Dems had big success in Ohio primary

Maybe Democrats in Ohio aren't so disorganized after all.

Only a few months ago, Re publicans were un derstandably crow ing over the way Ohio Democrats seemed to be botching a golden opportunity to pick up seats in the U.S. House of Represen tatives this year.

...

Strickland's heir apparent, State Sen. Charlie Wilson, had made an inexplicable mistake - failing to collect the mere 50 valid signatures needed to get on the primary ballot, leaving two little-known Democrats on the ballot in a Southeast Ohio swing district that voted narrowly for President Bush in 2004.

...
Democrats not only managed to use a write-in campaign to get Wilson the nomination in the 6th District, they also got the candidate they wanted from a crowded, messy primary for Ohio's only other open Democratic seat this year - the 13th District seat now held by Senate candidate Sherrod Brown.

Wilson's write-in victory was not a shock, but the magnitude of it was. He creamed his Democratic rivals, winning more than 43,000 votes - about two-thirds of those cast. Even as a write-in, he drew more than twice as many votes as his Republican opponent, State Rep. Chuck Blasdel, pulled in the GOP primary.

That suggests that Republicans, who spent heavily on negative commercials attacking Wilson in the primary, will have to come up with bigger and better ammunition in the fall.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/elizabeth_auster/index.ssf?/base/opinion/114690488347620.xml&coll=2

Folks I used to Dem-party with indicate this also.

Ozark Dem, you have an incredible insight on Ohio politics. Whatever the elixir you are drinking is, it must be wonderful stuff. I love your posts on the Buckeye State. Don't stop!

You're pretty good yourself.

:hi:

By the way - I am really glad that my fears about Kucinich's election possibly being stolen were not necessary. With Republicans cross-over to vote for Ferris (DINO), and with their providing her $$ for her campaign, and with the new Diebold machines -- it was adding up, for me, to a very scary possibility that we might lose Dennis.

What is going on in the Ohio Dem Party re: education about the myriad means of election fraud that the GOP has been engaged in across the country?

And do you read the Free Press? Richard Hayes' Phillips latest analysis shows that ballots were "shifted" from one precinct to another in Warren County so that votes for Kerry in one precinct were counted for Bush in another. Bush got 90% of the votes from people who also voted for arch-conservative Thomas Moyer for Ohio Supreme Court - makes sense. The problem: Bush got 50% of the votes from people who voted for the liberal, underfunded, African-American, female candidate for Ohio Supreme Court (Moyer's competition).

Free Press uncovers evidence of ballot tampering in Warren County, Ohio
April 19, 2006
http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2006/1355

After locking out all media observers and declaring a Level 10 Homeland Security Alert, the Republican-dominated Warren County, Ohio reported the vote tally in the wee hours of the morning on November 3, 2004 -- and gave George W. Bush a surprising 14,000 vote boost. Two election workers told the Free Press that the ballots had been diverted to an unauthorized warehouse where they had been possibly stuffed. That is, punched for Bush only. Maps were supplied to the Free Press showing the locations of the warehouse and the Board of Elections.

Warren County officials refused to allow the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism to handle the ballots, but they did allow us to photograph a few. Richard Hayes Phillips, Ph.D., has analyzed the ballots for the Free Press and concluded that there is evidence of fraud in Warren County. The ballots as photographed with Dr. Phillips' commentary below each ballot are included here for the first time.

especially within the last year, they seem to have become pretty educated on the issue, thanks in no small part to all those who advocate for the issue. Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) Dem chair Jimmy Dimora even stated recently that he only wants to vote absentee. A year ago, he probably wouldn't have made the same remark.


Dennis' primary victory was a relief, but it certainly means we should be paying close attention.