Ohio people--how are things looking?

[wildflower]

I'm feeling optimistic seeing the reports of people canvassing & attending Kerry rallies, and how what they see doesn't match the polls in the news.

I just posted on another thread about Ohio being the state they say a candidate can't win without carrying, and it got me wondering.

So to those of you in Ohio, what are you seeing and hearing?

-wildflower

ON EDIT: Should I post this in another forum?

[Zeke]

1. Yeah...

I'm in California and want to know what's up with Ohio.

Why do mid-westerners---poor mid-westerners---vote against there own best interesrt by voting GOP?

VOTE KERRY. VOTE OFTEN.

[obietiger]

24. why does anyone in the working class vote Republican?

Zeke - read the book "What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America" - it will boggle your mind. Although the conservative party will be less likely to protect the worker's safety, less likely to protect his job, and less likely to benefit him economically, what the hey - they say they are pro-life and more patriotic than the progressives so let's vote for them.

[liberal N proud]

40. I have tried to figure that out my intire adult life?

My statment has always been "I don't have enought money to be republican"

[redsoxliberal]

2. Rasmussen has had Kerry up 3 for 3 days...

anyone have todays numbers?

[dsc]

3. I just moved from there in July

and still have relatives up there. It isn't looking all that good. Kerry is down in most polls. Ohio is a tough state for us and I think we have waited too long to organize there. I hope I am wrong but the numbers are not great.

[Bush was AWOL]

4. I live in Columbus and I'd say I see more Kerry signs and stickers

than Bush signs. I honestly think Kerry takes Ohio. With Columbus becoming more and more liberal and the city growing at rapid rates, I think Ohio will be a solid blue state before long.

[mtnester]

15. That is Columbus..where every elected official (nearly) is a Dem

However, take a cruise to Fairfield County, and you will see a Republican stronghold....

I can only tell you what I hear in the coffee shop, at work, and at the grocery...I think it is too close to call.

[Nadeaufan17]

20. Columbus Suburbs

Even in the Columbus Suburbs it is divided right down the middle. As I said in my post below, driving through my neighborhood tonight i saw 4 Kerry signs/stickers and 4 Bush signs stickers.

[Demoiselle]

5. Democrats have won without Ohio. Republicans never.

eom.

[wildflower]

6. Really? I didn't realize that. So is the media really just referring to

Republicans when they say this? (I wouldn't be surprised.) I keep hearing it all the time.

I'll try to figure out where to find some research on this (any suggestions?) and post it.

-wildflower

[wildflower]

7. Ah, you are right! And good links here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-06-23-bush-kerry-cover_x.htm

"Time-tested formulas suggest both Bush and Kerry will win on Nov. 2"

(from June 23)

<<4. As goes Ohio, so does GOP...and it's not going well — Advantage: Kerry

From Abraham Lincoln to George W. Bush, no Republican has been elected president without carrying Ohio. In 2000, Bush won the state, but by just 3.5 percentage points and only after Al Gore abandoned campaign efforts there.>>
--

ON EDIT: More about Ohio here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4415235

"Electoral Math May Hold Surprises - How Democrats could win the White House without carrying any Southern states, or Bush could overcome loss of Ohio"

<<Due to population shifts and reapportionment, the states which Bush carried in 2000 now have seven more electoral votes than they did four years ago.>>

(from March 4 but still relevant now)

-wildflower

[AngryOldDem]

8. My View from Ohio

I tend not to focus on the numbers but on what I see out in the trenches. We live in a relatively affluent section of Montgomery County (Dayton), a key county that Kerry must win to take Ohio -- and the support for Kerry in this largely GOP area is credible -- much more visible for Kerry than for Gore. My husband is a precinct captain and in his canvassing walks so far (of Democrats and unaffiliateds) the results are roughly 50% Kerry, 40% Bush, 10% still undecided. At his work (relatively conservative employees) Kerry and Bush seem to be tied. He says he is seeing support in places where he did not anticipate seeing support.

Someone else posted here that he/she thought the campaign has waited too long in getting to Ohio. I think the attention has been about right. Kerry is focusing 10% of his national effort here; to that end almost every county has a Kerry office, including some that have not had a Democratic Party presence in years, and those on the Ohio board who work at these offices indicate a lot of off-the-street interest in signs, literature, etc. There are massive get-out-the-vote efforts at places like job centers, festivals, fairs -- wherever you'll find a good cross-section of the public. (We have people who register voters also posting regularly on the Ohio board.)

