I apologize for "post and run" but I'm using a computer at the county library and gotta run.
A few moments ago, Betty Montogomery announced that she is dropping out of the race for Ohio governor. Instead, she will seek the nomination for Attorney general. She had been elected to that position previously but was term limited out. So in the ongoing "waltz of the Ohio GOPers" she got elected Auditor.
I gotta tell ya, I've been to some REALLY insipid, lifeless press conferences in my many years, but this was the limpest event I've ever seen.
The question has to be "Did she jump, or was she pushed?" Of course, the answer is "both." This prevents the Buckeye old line GOP power structure from having their votes split in the primary between Betty and Petro which might allow Blackwell to get the nomination.
It will be CRITICAL to see the first polls after this to see where Betty's supporters (such as they are!) wind up. I bet that (Ohio GOP Chair) Bennett is HOPING that they all go to Petro but from what I've seen, I bet they split more evenly.
Personally, I hope that Blackwell gets the nomination. If we cannot defeat that incompetent nincompoop, they we suck even worse than my worse fears.
Was it C.S. Lewis who wrote about the "banality of evil?" That's a perfect way to describe Blackwell. Evil but utterly bumbling. The man wouldn't know an original thought if it jumped up and bit him in the ass.
Sadly, I suspect that there is still enough residual bigotry in our society that some likely GOP voters may not be enthusiastic about voting for a person of color, no matter how fascist he is. I bet this may be one of those situations where likely GOP voters might tell pollsters "oh, yeah, I'm gonna vote for Blackwell" and then don't do it.
My sense is that Petro plays better to the GOP base and is doing everything he can with his Bible thumping TV ads to try and make inroads into Blackwell's evangelical base and the Medieval Theocracy crowd.
I've heard that the reactionaries are trying to launch another repressive ballot issue to try and again draw evangelicals to the polls the way that they did last time. I HOPE that the minimum wage initiative trumps that effort.
Again, I apologize for "post and run"