A Blue Tidal Wave Sweeps Ohio

08 November 2006 by The General Published in: General News 13 comments

The big broom came out last night.Â My own opinion is that after six years of having absolutely no checks and balances that led to Skippy Bush getting a blank check, the American electorate decided that it was time to restore checks and balances. I can’t see how that’s a bad thing.

I find it interesting that my law school classmate Missy Hart, who had a Pennsylvania congressional district gerrymandered just for her, got broomed by 10,000 votes last night after a couple of terms rubber-stamping Skippy. I think that says a lot.

Here in Ohio, after sixteen years of incredibly corrupt one-party rule, the voters spoke. All statewide offices were decided yesterday: governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and attorney general. The gubernatorial race was called within five minutes of the polls closing, and the Republican had conceded by 8:30. Only the Republican nominee for auditor won–she’s the first ever CPA to run for and hold the office, so I can see that one. Bob Ney’s protege–who defaulted on a $750,000 SBA loan last year, by the way–got less than 40% of the vote. Deb Pryce, the number four Republican in the house, barely squeaked by after a brutal and very ugly campaign.

We now have a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature. The system works–there will be checks and balances again. That can only be a good thing.

Best of all: Big Tobacco sank $5 million into a campaign to try to amend the state constitution to overrule home rule by making 21 local ordinances to ban smoking in bars, restaurants, and bowling alleys unconstitutional. It lost huge–it only got about 35% of the vote. A statewide smoking ban in public places got 58% of the vote and passed big.

Now that the system of checks and balances has been restored, I can only hope that some of the flagrantly illegal actions of the Bush administration–covered up neatly by the Republican Congress–will come to light.Â

And the very best part of it is that the attack ads have, at last, stopped.Â What a delight to be able to watch TV and not have to hit the mute button every time a commercial comes on…..

Scridb filter

Comments

ptrostle

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 11:10 am
Let’s hear it for the CPA’s!!!!!
The General

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 11:20 am
Phil,

LOL. Indeed. Let’s hear it for the bean counters! 🙂

Eric
John Stephenson

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 11:51 am
Being a devout Kennedy Democrat, I wholeheartedly agree. The only bugs in the ointment are:

Harold Ford, Jr. lost here in Tennessee.

The feeling too many people still talk equality and vote racist. [This from a descendant of three of Forrestâ€™s Cavalrymen – 4th Alabama & 16th Tennessee.]

But worse, the feeling we will start seeing TV ads for the 2008 Presidential campaign sometime Thursday. ;-})
Mark Peters

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 1:08 pm
The world would be a far better place if it was run by accountants. Less fun, but more sensible. Let’s ban all lawyers and administrators from politics!

Best wishes,

Mark

PS. I’m personally glad Pryce won. Connolly did not come across at all well and, despite the anti-Republican vote in Ohio, the voters obviously couldn’t stomach the alternative. Sorry Eric!!!
Paul Taylor

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 1:28 pm
Similar story here in Michigan. Our state comes across as a decidely blue state, but take away Detroit and Ann Arbor, and it’s much redder than thought. Even though we have a 7.7% unemployment rate and were the only state in the Union not decimated by a hurricane to lose jobs last year, our Democrat governor was reelected by a substantial margin. The state’s junior Democrat senator, lovingly dubbed “Do-nothing Debbie” by her own senatorial colleagues, was also reelected. In addition, the state house will now be controlled by the Democrats though the Republicans narrowly retained control of the state senate. I’m reaching for my wallet already…

On the other major issue (Prop 2), the state’s voters decided by a wide margin that it was time to end racial preferences in college admissions and government hiring. Going forward, a man or woman will be judged solely on their skills, the content of their character, and not on the color of their skin.
Mark Peters

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 1:41 pm
Sorry Eric,

I meant Kilroy, not Connolly. Sleep deprivation … zzz zzz

Best wishes,

Mark
Joshua Blair

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 2:07 pm
A blue wave hit Ohio indeed. The wave also extended to Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Missouri. Let’s hope that it continues into Virginia and Montana. America sent a clear message to Bush yesterday. It was spoken no clearer than in Indiana.

Here in Michigan, we let it be known that we do not support a man that was a main contributor to the Bush administration, a man that supports the cutting of public education, and a man that has shipped nearly 1,500 precious Michigan jobs overseas. Granholm on the other hand has a very aggressive economic plan which includes access to affordable health care and a high-quality education. As far as “Do-nothing Debbie” her MORE JOBS bill gave a tax relief to manufacturers to create American jobs, she led the fight to keep prescription drug costs down for our soldiers and veterans, and has negotiated to stop the flow of Canadian solid waste into Michigan.

I have to admit that I slept soundly last night. I do not believe that I had slept that good since the Clinton administration.
Mark Peters

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 4:29 pm
Joshua,

I’m shocked. You do know about world trade? It’s not the job of government to micro-manage lives and get involved in the market. When they do, things go bad …

Politicians do not ship jobs overseas; it’s because some people around the world demand less wages than Michigan workers. How many states have voted to raise the minimum wage? Quite a few, and rightly so. However, those people have just made themselves more expensive in the marketplace. It’s stretching things to blame the Republicans!

Best wishes,

Mark
Joshua Blair

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 6:23 pm
My intentions were not to blame republicans and do not think I insinuated this. If I did I apologize. As far as politicians not shipping jobs overseas, I agree with you. However, the policies they support and enact affects many aspects of the economy. Ultimately though, CEOs ship jobs overseas. DeVos lobbied for, and then instituted in his own business, the Bush trade and outsourcing policies that have hurt Michigan so badly. CEO DeVos cut over 1,000 jobs at Amway, while investing $200 million to create jobs in China. Therefore, DeVos is not the solution to our economic problems.

Very respectfully,

Josh
J David Petruzzi

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 9:26 pm
DeVos is a crook, pure and simple. He’s no one’s solution to anything, other than the need to fill one more jail cell.

J.D.
Joshua Blair

Wed 08th Nov 2006 at 9:54 pm
LOL J.D. I agree. Imagine how many jail cells could be filled with crooked politicians!
Mark Peters

Thu 09th Nov 2006 at 8:56 am
Joshua,

No need to apologise. You’re entitled to your views, as much as the next person. I’m not a Republican anyway.

Personally, I don’t like seeing people with business or union interests directly involved in politics. The problems posed by conflict of interest are obvious. When you take a purely economic decision (which he apparently did), it is bizarre to expect the population to vote for you. At the end of the end day, his decision was paid for in political capital. The beauty of democracy!

By the way, with reference to China, they hold nearly the whole of the US debt. I seriously think the US needs to address their balance of payments, and whose hands you’re swiftly falling into.

Best wishes,

Mark
Jim Morgan

Thu 09th Nov 2006 at 11:05 am
Eric,

Been trying to reach you. Please contact me by phone or email asap.

Jim