Why does anyone think Bayh would help win Ohio?

[ButterflyBlood]

the Midwest is not regionalistic like the South and for the most part doesn't have it's own distinct culture the way the South does. Midwesterners will not vote for someone just because their VP is also from the Midwest. It might help if the candidate is from a similar region and in touch with that state's interests, but despite their proximity Indiana and Ohio aren't too similar. Here's an interesting idea: poll name recongition of Bayh in Ohio. It ain't going to be too high.

Kerry is not winning Indiana unless he pulls an LBJ, and Bayh won't help one bit in Ohio.

[buddy22600]

1. Nope

There are not many "Democrats" who will help win Ohio. Maybe someone like Zell Miller, but I know how much he is hated here at DU. Maybe Lieberman or Gephardt. Ohio needs someone that supported the war in Iraq but stands behind keeping jobs in America. Maybe Senator McCain(R), he hates bush

[Padraig18]

2. "...Ohio needs someone that supported the war in Iraq but...."

Someone like Sen. Edwards? *cough, cough*

[cosmokramer]

7. absolutely NOT.

[ButterflyBlood]

3. what?

Maybe someone like Zell Miller, but I know how much he is hated here at DU.

I hope you aren't suggesting he'd be a good VP pick. He ENDORSED Bush for chrisake.

Also, how would he help with Ohio? His record on worker's rights is hardly too great, he was the only Democrat to vote against the amendment protecting overtime pay, and the fact that he's from the south won't help one bit in Ohio.

[buddy22600]

6. No im not endorsing him for VP at all ever

But if we are talking about dragging in Independents and liberal to moderate republicans someone needs to be picked that is more conservative than Kerry. Everyone forgets that Im somewhat conservative, but I absolutely despise bush and will vote for elmer fudd if it means getting him out of the white house

[Crunchy Frog]

17. It is possible to pull in moderates

and Republicans without choosing a VP who is appreciably more conservative than Kerry.

Clark has a great deal of natural appeal to that group of people, but manages to do it without taking conservative positions. He also is not alienating to the Democratic base and to more liberal voters.

Lieberman was one of the reasons that I voted for Nader in 2000. I will not make that mistake again, even if Kerry picks Zell Miller, but that doesn't mean that such a ticket wouldn't chase off other liberal Democrats.

There is a political price to pay for picking a running mate that is so far from you politically that it turns off your own natural constituency. You may not be able to make up for it by pulling in more conservative voters.

It would also be really sad to see a repeat of the Lieberman/Cheney "debate". I don't see how something like that could possibly help the ticket.

[eileen from OH]

4. Absolutely right, ButterflyBlood

I made the same point on Daily Kos when he said that Rockefeller as VP would really help out in Ohio. Maybe a bit in Southern Ohio, near WV, but not up here in the Northeast. I don't know that a candidate from any of Ohio's border states would have that much impact. A Midwesterner, maaaaybe, but not certainly not as much of a "sure thing" as some have postulated.

I really hate to say this, but the only "big" name that might help in Ohio would be Gephardt, with his long history of labor support. Anti-Nafta feelings run very high around here. And, I think, that until Kerry ran away with the nom, that Gep was polling the best. At our district (17th) caucus, Dean had the biggest number, and Gephardt was second.

eileen from OH

[cosmokramer]

9. Where is the 17th District?

Statewide, Clark had the most delegate candidates at caucus, and most apps completed. I know the Dean campaign came close, but didn't quite get as many as we did.

Were you an elected delegate? I was first seed for my CD (the 3rd).

Kinda sucks we don't get to go to convention. :-(

Gep had lots of support here in the 3rd, but was way far behind Clark and Dean.

[eileen from OH]

14. The 17th was one of those that was redistricted

- now encompasses Youngstown, Kent, part of Summit County. I used to be in the Akron district, where the worthy Tom Sawyer was re-districted out of a job. Now I'm in what was (sorta) James Traficant's old district. (Luckily, our congressman,Tim Ryan, is excellent.) We had almost 800 at our caucus and about 500 were for Dean. Gep & Kucinich had about 100 each, and the rest were split between the rest. Clark only had about 20.

Nope, wasn't a delegate (can't go to the convention.)

eileen from OH

[cosmokramer]

15. WE had...

...in the 3rd (Dayton--which was also a victim of redistricting) 75 Dean voters, 25 Gephardt voters, 4 Edwards voters, 4 Kerry voters (still stunned by that), and 150 Clark voters.

Both Dean and Clark caucuses here had 24 delegate candidates each. Statewide, Clark exceeded the maximum number of candidates allowed, and Dean almost met that threshold.

