Blue Buckeye Blog

New ODP website and blog

Today, the Ohio Democratic Party launched a new website and blog, PaintOhioBlue.com. This will be a new grassroots and netroots center for Ohio Democrats for the 2006 election cycle. The site will provide information on volunteer opportunities, resources for registering to vote and early voting, multi-media viewing, and a new blog.

This year marks a new era for the Ohio Democratic Party. We have the strongest slate of candidates in a generation and we are poised to turn around Ohio in 2006. But we need your help to continue our momentum through November. I urge you to go to www.PaintOhioBlue.com and find out how you can help turn around Ohio in 2006.

I look forward to working closely with all of Ohio's great online activists.

Thanks,
Todd Hoffman
Online Communications Director

Please click here to go to the new ODP blog.

A message from President Clinton

Official Ohio Democratic Party homework assignment

I almost fell out of my chair in disbelief when I was reading an article about Ken Blackwell's recent stop to Mt. Vernon to visit the Knox County Republican Party HQ.  Blackwell is going around claiming he's poised for a victory.  Why?  Because he's in the exact same position President Bush found himself in against John Kerry in '04.

“I’m in the exact same position against Mr. Strickland that the president was against Mr. Kerry,” he said. “And we are going to do the same thing.”

Is Ken Blackwell seriously suggesting that polls in mid-September showed John Kerry leading Bush by 21 points?!?!?

So, class (Republicans out there, including Ken Blackwell's staff, please feel free to participate)here is your weekend homework assignment:  find me a poll that showed Kerry leading in Ohio by 19-25 points in September of 2004.  Leave the results of your work in the comments.

Ohio poised for Democrat Take-Aways

The third full week of September has brought a wealth of polling data - all polls showing strong leads for the TurnAround Ohio team of Ted Strickland and Sherrod Brown.  Today, we get the latest SURVEYUSA polling numbers, and...no suprise here, Ted and Sherrod are stronger than ever and Democrats are poised to take away the Governor's office and the Senate from Republicans.

The numbers?  Ted by 21 and Sherrod by 10.

• Ted Strickland 56 Ken Blackwell 35
• Sherrod Brown 52  Mike DeWine 42

Yesterday I used a baseball analogy to imply that Ken Blackwell has struck out, based on the three previous polls (three strikes) released this week.  Today we'll switch to football - it's like Blackwell and DeWine went for it on 4th down only to be sacked by Strickland and Brown deep in their own zone.

Brown, Strickland have large leads over Republican opponents

We've seen the latest polling results from Rasmussen Reports - and it's nothing but good news for Ohio Democrats.

Sherrod Brown is pulling away from Mike DeWine and Ted Strickland continues to lead Blackwell by an incredibly large margin.

• Brown:  47 / DeWine 41
• Strickland:  54 / Blackwell 35

Previously Brown lead DeWine by a three-point margin.  Strickland's nineteen-point lead shows little change in polling numbers over the course of the past two months.  A Columbus Dispatch poll taken in mid-July showed Strickland with a twenty point lead.

The political version of Ari Gold?

Newsweek profiles Rahm Emanuel, Chair of the DCCC and keynote speaker at yesterday's Ohio Democratic Party State Convention.

The magazine finds that he shares a lot of traits with his Hollywood agent brother, Ari Emanuel, believed to be the inspiration for the Ari Gold character on the HBO show "Entourage".

Emanuel's own Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is now roughly even with its GOP counterpart—a position it hasn't enjoyed for a decade. And there is evidence that the Red to Blue Program is working: Democratic candidates are even or ahead in fund-raising in most of the races that neutral observers regard as competitive.

Read the entire article here:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14871152/site/newsweek/from/RS.3/

Pryce can't run away from Bush fast enough

Via AP:

In 2004, her campaign Web site featured a banner of her and Bush sitting together, smiling. But in her latest television ad, Pryce is described as “independent.” The spot also highlights how she “stood up to her own party” and the president to support increased federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research.

But what does Pryce do in Washington as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference?  She rallies Repbublican colleagues to Bush's agenda.  You can't have it both ways, because when you try you look foolish and get slammed in the press:  Pryce virtually authored the GOP playbook on privatizing Social Security, but now in a desperate bid to save her political backside she's flip-flopping her support on the issue.

Borntrager named new ODP Communications Director

Ohio native and OSU grad Randy Borntrager has been named the new Communications Director for The Ohio Democratic Party.

Borntrager replaces Brian Rothenberg, who is leaving to become the Executive Director of a new non-profit called ProgressOhio.org.  Borntrager leaves a position as Communications Specialist with the Special Olympics after having served through the Special Olympics World and National Games.

"I'm encouraged that we could get someone of Randy's caliber and experience to continue building the Ohio Democratic Party's communications program," said Redfern. Redfern said it was Rothenberg's decision to leave and there has been a month-long transition plan. "We wish Brian well and I believe there will be a seemless transition for ODP as the communications program, technology and infrastructure is solid and Randy will have all the tools he needs to pick-up and run.

Blue Buckeye Radio - from the radio to the web

The latest edition of the Blue Buckeye Radio Hour is on the web!  Hosted by Mike Shea and Ron Bryant, they interview Statehouse candidate Dean Hernandez in this week's edition.

Download the mp3 here

Blue Buckeye Radio...on the air!

This week's edition of the Blue Buckeye Radio Hour, originating from Cortland, OH features State Rep. Tim Cassell (63rd District), Danni Palmore, Strickland Campaign Outreach Director and Angela Woodson, Strickland Campaign Political Director.

Download the show: http://www.altpress.com/ohiodems/20060822.mp3