I think the thing is to make ourselves more visible. People who have spoken to my husband have told him that they have been feeling like they are the only Kerry supporters around here, and I've heard that as well. We also have to perhaps pay a little more attention to Eastern and Southeastern Ohio. Get those areas registered and give them a stake in the process. Kerry at least should also pay a visit to Chillicothe, as Bush just did -- that is a very hard hit area economically -- which could possibly win some swing voters over to our side.

Gore gave up on Ohio far too soon in 2000. I don't think Kerry will make that same mistake. Ohio is winnable for Kerry, but that may not be apparent until Election Night. If you look solely at the polls, it is a little discouraging. But if you get out and talk to people, I think we have a very strong chance. At any rate, none of us are giving up.

Please feel free to drop by the Ohio board anytime to see what's going on. :hi:

[faithnotgreed]

9. thank you for the information and thanks to your husband for

the hard work

its great to hear from people in the swing states. thanks so much

[Nadeaufan17]

10. To Clarify

Just to clarify, a lot of the unaffiliated people could easily be Republicans. You don't register for a party in Ohio when registering to vote, the way you become a registered Dem/Rep is by requesting that parties ballot in a primary.

Also, in Central Ohio, driving through my neighborhood tonight,I saw 4 Kerry signs/stickers and 4 Bush signs/stickers. From what I have seen, it really is divided right down the middle.

[AngryOldDem]

11. Thanks for Pointing That Out

>>Just to clarify, a lot of the unaffiliated people could easily be Republicans.>>

Somehow, I have a good feeling about a lot of the "unaffiliateds."

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Thanks, Nadeaufan17 -- and welcome to DU! nt

[roseBudd]

12. I'm in Cinncinnati which has a sizeable African American demo

There are so many people registering African Americans and low income urban whites, not to mention Young Voter Alliance and VoteMob, that I am finding very few unregistereds. I am however askinh people if they have any young relatives who are not registered and giving them forms.

I am motivating while I street canvass by saying things like "Bush gotta go, pass it on," and "Can I ask for your help? Bush gotta go."

Almost everyone I speak to agrees. I then ask them to talk to all their friends and realtives and tell them not to listen to the polls because they are not calling pollsters.

And even though I am white I am not sensing any weirdness or suspicion as I canvas blacks.

[AngryOldDem]

14. As I Said....

...I look at all the grassroots support, and I have to ignore these polls.

That's really encouraging about Cincy. I think this campaign is really bringing a lot of us together, across race lines, class lines, etc., which has to be very bad news for the GOP, but great news for us and the country.

Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:

[crispini]

28. Woah

almost every county has a Kerry office,

JAYSUS KEERIST!

Pardon my French. I speak as someone whose (red) STATE doesn't have a Kerry office.

must be nice to be a swing state.

I don't care, I'll buy my own damn yard signs if I have to. For me and the whole freaking PRECINCT. You watch me, I'm turning this state purple if I have to drag everyone I know to the polls personally. hehehehhehehe.

[Chili]

29. yep

...our group was told today that there are more Kerry people in Ohio than in any other state. I hope I've got this number right, but it was also said that there are 3,500 volunteers in Cuyahoga county alone.

[dennis4868]

16. Ohio reminds me.....

of an wife who keeps getting physically abused by her husband but for some crazy reason will not leave him....Ohio has been one of the biggest victims of Bush's policies and yet it is a close race and according to another DUer in this thread says things are not looking good....bad sign!

[mtnester]

17. I belive that how Ohio goes will be decided by our young voters

Kerry has to make sure he reaches the 20 somethings..they will decide it...so many that age are registering in huge numbers and ARE GOING to the polls..they think it is the most important election possible for them...anyone else agree?

[Lady President]

43. No, but I'm sure I'm in the minority

I keep hearing that voters in their 20s are the most important block, but I'm starting to feel like this focus is ignoring everyone else who consistently go to the polls.

