But not about Kasich’s record.
A couple days ago, Team Kasich decided to call him out on it. And it all stemmed from this…
The Strickland advisory about several campaign events over the weekend said: “At each stop, Strickland will contrast his record of creating jobs and protecting the rights of sportsmen and gun owners with Congressman John Kasich’s record of supporting outsourcing and his ‘F’ rating from the National Rifle Association.”
Why is that wrong? Because Kasich has received a B from the NRA. Sure, not ideal for 2nd amendment supporters, but definitely acceptable in light of Strickland’s record of recruiting fiercely anti-gun Democrats like Lee Fisher and Yvette McGee Brown, actively working for Ohio House Democrats that have failed to make any headway on pro-2nd amendment legislation, and doing whatever he can to get Obama re-elected in 2012.
Strickland campaign officials “either knew that John Kasich has a ‘B’ rating from the NRA or have recklessly refused to check his true rating. Nonetheless respondents have chosen to falsely represent that John Kasich has an ‘F’ rating,” says the complaint, filed by state Rep. Danny Bubp, a Republican from West Union, a life NRA member with an A+ rating.
“As a proud NRA member, I am outraged that Ted Strickland is lying about John Kasich’s NRA rating,” Bubp said in the complaint.
What was Strickland’s response to all this? Well, first they didn’t deny that Strickland’s statement was a lie. But second, they said the following: “Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.”
Boy, did the Governor get that right.
And that’s why Strickland is going to lose.
I hand it off to the American Spectator:
That’s what has gotten Strickland in trouble in the first place: voters fear that another four years of his administration would mean more jobs leaving Ohio, a sluggish business climate, a decaying manufacturing sector, and an unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent.
You can read the rest of the article in the Spectator here. It’s a great piece.
But I digress.
Back to this NRA stuff.
As we all know by now, the NRA hasn’t totally sat on their hands this cycle in Ohio. They’ve sent direct mail to their members that endorses Strickland and highlights his grade.
In other words, 2nd amendment voters already know where Strickland stands by now. Where are they confused? Where Kasich stands. That’s why Strickland’s screw-up of lying about Kasich’s record was a significant mistake. It enabled Team Kasich to get some earned media out there that has the potential to ease the minds of 2nd amendment supporters that have been fooled into thinking a Governor Kasich would be dangerous to their goals.
In fact, Kasich is a gun owner. He recruited a running mate who has an A rating with the NRA. He’s going to be a partner with the new Republican majority in the statehouse. And he’s going to do whatever he can to make sure President Obama doesn’t get another four years.
Does Kasich’s effort inform voters of Strickland’s A rating? Sure. But people that care about NRA ratings already know about Strickland’s grade by now. Now many of those same people know the NRA gave Kasich a B, not an F. Thanks to Ted Strickland, that’s going to be news to them. And that doesn’t help Strickland in his effort to damage Kasich’s support on the right.
Ultimately, State Representative Seth Morgan nailed it in a tweet yesterday:
So true.
