The anti-Obama

[EC]

The anti-Obama
Ohio's Bible-quoting secretary of state tests the GOP with his ultraconservative, unpredictable style

By Tim Jones
Tribune national correspondent
Published February 11, 2005

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0502110043feb11,1,129879.story?coll=chi-leisuretempo-hed


CINCINNATI -- At 6-feet-5 and 255 pounds, J. Kenneth Blackwell still is the noisy head-knocker the Dallas Cowboys brought to training camp 35 years ago.

Pro football didn't work out for Blackwell -- he insisted on being a linebacker, the Cowboys wanted him at guard -- so he walked away from a three-year pro contract and opted for the often brutish equivalent: politics.

<snip>

Blackwell, a Bible-quoting child of Cincinnati's West End poverty pit, may be less well known beyond the borders of Ohio, but he is emerging as a national spokesman for black conservatism. Like Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Ohio's Blackwell is one of a new generation of black leaders who have risen to national prominence by virtue of powerful government offices.

But in personality and politics, Ken Blackwell is the anti-Obama, a loud and persistent advocate for tax cuts, smaller government and a greater role for religion in daily life. With the cranky fiscal conservatism of H. Ross Perot, the saber-rattling chutzpah of Newt Gingrich and the volatile verbosity of Alan Keyes, Blackwell has already been elected statewide three times in Ohio. Now he is running for governor, aiming to be only the nation's second elected African-American governor.

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[RubyDuby in GA]

1. The only appropriate respsone to this:

"Ken Blackwell is the anti-Obama, a loud and persistent advocate for tax cuts, smaller government and a greater role for religion in daily life. With the cranky fiscal conservatism of H. Ross Perot, the saber-rattling chutzpah of Newt Gingrich and the volatile verbosity of Alan Keyes"

:puke:

I feel sorry for you people in Ohio.......AND I'M FROM GEORGIA!!!!!!!!

[EC]

2. I have to agree...I hope they will be able to knock him down

a few pegs...hell, not just a few pegs..to the ground, baby...

[CanOfWhoopAss]

3. OK...OK...

It's bad in Ohio but I'm in Georgia too. At least the Christo-Facist Zombies still have to work when they lie, cheat and steel in Ohio. In Georgia, with these touch screens they don't even have to work. I'm still not sure why Purdue hasn't reversed the state flag yet because it can easily happen with the "touch of a screen". Probably afraid they'll have to revert back to working hard to get their way. It's kind of like abortion, tweak it but don't fix it. They may need it to throw another log on the fire to keep their support burning.

[gordianot]

4. Obama?

I defended Obama on several threads here. His superstar status came too quickly. Yes there is a passing relationship in Obama and Blackwells in they share African descent. Their backgrounds are very different. I want to make a leap here, I am not going to judge anyone by the color of their skin (as espoused by Dr. King). I do reserve the right to formulate opinions about people based on their behavior or as Dr. King coined it, their character.

Senator Obama probably has a lot of promise, however, I am not impressed with his vote for Condolezza Rice. To me this is a monumental lack of judgment. His non support of trial lawyers also concerns me. Senator Obama does not deserve political sainthood and he is off, in my opinion, to a terrible start.

I would like to add that I am a fan of Shelia Jackson Lee but I am not going to compare her to Ken Blackwell or Condolezza Rice. To me the fact they are of African American descent is not a primary concern.