'm thinking Southern Ohio's Fundie Republicans will put race over party on this one.

[DFW]

49. I'm just terrified that Botany has it right

I followed few referenda last fall in Ohio: the polls had a
few of them showing a 60-40 win for a resolution favoring
the Democrats. What happened? Another "surprise Republican
upset:" it lost about 60-40.

You think 47-27 is too much of an obstacle for Blackwell to
overcome by voting fraud? I wish I could believe that. I'm
not sure that 97-3 is enough to overcome for Blackwell & Co.

"Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the
votes decide everything."

---Josef Stalin

[dkblogger]

82. I'm so glad to see someone else is upset over this poll.

I've been e-mailing everyone but the Pope about the Columbus
Dispatch pre-election polls, and how they were almost the
reverse according to what they "claim " was the
outcome. I even e-mailed the Dispatch trying to shame them
over their pathetic excuse for being impossible wrong on 4 of
the 5 issues. They feel too many Dems were polled. (And they
gave the same reason the other day with their poll on
Strickland being so far ahead of Blackwell) And don't forget
issue #1 with the couple billion for Taft, they polled it to
pass at 42 and it did at 43. Then they lived up to their
accuracy with polling didn't they ? Follow the money.... And
no Ohio paper that I know of is pushing this at all. No matter
what the facts are with polls having Strickland and Brown
winning, with-out serious coverage of the fraud going on here
they will lose. And this keeps me up nights.

[grannylib]

51. Hope they can stretch those leads beyond the point where Diebold

could fuck them up.
It's Ohio, after all...and we all know how that can go.

Blackwell deserves to go DOWN and I for one can't wait to see it.

[0rganism]

53. Will anyone really be surprised when these numbers flip in November?

Blackwell is counting the votes for his own election, and DeWine's.

Is the Ohio electorate ready to do what must be done to ensure that the count is not corrupted?
Is anyone?

[Awsi Dooger]

55. Mail poll, not a phone poll

I don't know how they assign such a low margin for error to a mail poll. Unless it's a different type of mail poll than I've read about previously.

[TheVirginian]

84. Because the Dispatch has been doing this poll for ages now.

They're one of the few repudible news outlets who still do mail polls, though it used to be the standard decades ago. After doing it for a very long time, they have it down to a pretty good science.

Of course, you know as well as I do the volitility of pre-election polls, especially with the different amount of methodologies out there. Ohio is probably my biggest head-scratcher this cycle. The polls show Brown out with a big lead, but I don't recall DeWine doing anything wrong last month to precipitate such a huge turn. Before this last month, there were regularly 20-point swings in between different polls within a matter of weeks. And speaking as an outsider in Ohio, it seems that Brown is an unusually liberal candidate against an unusually moderate Republican in a centrist swing state. DeWine should have the edge. I understand the anti-incumbent national wave, and the anti-GOP statewide wave, but I'm surprised DeWine is sinking the way he is.

[Awsi Dooger]

87. Some of the internals are questonable

650 Democrats and 618 Republicans. That's a bit favorable to our side. I project even party ID in Ohio this year. It was 40-35 GOP in the '04 exit polls. Plus those are extremely loyal Democrats in this sample, based on the 81-2 number in favor of Strickland in the gov race.

[McCamy Taylor]

56. Will DOJ care when Blackwell steals race from 20 points behind?

Hell, no!

[Buns_of_Fire]

58. Excellent news. But DON'T GET COCKY about it.

Even if you're fifteen points ahead, you STILL need to run like you're fifteen points BEHIND.

Now, more than ever.

[EST]

79. Yeah, how many times in the last five years have we said--

For sure--this latest fubar will bring 'em down! He HAS to be indicted and impeached--only to see hopes dashed on the cruel rocks of reality and criminal conduct?

I still am buoyed by this latest report plus, should Sherrod need a negative ad to blast them with, he can always ask a simple question, "Why in the world would anyone waste his vote by casting it for a man who is likely to be carted off to jail before his installation party?" Or, "If your senator manages to escape by some quasi-legal hocus-pocus, how would you feel, having a senator who, by all rights, should be spending a lot of sleepless nights with Jack Abramoff or the Duke-Stir?"

