2006 Medina County Primary

(Medina County Democratic Party)

Fellow Democrats, just a reminder so that Tuesday, May 2nd doesn't slip past without your vote.  In addition to the critical school levies and the Medina County drug levy, there are several county primary contests.  Running for Medina County Commissioner are John Dean vs. lan Haberman; for 9th District Court of Appeals, Clair Dickinson vs. John Quinn; for State Central Committee (Women), Pat Hanek vs. Lupe Williams; and for State Central Committee (Man), Mike Todd, Don Lance, and Ben Helbert.  And running unapposed is our current Domestic Relations Judge, Mary Kovack, our current County Auditor, Mike Kovack, the new Clerk of Courts position, Lori Henry and finally for 69th State Representative, Jack Shira.  

Then there are the critical nine state offices; Governor and Lt. Governor of course being selected together with one vote.  

At the same time, because of the horrendous Republican corruption, decimation of our public schools, and disregard for the health and welfare of the financially disadvantaged over the past 16 years, I felt it was my responsibility to list the candidates The Ohio Democratic Party and Chairman Chris Redfem are asking us to support for the May 2nd primary:  From now through Nov. 2006 and then 2008 will be hard fought.  

For

• Governor                         Ted Strickland
• Lt. Governor                    Lee Fisher
• U.S. Senator                    Sherrod Brown
• Attorney General              Marc Dann
• Auditor of State                Barbara Sykes
• Secy. of State                  Jennifer Brunner
• Treasurer of State            Richard Cordray
• Superior Court                 Ben Espy & A.J. Wagner

 In the 16th US Congressional District Republican primary Ralph Regula (81) is seeking his 18th term in office and is opposed by Ashland County Commissioner, Matt Miller.  In the 16th US Congressional District Democratic primary, vacated by Sherrod Brown who is running for the US Senate, Tom Mason, an Ashland Attorney, is opposed by Thomas Shaw, a United Methodist Minister.

Approximately three weeks ago I participated in an opinion poll conducted by the Ray C. Bliss Institute of applied Politics The University of Akron.  They interviewed by phone 1,075 adult citizens.  They then mailed the results to those requesting them indicating the margin of error to be 3 percentage points plus or minus.

I share some of these results to emphasize how each and every Democrat is needed to win over a significant portion of swing voters and former Democrats who have been won over by a very smart and manipulative National and state Republican Party. 

To me the poll shows how in spite of the abysmal performance of our Republican state legislators in non support of public schools, a slave level minimum wage, cutting medical aid to the poor and the elderly, many swing voters are reluctant to hear our Democratic message.  We need to make it more specific and much louder. 

Here are some examples from the poll:  A large majority of Ohioans favor the Tax Expenditure Limitation bill espoused by Republican Governor candidate Ken Blackwell although only 15% of them have heard or read anything about it..  And yet 28% said it would motivate them to vote in the general election. 

Although primary polls for governor showed 48.3% favored Ted Strickland over Bryan Flannery (8.5%), 43.2% were undecided in general election trial heats.  Ted Strickland led Republican candidate Ken Blackwell by only 37.9% to 32.8% with 29% undecided. 

In the second trial heat of Strickland vs. Republican Jim Petro, Strickland received only 32% vs. 28.3% for Petro with 39% undecided. 

The pollsters strongly advise that all these figures and opinions be considered with great caution when looking ahead to the November general election since much can change in the meantime.  Still they tell us the poll suggests a close race for the fall of 2006. 

In closing I believe we, and our state leadership, are still not offering a sufficiently focused and specific message for the voters, and I will demonstrate my point from the poll results:  Seventy percent of respondents who picked Strickland over Blackwell or Petro said it was because Republicans had done a poor job, but only 15% of the Strickland supporters said it was because Democrats had better policies or candidates.

The poll also indicates that Republicans have been very successful at getting voters to believe that they are the only true believers and doers of God's Word.  It seems we need to remind voters that Iraq, a humongous national debt, failed health care and public education, and a fast growing underclass are but examples of self righteous Republicans doing their interpretation of the Lord's work. 

Buz Cormany
Medina, OH