For example, in Ohio I have only met one staffer who is over 30 and only talked to him for a minute or two. It seems like 25 is the age maximum to be hired. (I understand that these people are willing to work for little money and long hours, but in Ohio we have so many people out of work that bringing in inexperienced staffers from out-of-state isn't necessary.) Naturally, all the young staffers want to focus on the college students and spend time working at tail-gate parties. For example, the staffers all attended GOTV at the OSU game and are spending their time organizing a concert for next week. This is great, except canvassing and phone lists haven't been given to the precinct captains yet, despite promises that they would be ready by mid-August. Some staffers need to stop concentrating on fun events and start paying attention to the county as a whole.

Just so no one thinks everything is out-of-control here, we have hundreds of dedicated volunteers who will do everything they can win this state. Also, the staffers we have are wonderfully nice. I can't say anything against them as people, they're focus just isn't as broad as someone older might have.

[AngryOldDem]

53. Not Good

>>>This is great, except canvassing and phone lists haven't been given to the precinct captains yet, despite promises that they would be ready by mid-August.<<<<

It's getting to the point where it's almost too late to be doing this, if it's to have any effect. Where is this, if you don't mind me asking?

The Montgomery County effort is led by a mix of people. Most of those "in charge" are indeed college age (or a little older) but there are also many experienced veterans around who are keeping things on track.

And we need to be focusing on as many people as we can, period.

[Lady President]

56. Franklin Co.

Unfortunately, a lot of the precinct captains in the Columbus area do not have their canvassing lists yet. We've had several training sessions on how to be a precinct captain, but no actual list. And yes, it is starting to get late in the game to start the process. I think most of us have resigned ourselves to the fact that the precinct captains will have to do all the calling ourselves because there isn't much time to find and train new volunteers whom you can really trust. My biggest frustration is the pressure the staff is putting on us. The other night at a meeting we were told over and over that the whole country is depending on us, but we're not getting the help we desperately need. But, somehow we will get it done!

Just my opinion, but it seems like other counties are more prepared because their aren't as many Kerry staffers. I think we would be better off if the state HQ wasn't here. As I'm sure you know, Columbus has many Dem. elected officials and I wish the experienced Franklin Co. Dems. or ODP staffers had a larger role.

I agree, that we have to look all voters for a state win.

[freeplessinseattle]

18. visions of Antioch activism

dancing in my head..'course I could just be an idealistic student worshipful and hopeful of the mission of Antioch, but it known as a strongly activist school, one of the first progressive schools in the nation. The original one is in Yellow Springs (I attend the Seattle campus, well, am currently on leave of absence) and I'm sure that the students and faculty have been out in full force, more than most schools. now I may be overly optimistic and proud of my school's activist history, but seriously, student's can make a huge difference, and I'll bet many are also road-tripping to surroundings states-Antioch used to bus students to protests in DC and elsewhere, Corretta Scott King graduated from there (and Rod Serling, think how many of his shows were about "the bomb") and they were even part of the underground railroad. ok, pardon my gushing, but got to hang my hope somewhere:)

[mcerise]

19. From a college student registered to vote in Ohio and voting absentee

My family and most of my friends were unregistered and have never voted before. however, they're all voting this year. In fact, I don't know one person eligible to vote in Ohio not voting (they're all voting for Kerry too :)). I truly think the polls are off; Ohio is going to Kerry!

Also, my extended family members who live outside Ohio (although not in swing states) are also registering and voting for Kerry this year.

Let's keep our hopes up!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

23. Welcome to DU from a Cantabridgian-Harvard or MIT?

:hi:

[mcerise]

30. Hi!

I go MIT. Do you also go to school in Cambridge?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

32. No-I'm a native

grew up here and still live here. It's a great city!

[ItsMyParty]

21. Did you see Chris Jansen (ing?) broadcasting from Ohio all day the

other day. She was in a diner which they pointed out was in probably THE most key county in the state. Ohio could literally come down to just this one area. At the end of the day, she said the one thing that really impressed her was that person after person she talked to said they were very, very interested in the debates and that they wouldn't definitely make up their mind until they saw them. Push this bastard for all three debates and make him stand at the podium!!!

[Nadeaufan17]

22. What county?

Do you happen to remember what county they said was the most important in in Ohio?

