Tell me about Taft

[ButterflyBlood]

Why is he so unpopular? I haven't met anyone, Democrat or Republican, who likes him. And since he's so hated, how did he get reelected in a landslide?

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. Well, he was the fattest president ever,

and according to Florence Harding, his wife Nelly was quite a little snot, and they had to have a specially made bathtub because he was so huge, and....

Oh you meant that descendant guy. Sorry...my mistake...as you were.

FSC

[JohnnyRingo]

2. He is a repub that ran on the "let's cut taxes platform"...

...that was made popular by You-Know-Who.

Then he was forced to raise taxes and increased charges for services when federal monies to states were slowed to a trickle by You-Know-Who.
It's the Ohio republican taxpayers that gave him the nickname "Gov. Tax".

The dems in Ohio already hated him for a general lack of social compassion, and a return to Gov. Rhodes era policies.

That adds up to just about everybody. He's universally loathed here.

[mosin]

5. Gov. Tax

JohnnyRingo has it exactly right. Taft has managed to offend everybody across the political spectrum. In addition to the offenses that JR mentioned, Taft originally campaigned as a supporter of concealed carry reform. When the legislature actually got around to passing bills, however, Taft stood in the way.

Taft seems to have a general problem keeping campaign promises.

[iconoclastic cat]

3. They say this cat Taft is a bad mother----

[fudge stripe cookays]

8. "Taft!"

"Damn right."

Hee hee....was I the only one that caught this?

[JohnnyRingo]

4. Ooops....Wrong Taft ?

Sorry...I'm from Ohio, and of course........

[Kolesar]

6. To Taft's credit, he has been fighting against the L. Erie Shoreline Bill

He could be more outspoken about it, but he and his ODNR have been fighting it. What he should do it is take Rep Grendell aside and tell him to stuff his L. Erie Shoreline bill. Taft is supposed to be the leader of his party. What wet noodle.

[mosin]

7. To Taft's credit...

To Taft's credit

That may be the first time I've ever heard anyone use those words! :)

[Philostopher]

9. He's got no 'karazma'

to quote David Lee Roth's 'Just A Gigolo' video. Now, usually when a public figure has none of this highly-prized 'karazma,' he has to actually govern well -- governing well, even if people disagree with you, generally can make up for a lack of personality, ability to connect with people, etc. Only problem is, Taft ain't too good at that, either.

The Ohio Dem party has been a shambles for ages. The Repubs have done a similar redistricting tango to the one that was visited upon Texas, they've just done it slower, so the frog never really got all het up. The result is the same -- 'they' win everything because they've gerrymandered traditional Dem voting blocs until they're thin as snot rags.

So really, Taft has been elected and was re-elected because he has a whoop-de-do political legacy hanging off his name. I have yet to see a local newspaper picture that didn't make him look like he was lined up for an open audition for the Monty Python 'Upperclass Twit Of The Year' sketch. He'd win, by the way. He's an upperclass twit, and the Republicans could get an unmatched gymsock into the governor's mansion because there are only five registered Democrats voting in any given district.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

10. When he speaks...

it sounds like Bullwinkle the Moose on 'ludes.

His key to political survival has been the disastrous state of the Ohio Democratic Party during the past ten years. Ever since the 1994 debacle (who remembers Robert Burch -- anybody?) where the Democrats only received 25% of the vote, the Ohio Democratic Party has been fairly lost in the wilderness. It's showing signs of life these days, in part because of its "battleground" status in the 2004 Election.

Taft is simply the beneficiary of history. A strong Democratic Party would have sent him packing years ago.

[mosin]

11. Well said

Taft is simply the beneficiary of history. A strong Democratic Party would have sent him packing years ago.

You're absolutely right. Taft was incredibly vulnerable in 2002. It was quite an accomplishment for Hagan to get blown out of the water by Taft. :eyes:

I think a moderate rural or southern-Ohio Democrat would play well state-wide. Those who don't live down here probably don't understand how much distrust there is among ordinary blue-collar folks for those "liberal" Cleveland politicians.

[Kolesar]

12. Tim Hagan is a lazy campaigner

As one Ohio writer observed: "I don't think Tim Hagan has ever knocked on a door in his life".

When I heard that Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic was thinking of running for Governor, I got excited. I have been following his long tenure on Kent public radio. Plusquellic is a very competent leader. He has pulled Akron back from the precipice of rust belt ghost-town ignominy.

[bandagainstbush]

13. Face it

Boob Tax, er, Bob Taft is governor because HIS NAME IS TAFT