I'm starting this diary entry to continue the thread on how the Democrats can win Ohio's 20 electoral votes in November. Two earlier diary entries, one
by Paleo and one
of my own, contain a lot of good thought on the subject.
For the Democrats to win the national election, one can say, they need a general election strategy specifically cut to carry Ohio. Don't believe me? Both President Bush and DNC chair Terry McAuliffe are already all over it. From the end of a recent AP article on Preznit Bush's latest "jobs" visit to Ohio:
Ohio, with 20 electoral votes, is crucial to his re-election campaign.
Bush won the state by just 3.5 percentage points in 2000 despite a decision by the Democrats to pull their advertising from the state a month before the election.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said they won't make the same mistake twice.
"We're going to give you the resources to win this state," McAuliffe told union leaders last week in Toledo. "The Democratic nominee is going to be in this state so much you might get sick of seeing him."
Bush has been to Ohio 13 times during his first term. Bush last came to Oct. 31 to raise money in Columbus for this year's election and speak on his energy proposal.
No Republican has won the White House without carrying Ohio.
Besides jobs, unfunded homeland security and education mandates, and jobs, what else should the Democratic nominee emphasize to do well in Ohio?
Note that the Ohio legislature launched a pre-emptive strike on Howard Dean-as-nominee by passing the "we won't respect gay marriage" amendment. Given that Ohioans have already bought that principle while they were apathetically sleeping, Gay marriage will not be a good thing to emphasize now that this issue has been handed to the rural Republicans. Since Dean and Kerry are already implicated on the right side of this debate, would Edwards make a stronger candidate in Ohio?
Likewise, Ohio just passed a concealed-carry law so gun owners can get a permit to carry concealed weapons. Unpopular in the Democratic cities, but popular in the 72 Republican counties. Gun control will not be an issue that the Democratic nominee wants to emphasize.