[ItsMyParty]

25. I don't because since I don't live there it was like in one ear and

out the other. It was some restaurant that is suppose to be a big gathering place. They had a republican pol on and a Dem pol who I thought was the mayor??? Damn, I wish I had paid attention. But they did this breakdown and pointed out how the votes could literally come down to this one county. I wish I could remember something else to pass on to you but I don't recall.

[Nadeaufan17]

27. Franklin maybe?

We have a democratic mayor here in Columbus, Mike Coleman. Hes an African American man. Does that fit the description of the dem on the show?

[ItsMyParty]

31. you know, my first impression when answering you was that the

guy I thought was the mayor was black.......then I couldn't remember if he was or not. He had wire rim glasses. He was somewhat slight build. He was maybe in his 50's. I'm trying to think of someone we might both know to relate to. Give me a description of your mayor or someone he looks like.

[Nadeaufan17]

33. 50's and glasses fits his description pefectly.

What channel was this on? MSNBC? I heard something about Mayor Coleman being on MSNBC, so that might have been one and the same.

[ItsMyParty]

34. Yep, MSNBC---so get the people in the area out moving and

banging on doors because it seems it could come right down to this one place in Ohio!!!!

[Nadeaufan17]

35. So basically...

I live in the swing county of the swing state in this crucial election. Awesome! lol

[Lady President]

42. Most likely Franklin Co., Ward 62

From your other post it's seems like you're describing Mayor Coleman-- 50, slender build, wire-glasses, and a sharp dresser without being ostentatious.

Ward 62 has been getting a ton of media attention. Bush won the Ward in 2000 by 12 votes and the demographics of the Ward are similar to the state as a whole (i.e. income, race, ages, etc.) In the last few months every major media outlet, including some international news organizations, has been here. There was even a Kerry front porch stop Sat. before the Convention.

The bad news? We're not very organized. The campaign still hasn't sent canvassing or phone lists and we're getting short on time. Feel free to send some good vibes our way. ;)

[Chili]

26. I attended a "barnstorming" today (Ohioan)...

...in a heavily Republican corner of Cuyahoga county, where party activists motivated volunteers, got people signed up to tend the phone banks, canvas, drive people to the polls... it was extremely inspiring! I was very impressed by the enthusiasm and determination of both the young people AND the elderly - both age groups were strongly represented and rarin' to go. While leaving, I noticed, for the first time, lots of Kerry / Edwards signs and bumper stickers, and I didn't see a single Bush anything, and I had a long drive through Republican suburbs to get home. This may have been a fluke day, don't know, but I've yet to see any visible evidence of Bush support. It's hard to gauge how it's going to go in the rest of the state, we're pretty liberal up here. But then again, Ohio has 2 Republican senators and a Republican governor - sad, too, because I remember a time when it was the opposite (Metzenbaum and Glenn in the Senate, and Celeste as governor). Ohio has only recently gone to the right in the last decade or so, but if the young people I saw today have their way, that's not for long.

As for the election, I'll know more on Tuesday night. Tuesday I'm attending another meeting, down in the Akron/Canton area, the home of Timken, in Stark county, where so many people have lost their jobs. That area, if I'm not mistaken, is heavily Republican, so I'll get yet another look at what people are thinking. I was invited to the meeting by a close friend who was once a Republican. She put her Kerry sign up yesterday! :)

[POAS]

36. Voter registration

will probably set records this election cycle.

Franklin County has already processed 80,000, Summit county is at 20,000 and is hiring temporary help to process the backlog.

The Dem's in my small town have done over 1000 new voter registrations in 3 weeks. In a town with only 15000 registered voters.

I was out registering today and almost all the people that registered were motivated by one goal.....getting * out of office. I worked at two sites, one where we were allowed to display Kerry stuff and the other that asked us to remain non-partisan (He didn't want to drive off any clients). Even at the non-partisan site the sentiment expressed was rabidly anti-bush.

Many people who normally vote Republican have told us, not this year!

I'm trying not to get too pumped though, October surprises have a tendency to shuffle the deck and Bush is quite capable of pulling out all the unethical stuff Rove can think of.

[faithnotgreed]

37. right on with that! thanks for posting this and welcome to du

thanks for your hard work in getting out the vote

[A Brand New World]

38. Columbus

On my ride into Columbus today to the Ohio State game, I went down Lane Ave. in Upper Arlington, an affluent area, and the Kerry yard signs outnumbered Bush by probably 2 to 1. But, sadly, Bush supporters were outside the stadium registering people to vote and passing out W stickers. Saw a few of them in the stadium. Didn't see anything Kerry related at the stadium.

