I just got a call from the Ohio Democratic party, asking for support as I gave in 2004. I don't live in Ohio (though I used to) and I am convinced that the possibility exists there for a real shakeup--there is Coingate, an incredibly unpopular sitting governor, Bob Ney, potentially John Boehner--lots of great things to stimulate great GOTV drives and a real upheaval.
The problem is that it counts for NOTHING if there is not an aggressive legal effort to set aside HB3,
which has been noted as an insidious bill put forward by the republican controlled legislature of Ohio to kill inner city voting. I told my caller that if he could not show that the Ohio dems were along with massive GOTV efforts mounting parallel legal efforts to get HB3 set aside then my money could well be wasted as the Repubs steal that state again.
So, Chris Redfern (Ohio Dem Party Director) and Howard Dean: get some great election lawyers after HB3, and I will send $$ in support of the Ohio Dems. More below.
What does HB3 have in it? Among other goodies:
*Restrictive voter id requirements aimed squarely at potential inner city voters.
*A restriction on recently passed referenda that would require a paper trail for electronic machines.
*A huge jump in cost for implementing a recount (by a factor of five)
*Elimination of the ability of citizens to legally challenge an election outcome at the state level. It is pushed up to the US Congress.
My point is this-if the democrats do not aggressively challenge this law we will see Ohio remain solidly republican in 2006. I was astonished in 2004 that with the alleged massive number of attorneys the Kerry campaign had in Ohio, no one challenged the allocation of voting machines in advance. They could have checked on this.
I want a progressive country--but I want to send a message to places like Ohio--and Georgia--that we won't win just by doing better at what we have done well at in the past. We need to fight tooth and nail. I WILL support the Ohio Democratic party if I get the word they are doing this in a meaningful way. If not, I will support individual candidates but not the Ohio Dems at large.
The National Dem party needs to be all over this also. The repubs are in a corner. Massive electoral gaming like this is one of the real options to keep the dems out of power in the 2006 elections IN SPITE of the huge generic lead we now have.
So, Mr. Redfern and Dr. Dean-I will send $$$ to Ohio--BUT GO AFTER HB3!!!!!