Key Black Leaders Endorse Strickland for (OH) Governor

Alls well that ends well. Strickland wants to make sure Ohio's urban areas aren't forgotten..

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A group of influential black Democrats — including Ohio's only black congresswoman and the mayors of the state's two biggest cities — were endorsing U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland for governor Thursday.

Such leaders' backing might have been a foregone conclusion in past races, but had become an important political goal for Strickland. He is the Democrats' first non-urban gubernatorial nominee in more than 50 years, and is running against Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a black Republican with the potential to draw larger than usual numbers of black voters to the GOP.

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, a one-time rival of Strickland's in the governor's race, kicked off a series of endorsement events to be held around the state Thursday. He and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Cleveland were among key figures who had been withholding support from Strickland as they pressed him for signals that he would adequately support Ohio's urban centers.

He said that, though the governor's race is an important one for black Ohioans, the endorsement events were more about the concerns of urban areas.

"I wanted to make sure that cities stood tall in this next administration," Coleman said, in explaining his reticence to back Strickland, "because over the past many years, for too long, cities have been stepped on, we've been kicked, we've been more than ignored — we've been abused, by those in power."

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/politics-1/1149175172241020.xml&storylist=cleveland

This is AWESOME NEWS!

They need to send the message to the GOP that voting shouldn't be based on race, but the candidate and the issues. I believe Strickland would be a great governor.

Traditionally, that has included black clergy.

Here in Maryland, I've seen a small (so far) but troubling hint that some black clergy are going for some pretty conservative stances on wedge issues that favor republican candidates. Gay issues and women's privacy issues mostly, but those views are hardly favorable to our side. No outright endorsement of Michael Steele, our black republican candidate for senate ...... so far. But I'm sure not taking anything for granted in ths day and time.

The GOP has been working hard to use TANF grants to religious organizations for "faith based" programs as a way of buying some support in that community. I'm not an expert, but there will probably be a few who will back Taftwell.

Having leaders like Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Mayor Coleman will help.