[On Par]

59. Let's Wait Until They - ahem - Count The Votes!

After all, it is freaking Ohio.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

60. This is cool, time to go for the jugular

With Sherrod Brown ahead like that against an otherwise powerful and well-funded Republican Senator, we've got a chance for a major coup in Ohio. Let's make sure that we now provide Brown with enough funds to redouble his message and consolidate his strength. This would be a major Democratic pick-up, and Brown is just the person to bring Ohio to our side. Indeed, along with George Voinovich (who's among the more reasonable Republicans), Brown would be giving Ohio one of the nation's strongest congressional delegations.

[OhioBlue]

63. This is great news

Personally, I live in a small, rural, red County - the Republicans I've talked to are split. A couple back Blackwell, a couple back Strickland and most are undecided or luke warm about just voting for their party.

DeWine - Brown is more along party lines. The independents - especially Union members lean toward Brown. These are two very winnable races.

Picking up a Governor's seat in Ohio helps the entire country in several ways - 1. a Dem Governor will have the power of the office for incumbency and could sit on the apportionment board for redistricting. 2. A successful Dem Governor can help swing Ohio Blue for Presidential races. If you want to donate - www.tedstrickland.com

This pick up in the Senate will also obviously benefit the entire country. to donate to Sherrod Brown - www.sherrodbrown.com

I'll do all I can in volunteer work. I've already volunteered for both candidates (as well as Jennifer Brunner for Secretary of State - we all know why it is so important to get her elected www.jenniferbrunner.com) and have helped with personal appearances for both. I'm also helping with canvassing efforts and soon will look at phone banking.

[AzDar]

64. Bye, bye, Blackwell. Won't THAT be sweet? The man who is

largely responsible for 'Debacle 2004', vanquished.
Then, come the indictments...(I can dream, can't I?)

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

66. dems have one major card to play yet:

the coingate trials start in sept.-the kingpin of the mess, Noe, goes on trial in oct.
the timing culdn't be better. voter wil get the reminder they need.

does blackwell have much time left on his SOS term and can he run again?

[OhioBlue]

85. his term ends this year

Jennifer Brunner is the Dem candidate for SOS - she is TERRIFIC! Her race is pivotal for honest elections in Ohio. www.jenniferbrunner.com

her opponent is some clerk of courts that has a lot of family money. Kennyboy is gonna be out of a job when he loses to Strickland. www.tedstrickland.com

[marmar]

70. Uh-oh...

I predict thousands of poll workers across Ohio taking voting machines home to sleep with them. :scared:

[Canuckistanian]

71. Kick!

:bounce:

[Cobalt Violet]

72. So this means Blackwell wins 47-to-27 ?

Isn't that how the voting goes these days?

[dkblogger]

83. Yup it does !

[Tiggeroshii]

73. But they have no credibility. they admitted they were40% off when

predicting the referendums that failed last year. If their polling is really that bad they need to be out of business. Those fuckers have no business conducting polling when they themselves admitted it was 40% off for three laws up to vote, and their polling techniques were plagued with errors. If they are so wrong they shouldn't be doing polling, if they have legitimate polls however, with legitimate methods, then they need to admit their polls cannot be 40% off for several referendums and then make out the speculation there might be something wrong with our elections. Until that happens, columbus dispatch will be just as wrong with this election as they were with the last one, because their polling sucks. Either that or there is something horribly wrong with the election practices. :shrug:

[snowbear]

74. Akron Beacon Journal (Zogby) gives Sherrod an even bigger lead..

Rep. Sherrod Brown leads Sen. Mike DeWine in poll
Zogby says challenger ahead 46.7% to incumbent's 34%

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/local/states/ohio/counties/summit_county/14884162.htm

<-- 46.7% -vs- 34% -->

[EST]

80. Gawd, what a lovely picture of DeWhine-may I borrow, please?

[OzarkDem]

81. That one was from late June, but the lead is still likely larger

than in the Dogpatch poll.

The corporate news media in Ohio seems to be willing to accept a large Strickland lead and may be willing to let him win, but they're not ready to give up DeWine's seat and will do anything to re-elect him.

[samsingh]

86. this is very promising