I swear, it’s like the Ohio Democratic Party is in denial.
For some reason, rather than focusing on issues that matter to Ohioans, they think they can win by making sure Ohioans learn John Kasich used to work for Lehman Brothers. Their reasoning? Jon Corzine lost!
Like Mr. Strickland, Mr. Redfern drew parallels between Mr. Corzine and Mr. Kasich.
“There is a disconnect between John Kasich and the voters,” Mr. Redfern said. “He can run from his Lehman Brothers past, but as Jon Corzine just showed, he can’t hide.”
So, Corzine lost because of his connection to Wall Street, eh?
Ok, then. You want to compare New Jersey to Ohio? Fine. Let’s look at the Garden State’s exit polls.
Nearly a third of the voters heading to the polls in this off-year election pitting Democratic Gov. John Corzine against Republican Chris Christie, 31 percent, said the economy was the most important issue, while 26 percent said property taxes, 20 percent indicated corruption and 18 percent identified health care.
Anything about Wall Street or personal issues with Corzine? Nope. Nothing. Instead, what do we see? An electorate focused on the state of their state.
So, where does Ohio stand on the issues that actually were of importance to New Jersey?
- Economy. During Strickland’s time in office, Ohio’s unemployment rate doubled.
- Taxes. Ohio suffers from the 4th worst business tax climate in the country and the State/Local tax burden is currently 7th worst.
- Corruption. Strickland’s Administration has suffered from at least ten staff members being fired for criminal, ethical, or other misdeeds in office.
- Health Care. Strickland’s only positive talking point includes increased coverage for children.
So, as Redfern uses New Jersey as a measuring stick for Ohio, Strickland fails miserably on the exact issues which determined that election.
[sigh]
Sometimes I wonder if the Ohio Democrats are trying to throw this election.