[Bush was AWOL]

39. You seriously saw freepers registering people to vote

outside the Ohio State game? As an OSU alum, huge buckeye fan and a resident of Columbus, I find this sickening. Can't they let people enjoy a football game without forcing their political beliefs down their throats.

[A Brand New World]

41. Yep!

Saw them in two different areas. One near the foot bridge from the West Campus shuttle bus drop off area and one near where the band walks from St. John arena.

[LisaL]

44. They can register people to vote

but it doesn't mean these people will vote for Bush.

[POAS]

49. At our Labor day parade

we saw Many Bush stickers that had been passed out before we marched thrown onto the ground. In a few cases people took Kerry stickers and covered the Bush stickers that Republicans ahead of us in the parade had stuck on them.

[DeepModem Mom]

45. kick

[theHandpuppet]

46. Feel like I'm beating a dead horse ....

... but I'll say it again: Portsmouth, Ironton, Jackson, Marietta, Belpre.

Kerry/Edwards could carry Ohio if they invest some friggin' time and effort into Appalachian SE Ohio. Double-digit unemployment figures, an aging population finding themselves in increasing poverty (Soc Security and Medicare threatened) and unable to pay for perscription drugs, schools in dire need, a Repuke leadership in Columbus that doesn't give a damn about Appalachian Ohioans and would prefer to pretend they don't exist.

This region of Ohio proportionately went for Gore more than almost any other region in Ohio, and much more than western Ohio. These folks could tip the state for Kerry if someone would just pay attention!! Bush made yet another visit to Huntington, WV the other day, which to SE Ohioans is just as good as a personal visit to them.

Ah well... if someone in the Dem camp had paid attention to this area of the state four years ago we wouldn't be talking about Bush now. Tired of beating this dead horse.

There is life beyond the city limits of Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati!

[POAS]

47. Instead of

criticizing the national campaign try getting after your local political leaders in SE Ohio.

Up here in Summit County, an economically depressed area between Akron (lost Rubber jobs) and Canton (Hoover and Timken closings) our local dem's are taking the bull by the horns and getting out the vote form the grassroots level.

At me local Kerry headquarters we are seeing unprecedented levels of volunteer participation. The Kerry campaign has campaign headquarters in every county in Ohio, I'm sure they need volunteers at all of them.

[theHandpuppet]

50. EXCUSE ME....

But I don't live in SE Ohio anymore... I live about 400 miles away in the Eastern panhandle of WV, where I volunteer several days a week to the Kerry/Edwards campaign. I spent all of Friday evening at the county Dem organizational meeting. Yesterday I spent six hours canvassing door-to-door despite the fact that doing so is excruciating for me and exacerbates my MS. Today I'll be attending another Kerry event at the local VA Hospital. Monday I have volunteered time to the local chapter of Amnesty International. Shall I go on or do I need to excuse myself even more for daring to voice my criticism of the "national campaign"?

Even local, "grassroots" organization takes an infusion of money and interest. If the *national* Kerry/Edwards campaign wants Ohio delivered into their column, then they can't expect people who have no money and no jobs to totally front their own campaign. If the national campaign can support efforts in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati then they sure as hell shouldn't expect that the poorest people of the state won't mind funding their own efforts while being ignored by the candidates.

My criticism stands. The "national campaign" is free to ignore it or simply offer a "let them eat cake" to the voters in SE Ohio. It's their choice.

[AngryOldDem]

52. Your Criticism's Valid n/t

[roseBudd]

54. I agree that's why I made an 8x10 flyer for printing

Paper is relatively cheap:

Go here:
http://somnamblst.tripod.com/index.html

to download the 300 DPI TIF file for printing and distributing.

[theHandpuppet]

58. Thanks...

... but if you read my previous post you'll know that I no longer live in SE Ohio. As for the volunteer work I'm doing now, I either have access to or make the materials I need.

[AngryOldDem]

51. But The Difference Is in Attitude

People in SE Ohio have been out of the process for so long, either out a self-defeatist sense of "Why bother," or because of blatant disregard by party leaders. We HAVE to start paying attention to this area. The issue is getting the population to see what it has at stake in this election, and what it stands to gain (or lose).

