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Republicans bracing for political thrashing
Published:Friday, October 24, 2008
BUSH LEGACY BUS STOP: Americans United for Change, a political advocacy group, is bringing its Bush Legacy Bus to the B&O Station Box Lounge, 534 Mahoning Ave. in Youngstown, at 2 p.m. Saturday. The 45-foot-long, 28-ton, biodiesel bus is dubbed a “museum on wheels featuring several interactive exhibits on how two terms of failed conservative policies” supported by President Bush and his allies “have weakened America’s security abroad while neglecting and undermining important priorities here at home.” The bus will be at the B&O, which is holding a free “nonpartisan” Get Out and Vote Rally from noon to midnight Saturday. The event features music and other entertainment as well as a number of elected officials, most of whom are supporters of Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee. There are no supporters of John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, on the tentative speakers list. Political luncheon: The Mahoning County Democratic Party and the Canfield Federated Democratic Women’s Club is holding a free luncheon with Frances Strickland, Ohio’s first lady, at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Marionite Center, 1555 S. Meridian Road in Youngstown. skolnick@vindy.com |
If you want to know how bad it’s going to be for Republicans this year just look a little east and a little west.
Just west of the Mahoning Valley is Ohio’s 16th Congressional District, which takes in all of Stark and Wayne counties, and portions of Medina and Ashland counties.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula, a Republican from Navarre, has served as the district’s representative in the U.S. House since January 1973.
While Regula always had little trouble winning re-election, he was going to have the fight of his life in this election.
State Sen. John Boccieri, D-33rd, an Air Force Reserves pilot and skilled politician, was recruited to run against Regula.
Rather than seek re-election, Regula opted to retire.
Boccieri easily won the Democratic primary.
On the Republican side, state Sen. Kirk Schuring, R-29th, had a bit of a fight to win his party’s nomination.
This shouldn’t even be a race.
Republicans have controlled this district for about 50 years.
Yet the reality is Boccieri is probably going to capture the seat and it might not even be that close of a race.
Schuring is from Jackson Township, near Canton, in the heart of the congressional district. He’s represented Stark County, the largest county in the district, for 15 years in the state Legislature.
Boccieri has represented a small portion of the district during his eight years in the Legislature. He recently moved from New Middletown in Mahoning County to Alliance in Stark County.
Schuring and his supporters made a big deal that Boccieri didn’t live in the district.
It’s probably a good idea to live in your congressional district, but Boccieri would hardly be the first to not do so.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, doesn’t live in his congressional district.
Dennis Spisak, Wilson’s Green Party opponent, lives in Struthers, a city not in the 6th District.
There have been a number of congressional candidates in recent years who’ve run in districts in which they don’t live.
Schuring has used Boccieri’s place of residence as one of his main campaign issues.
The most pathetic effort is Schuring’s campaign strategy to link Boccieri to Youngstown.
In e-mails to supporters, Schuring’s campaign calls Boccieri a “Youngstown politician” and accuses him of using “Youngstown tactics.” I guess the implication is Boccieri, who represents Youngstown in the state Senate but lived 14 miles from the city, must be corrupt. After all, he’s from Youngstown — although he isn’t.
The tactic doesn’t seem to work as Boccieri continues to raise more money than Schuring and hold a lead over the Republican in most polls.
One indication the race is over: the National Republican Congressional Committee isn’t spending money on this race. Even Schuring’s own party realizes he won’t win in a longtime Republican congressional district.
Just east of the Mahoning Valley is Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District. The heart of the district is Erie County, but it also includes a portion of Mercer County.
U.S. Rep. Phil English, an Erie Republican, has represented the area since 1995. On economic and social issues, he’s about as moderate as a Republican can be. He’s represented the district with distinction. He’s stood up to his party on steel tariffs and an increase in the minimum wage.
And he’s likely to lose the race to Kathy Dahlkemper, a Democratic businesswoman running for office for the first time.
Polls taken of voters in the district show English falling further and further behind in a race that just two months ago was viewed as a relatively easy win for the Republican.
Republicans say the reason Democrats will win these two seats and others is backlash from voters angry at what President Bush has done during his administration.
These two races are snapshots of what’s happening nationwide. Longtime Republican districts and members of Congress are no longer safe.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, who’s campaigned for Boccieri and Dahlkemper, expects 20 to 25 Republican seats in the U.S. House to go Democratic in the Nov. 4 election.
It looks like maybe Ryan is being a little conservative with that projection.
Comments
You know, it just may be sad but true. The cancer that has ruined the Youngstown area for decades may now in fact be spreading over to begin killing off the areas around it as well. The democrats and the unions have all but killed Youngstown over the last several decades (one thing for sure, you can't blame local Republicans for the local mess, for the flock has voted nearly pure democrat for decades). Now the proposed solution seems to be to "spread the pain" (like a certain unqualified presidential candidate wants to "spread the wealth"). So we'll take the Youngstown politicians and spread them around to other parts of the state... you know, to help "spread the decay" to other places besides Youngstown. It is working afterall, look at democrat controlled Cleveland, democrat controlled Toledo, and let's not forget Columbus - after many years of successful Republican leadership, Columbus has shifted democrat over the last ten years - and its' own decay is already beginning to set in.
Keep it up folks - reap what you sow.
This is so sad...Schuring is such a wonderful person. Boccerri does not want drilling and he is following the Communist Obama as a Hitler Youth...to think a man serviced this country and now will betray it with Obama. It's sad...but Boccerri is not for our people here...he has done fund raisers with Murtha and Charlie Rangel. So...this Iraq Vet does not mind being in bed with people who called our military murderers and stupid and baby killers. I am voting for Kirk Schuring because Boccerri is one vet that killed babies and did murder in Iraq...according to the company he keeps.
Both candidates want to bring about change, but I don’t think I have the stomach for the type of change that Obama will champion. But don’t take my word for it; listen to his own words coming right from his mouth.
From government-sanctioned killing of the defenseless: see http://www.americaschoicenow.com/
to a socialistic state: see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3p...
A politicians survival depends on being supported by a majority of the workers in his district. If the workers suffers hardships that aren't addressed by the politicians out of office they go. One can say that perfomance has its rewards.
Well Grumpy:
If Obama seemed like the solution to more jobs in the Valley he would have my support without a second thought. I have my doubts. I see money flowing out of the Valley with his spreading the wealth. One has to remember that money has to be earned and it gets taken by taxation. Barack has said that he would spread our wealth to other countries also. I see four years of misery before we get a chance to vote him out. I have my reservations about lackluster McCain but he seems like the lesser of the two evils.
This is a late comment, however; as a republican I could not vote for Mc Cain ( first time in 64 years, I did not vote for a President) I am white, 84, catholic, retired bank officer.I did not vote for a republican Preident. Mc Cain's health status & having Palin as Presidentif he died in office, was too much to grasp. Mc Cain would have followed the domestic & foreign policies of Bush & Cheney & they are the worst for the country. Obama is not an arrogant as B,C,Mc,& P. It was just time for change. Fours years of wars we should not have gone in to, does not support a strong economy, it just does not happen.
Proof: Depression & loss of jobs.