I heard that in your area the unions bused in voters to the Dean caucus. They didn't do that here, but I heard it happened a lot all around the state, and that Union guys were stuffing the box for the union employees who wanted to be delegates, and a lot of hardworking grassroots supporters got snuffed out of delegate spots. That sucks, but that is what comes with a Union endorsement. The unions will make certain their employees get the delegate spots.

[eileen from OH]

18. It wasn't the union guys who did that

which would have been fine with me, because they WORK and raise money. It was the head of the Portage County Dems, who's also the mayor of Ravenna. He brought in two busloads of city/county workers in order to get his wife, son (who goes away to college) as delegates and himself as an alternate. It was a freakin' joke, especially as this guy does zip for the Dems besides getting his mug out there. It was my first caucus and pretty disappointing from that standpoint - really an eye opener. (However, I did have fun - after the third one was elected - by very audibly saying "OMIGOD, WHAT A SURPRISE! WHAT AN UPSET!")

eileen from OH

[cosmokramer]

19. That stinks!

The union guys did do this in a lot of Ohio congressional districts, though. The mayor promoting the wife and son seems sleazy.

I got really lucky to get the first seed. Fortunately, I coordinated with our elected officials who were also delegate candidates and we passed out a slate to all of their employees. My grassroot supporters voted for me consistently, but didn't vote consistently for the elected officials also on the caucus ballot, so I won 1st seed. 2, 3, and 4 were all elected officials, and 5 was my co-coordinator for grassroots. And I told all of my family to ONLY vote for me, even though they could vote for two females--this way the votes didn't cancel each other out.

Just a few tips in case you ever run as a delegate again. Get slates together, and get everyone you can to vote the slate.

I do hope you someday try it again. I was the Caucus coordinator and thought it was a BLAST!

Have a terrific Tuesday evening...

[ShaneGR]

21. Eileen, the good news on that mayor of Portage County

Didn't he pick Dean as his candidate? He's not going, Dean didn't get any.

[cosmokramer]

5. Correct.

Bayh would suck for Ohio.

If Kerry is looking to appeal beyond his scope to Ohio voters (me included), he needs heavy metal military/fp candidate like Clark, or a Union icon like Gephardt (our unions here just love the man).

Clark has a name in Ohio because of his work with the Dayton Peace Accords--it was big, big news statewide here, and a matter of pride for us (kinda like the Wright Brothers).

Bayh offers absolutely NOTHING for buckeyes that someone LESS conservative, and with more name recognition, can give.

[Sandpiper]

8. The midwest does have its own culture

it's just doesn't have the same xenophobia that afflicts the south. Midwesterners don't see the world in terms of "us" and "them".

[buddy22600]

10. What im trying to say is

Ohio is a conservative state. Lately all I've heard on the radio and tv is Kerry is a Massachussettes liberal and Edwards is almost as liberal. IMHO a more conservative VP choice will resonate more clearly with Ohio voters.

[Sandpiper]

12. I dunno

We nominated a DINO for VP last time, and it didn't help us one bit.

[rucky]

11. Ya want Ohio? Get a pro-labor Veep

Gep would be just fine

[hippiechick]

13. Bayh is an empty suit

He won't help a damn thing.


:hippie: <--- A Hoosier

[TruthWins]

16. Bayh is No One in Ohio

I live in Ohio. No one even knows who Bayh is,except maybe on the West side of the state which is the heavily Republican area. It would not influence one vote in my opinion.

Gephardt is not popular in Ohio. Unions are not nearly as big of a deal in this state as the rest of the country seems to think and Gephardt is a failed presidential candidate twice over. Ohio couldn't care less about him.

Who would Ohio like?

Edwards or Clark would be equally good in this state. People like Edwards optimism, and they like Clark's military credentials and "outsider" status. I'm a Kerry delegate and there were a ton of Clarkies at the delegate caucus. There was also a strong volunteer organization here who contacted the Kerry people the very day that Clark quit saying they were ready for their "marching orders."

No one else is going to have an impact here, especially a relatively unknown from a neighboring state. The only one that would even be close is Rendell I think his name is from Pennsylvania. Not because anyone knows him, but many Ohioans who are Democrats or swing voters see Pennsylvania as the closest thing we have to a kin state. I can't speak for the whole state but the people who voted Bush last time after voting for Clinton twice came largely from the East part of Ohio, much of which borders PA.

[salin]

20. Let me recap: Hoosier say no win. Ohioans say no go.

So if the folks from Indiana and the folks from Ohio don't think Bayh can bring either state... why are we still talking about this?