From the monthly archives: October 2011
No, he’s not offering to resign. Yes, we are going to offer you a chance to watch Kasich’s latest Issue 2 commercial here. We believe it is necessary to set the proper context for the pro-Issue 2 campaigners led by Governor Kasich and his Building a Better Ohio fundraising entity. This latest ad follows on the heels of Kasich’s insightful views about the status of his campaign:
“I think we’ve been pretty factual about it,” Kasich continued. “The problem with the campaign – they’ve been emotional and we’ve been factual. And in campaigns, emotion usually wins. That’s kind of where [...]
Full Story... →A unanimous Ohio Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the attempt of the legislature to add an appropriation to the congressional reapportionment bill, HB 319, did not remove the bill from Ohio’s constitutional right of a referendum. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Jon Husted and State Attorney General Mike DeWine refused to accept the initial petition of the Ohio Democratic Party and other groups seeking to place the maps on a referendum ballot on the grounds that HB 319 contained an appropriation, and thus was not subject to a referendum.
The Ohio Constitution allows a referendum [...]
Full Story... →Remember James O’Keefe? That annoying conservative kid who pretended to be a pimp and took video of low-level, sympathetic ACORN employees that Fox News claimed was proof ACORN supports prostitution or something?
Well it appears people associated with his group, Project Veritas, are now attempting to “punk” progressive groups in Ohio with similar tactics.
We’ve heard that someone claiming to be working with the Ohio Education Association is calling progressive organizations and offering to help fund research with the help of an unnamed hedge fund research group. The research, they say, would be related to collective bargaining rights [...]
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“We Are Ohio” releases a second ad featuring Cincinnati great-grandmother, but this time addressing “Building a Better Ohio” campaign’s dishonest use of her in an ad that made it appear she supported Issue 2. Yeah, that worked out well:
But Building a Better Ohio went for what was essentially an "inside joke" — a "Take that!" aimed at their rivals at We Are Ohio.
Even worse, when Quinn objected, Building a Better Ohio didn’t do the right thing by apologizing and pulling the ad.
[Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial]
Regardless of which side of Issue [...]
Full Story... →Back in the Spring, after Kasich had signed SB5, and after the rallies had ended, I think a lot of people had the same thought I did: are we going to be able to keep up this momentum and energy and engagement until November?
Last night, with a little over three weeks to go until election day, I got some clear evidence that we seem to be doing just that.
National FOP President Chuck Canterbury arrived in Ohio last night to kick off a 5 day tour of our state to help rally support for the defeat of Issue 2. [...]
Full Story... →After spending two news cycles saying that there was no way Building a Better Ohio would pull the Grannygate ad, campaign spokeman Jason Mauk announces that they have… pulled the Grannygate ad. (Yet another lie?)
As a result, Building a Better Ohio, the Republican group pushing to pass Issue 2, has decided to replace the ad, at least for now, with one of its previous spots while negotiations with stations continue.
The decision was made so the campaign can stay on the air, said Jason Mauk, spokesman for Building a Better Ohio, adding, “We absolutely stand by the [...]
Full Story... →On second thought, Governor, I actually preferred it when your spokesman was just issuing a “no comment” on Building a Better Ohio’s “Grannygate” ad.
Gov. John Kasich, the main pitchman for Building a Better Ohio, said this morning that he doesn’t “run the campaign,” but “what they’re doing is fine."
“The ads and literature out there supporting Issue 2′s been based on facts,” Kasich told reporters following a speech to the Independent Insurance Agents of Ohio meeting. “We want people to pay their fair share and we want our cities to survive. Mayor (Mike) Bell, the mayor of [...]
Full Story... →A couple of weeks ago we posted about some mailings that were coming into Ohio from Alliance for America’s Future, a “Virginia-based group that supports Republican candidates and conservative causes” [Politifact]. If they weren’t so disturbing, it would be easy to laugh at the absurdity of these out-of-state viewpoints. In a mailing we obtained today, the group targets teachers and touts the implementation of the Senate Bill 5-mandated performance-pay system as the reason for voters to favor the Issue. Their lead sentence exclaims that Issue 2 “FINALLY Allows Great Teachers to be Rewarded…”
The Associated Press has a more in-depth wire story about “Grannygate,” and it features strong language from former Governor Ted Strickland:
Former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the use of Quinn’s image in the Building a Better Ohio ad was “deceitful and dishonorable.”
Strickland speculated that it could cause a backlash against the law’s supporters. “I think it could be the turning point in the campaign, quite frankly,” he said.
“What they have done here, I think, demonstrates the level of deceitfulness that they will use in order to try to win. [...]
Full Story... →Imagine if Obama had made an ad that suggested that Joe the Plumber had endorsed him?
Full Story... →Welcome to the Plunderbund live chat for the Republican Presidential Debate at Dartmouth. The debate begins at 8:00PM, but we’ll try to kick things off with a pregame around 7:30PM. If you don’t get Bloomberg TV then the debate can be viewed online at the websites for the Washington Post and Bloomberg.
Full Story... →Budget Watch
