Keep Your Change: an Ohioan's Take on November 2011
I drove seven hours to make it back to my home in Cleveland for election day, both to vote and to observe a high-turnout off-year election. The results suggest Americans remain conservative, but in a small-c, non-ideological way.
Interpreting election results often depends on the presuppositions of the interpreter. The media buzzes with headlines like, "Ohio election results: union curbs thrown out in blow to Republicans" from The Guardian and "Election results 2011: Voters signal that GOP overreached" from The Christian Science Monitor. These articles emphasize that the election rejected John Kasich's attempt to limit Union collective bargaining rights by 61 percent, which is a blow to the GOP's attempt to change Ohio government. Added to the Republicans' defeats are Mississippi's rejection of the personhood issue defining human embryo's as human beings and Kentucky's reelection of their democratic governor.
But these could also be seen as rejections of change. In Ohio, ObamaCare's individual mandate was essentially nullified by the largest vote percentage margin in the state, 65 percent. A statewide attempt to change the age requirements for Judges fell by 62 percent. The Plain Dealer reports, "Voters in the Cleveland-Akron area rejected 24 of 33 requests from school districts for new tax money Tuesday." An attempt to outlaw hunting in an Ohio town was overwhelmingly shot down.
This means the same voters walked into the booth and voted down the GOP's change and Obama's change and the local union-backed school tax hike change.
They shot down change in Arizona's GOP leadership, change in Kentucky's government, and change in Mississippi's abortion laws.
Iowa's state senate didn't change hands, but Virginia's state senate did -- in a rightward direction, putting the GOP in control of a state Obama won in 2008. Mississippi rejected the personhood amendment while sending a GOP gubernatorial candidate to victory by 59 percent.
Back in Ohio, the rhetoric against S.B. 5 (collective bargaining) and the Individual Mandate (ObamaCare) were similar: both Kasich and Obama were accused of ramming legislation through without including the opposite party or involving grassroots support. The charge against both conservative and liberal government was essentially a charge that the proper procedure for democratic process was not followed.
Voters struck back against perceived improper uses of authority by overwhelming margins. The non-ideological argument that I hear arising from this election is essentially American:
The governed did not consent to your bills. The use of power in Columbus and Washington was not just.
Keep your change, whoever you are. We're the American people, and we are sovereign.
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Mar '11
Re: Keep Your Change: an Ohioan's Take on November 2011
The proof in Ohio will be in seeing what happens to the state absent the changes made to collective bargaining. Can Kasich get reforms passed piecemeal, or will the state contininue to atrophy? Is there a middle way?
Your larger point, however, is a valid one.
Dec '10
Re: Keep Your Change: an Ohioan's Take on November 2011
Colorado wasn't voting yesterday, so I can't say I am reading the mood of the people, but the feel I keep getting is something slight more akin to: "Keep your change, whoever you are. We're the American people, and we are terrified."
Its as though, if we would only quit changing things life might go back to the way it was before they lost their job/home/sense of security/etc. I feel like Americans are getting nauseous from our turbulent times and grabbing on to everything in sight both to regain their balance, and to make sure nothing else gets taken away from them until the room stops spinning.
Dec '10
Re: Keep Your Change: an Ohioan's Take on November 2011
I really appreciate you trying to find some coherence in the way Ohioans voted yesterday. And I think you gave it a heckuva go -- really. But, you could have just as easily finished your piece, "We're the American people, and we are broke and running scared."
What I hear from family in Ohio is that Kasich has done yeoman's work closing the budget gap and attracting businesses back to Ohio. I don't know the ploy the unions used to convince voters to kill his momentum, but kill it they did. And who will suffer the consequences? Non-public union worker Ohioans -- meaning most Ohioans. I'm not seeing the silver lining.
My nephew the lawyer recently got a job in Dayton after having to move back home with his parents for a year. He's working hard and he loves it. Why did his law-firm move into Dayton? Because of all the unemployed lawyers looking for work in the state.
It just doesn't seem like a winning business model, does it? "Come do business in Ohio! We're desperate." It's going to get worse now.
May '10
Re: Keep Your Change: an Ohioan's Take on November 2011
T. Elliot Gaiser, you're brilliant. Really, this is the most insightful piece I've read yet, by far, on what happened yesterday -- especially the reconciling of the issue 2 and 3 results.
And it makes me feel a little better about Republican presidential prospects here next year. Gotta get you on a podcast.
May '10
Re: Keep Your Change: an Ohioan's Take on November 2011
He could have, and in retrospect should have, taken the piecemeal approach. Now it will be much tougher.
The good news: He did balance the budget, and he didn't raise taxes, and he never will. Municipalities will now have to deal with their lack of funds without the tools Kasich hoped to provide them with. But that's now their problem, from Kasich's perspective. Let the layoffs begin!
Re: Keep Your Change: an Ohioan's Take on November 2011
Very informative, Elliot. Thank you.
Edited on Nov 9, 2011 at 5:02pm