We have many people who come in to SW Ohio from Indiana (as far away as Indianapolis) almost every weekend to canvass neighborhoods where the outcome -- if not already decided -- is pretty near certain. Plus, we have more than enough local volunteers any given weekend. So I would much prefer to see the out-of-state people concentrating their efforts in SE and S Ohio. Maybe that's already happening, I don't know. But that is where the need is.

But bottom line: Throughout the years an entire region of this state has been effectively disenfranchised. It's time to change that.

[theHandpuppet]

57. Not so much self-defeatist as beaten down

It's hard to get a people motivated to go to the polls when they know once the election is over all they can expect is to be forgotten, win or lose. In the end, when politicians with short-term memories come a-callin' every four years and then don't remember you exist on a November Wednesday, why shouldn't you feel as if your vote doesn't matter one way or another? This has been the story of the SE Appalachian Ohio vote *for decades*.

My home county in Ohio, which ranks near the top of the poverty list but is not the poorest county in SE Ohio, has 35% of it people living at or below the poverty line, with 37% of those children depending on the discounted or free food they get at school to keep the hunger pangs away. Throughout the decades of both Dem and Repuke administrations, nothing has really changed for these folks. Empty promises, empty wallets and empty bellies is all they've come to expect. Entire families have been ripped apart as children scatter across the country to find work and support systems collapse.

Someone needs to stand up and deliver. Someone needs to give these people REAL hope that they can earn a decent living, provide food and clothes for their kids, keep their families together and not have to worry about choosing between medicine and a meal.

Frankly, I don't think sending in an army of outsiders will assuage their skepticism or dislodge them from political apathy. Kerry and Edwards don't need to send their volunteer temps to these folks, they need to go there themselves, look these people in the eye and vow they will not be forgotten EVER AGAIN. They need to take a good, hard look at the true, ravaged face of poverty and the human toll it takes on real families, many of whom have little left but stubborn pride.

Yes, as you said, they've been disenfranchised far too long and it is time for a change. I'm not sure how Sen Kerry can convince them that change IS coming their way, and I have to admit at this point I'm not convinced myself, even if Kerry should win. All I can do at this point is to keep speaking up for these folks so that amidst the endless discussions of electoral counts and canvassing strategies, we don't forget about the human beings for whom we are fighting.

[roseBudd]

59. I am telling low income people if they think it is bad now...

Give them 4 more years to gut all the social services programs

I canvass urban poor and they are voting for Kerry

[theHandpuppet]

60. If things get much worse in SE Ohio...

... I suggest they secede, openly declare themselves a third world country and apply for international aid.

[AngryOldDem]

62. I agree

>>>My home county in Ohio, which ranks near the top of the poverty list but is not the poorest county in SE Ohio, has 35% of it people living at or below the poverty line, with 37% of those children depending on the discounted or free food they get at school to keep the hunger pangs away.>>

This is getting to be the situation in many regions of the state, including the "well-off" areas. Much -- if not all -- of the blame for this can be placed squarely with Bush's cutbacks in assistance programs.

>>They need to take a good, hard look at the true, ravaged face of poverty and the human toll it takes on real families, many of whom have little left but stubborn pride.>>

Perhaps it's time for candidates to abandon the planes and trains and take a page from Bobby Kennedy and walk and live among the poor for a while, to see what it is like to live daily on the razor's edge.

It is shameful that there are some in this society who have been so totally forgotten.

[POAS]

48. Duplicate deleted

[robo]

55. Kerry e-mail

had a e-mail that Kerry was going to every county in Ohio ,they set the dates and e-mail them out soon

[johnnie]

61. My take from Cleveland

I haven't seen any signs, but I see a lot more Kerry bumper stickers than bush.
I got a call from the local Kerry office here and the woman told me she was getting about 50/50 when she was calling that night.
A woman at my office said she is voting the first time (she wants bush out), and she registered a while ago. She called to make sure she was registered and the person said yes, but they were swamped with new registrations and they could hardly handle them all. I would guess that most of the new registrations were Dems.
As for my friends, I only know a few that are going bush. My family and 98% of my friends are all going Kerry.
In my opinion, Kerry has the Cleveland area...no problem.