Ohio Says Hi
As it has become abundantly clear that Rob Long needs a little cheering up, here's a little letter from the front lines in Ohio.
I've been a student at The Ohio State University for entirely too long now, and there is a distinct difference between 2008 and today. Where once the hallways were alive with excited discussion about just how awesome Obama would be, and the Oval (the quad) was filled with pro Obama concerts, there is now a subdued silence. In fact the only political conversations that I've heard have been something unimaginable in 2008. Conservatives have actually been talking out loud about the election. This began quietly in hushed tones a few weeks ago. More recently unabashed advocacy of conservative ideals has been breaking out. More amazingly these conversations have actually been loud enough to be heard by passers by, as to almost dare others to defend Obama's policies. So far I have heard no such defense mounted, again unimaginable in 2008.
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Aug '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
P.S.
Don't forget Rob Long that Ohio passed a amendment against Obamacare by about 60% in an election that was flooded with union supporters who came out to repeal SB5. Obamacare is still a real issue
Jun '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Now that's good news! Thx for the report. :)
Aug '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
To be clear there's no way that college kids are gonna vote for Romney in a big way, but they definitely won't be showing up like 2008
Sep '12
Re: Ohio Says Hi
That's a darn shame since they have a chance to vote to protect their, and their country's, future!
Jun '12
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Thanks Charles, your post is like a warm cup of tea at dawn. This is why I trust Ricochet posts more than the Media. Keep updating us. All eyes are on OHIO! (P.S. Dayton Ohio is one of my favorite town in America).
Edited on September 27, 2012 at 2:32pmDec '10
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Yeeeaaargh! Buckeyes for Romney/Ryan!
Well, okay. At least they're not stupid for Obama. And really, conservatives openly voicing their opinions on the Oval is a huge cultural shift. This is great news!
Aug '12
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Yes! I'm so glad to see good things at my beloved alma mater. In fact, it was at The Oval where the excesses of the postmodern, race-class-gender grievance zealots turned me into a conservative. So, conservative discourse on The Oval is a big deal. "Time and change will surely show; How firm thy friendship . . . Ohio."
Re: Ohio Says Hi
I think you have hit on one of the most underreported aspects of this election: the decline of the Obama voter.
I live in one of those ObamaForDictator areas where everyone worships the ground he walks on.
Four years ago, easily around half the cars had Obama stickers. Mind you, I'm not exaggerating. Seeing something near half of the cars have these stickers feels like everyone has these stickers. This year? I see maybe 2-3 a day while out and about driving. No yard signs.
In my brother's neighborhood in Denver four years ago, tons of Obama signs. Now? People are claiming they only voted for him on account of how bad McCain was -- there stories are changing.
Even in Minneapolis last weekend, I saw no yard signs and maybe two bumper stickers for Obama (granted, the same for Romney). But considering that Obama four years ago was a lightworker who would save us all, this is a mighty fall.
And that means something.
Nov '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
This post highlights why we should be optimistic. Obama will have a lot fewer people showing up to vote for him in 2012. The polls assume he will have the same turnout of supporters. The polls are wrong. If Romney can do as well in the presidential debates as he did in the primary debates, he will end election night in landslide territory.
Mar '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Yeeeaaargh!
So, you're saying Howard Dean has endorsed him too?
May '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
The-fourth largest county in Ohio, Summit County, just released their 2012 absentee ballot request data, huge dropoff for Dems and improvement for GOP so far
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvEOdIaw0fPNdHVOZnFENDdDYVFTRi1UMlgxQ0F4OVE
-----------------------------------
Summit County absentee ballot requests
2008
Total: 92941
Dem:43524 (47%)
GOP:12857 (14%)
2012
Edited on September 27, 2012 at 4:11pmTotal: 39056
Dem: 9581 (25%)
Rep: 7525 (19%)
Jun '12
Re: Ohio Says Hi
This election is still about his record.The current debate is how that history is defined. The left is selling Obama's record as a success because in hindsight, everything he dealt with was worse than he and his braintrust expected. They are selling President Hindsight, a man of perpetual Monday morning quarterbacking and calling for a do over. Dropping your lowest grade, extra credit only works in school, most kids know that. A leader uses the information and authority they have to make the best decisions he can in a timely manner. All the decisions that Obama made were debated publicly and the failure of those (stimulus, bailouts, shovel ready, healthcare) to produce his estimated benefit he owns, and deep down everyone should know that.
Aug '12
Re: Ohio Says Hi
I've been saying for a long time that Obama won in 2008 due to three factors:
1. High turnout of the youth vote
2. Record high turnout of the black vote
3. Demoralized conservatives resulting in low Republican turnout.
NONE of those are true today.
May '10
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Charles O'Leary: P.S.
Don't forget Rob Long that Ohio passed a amendment against Obamacare by about 60% in an election that was flooded with union supporters who came out to repeal SB5. Obamacare is still a real issue · 8 hours ago
A very good point, Charles - but the vote was 65% in favor of the Healthcare Freedom Amendment! There were more votes FOR the state constitutional amendment to block Obamacare than there were AGAINST the union reform bill that Big Labor dumped $40 million into killing.
I've written about how this is also a very real problem for left-of-left Sen. Sherrod Brown, who hopes to ride union support to victory but who fought hard for a public option in Obamacare.
Edited on September 27, 2012 at 4:24pmAug '10
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Mollie hits on something I have been noticing.
My Florida neighborhood split almost evenly in the 2008 presidential election. The yard signs were about 2 to 1 for Obama then.
On a 6 mile walk through the neighborhood this morning -- listening to the flagship podcast so that Rob, as usual, can raise my heart rate :) -- I happened to be counting yard signs. It's quite remarkable. Romney/Ryan signs are winning 10 to 1.
I happen to believe that the "yard sign poll" is a reasonably valid measure of voter enthusiasm. I actually trust it more than the polls these days.
Even though I was an "anyone but Romney" guy in the primaries, and temperamentally I am rarely optimistic in such matters, I remain more aligned with Paul Rahe's prediction of a significant Romney victory than with the current gloom-mongers on the right.
May '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
In my sane moments I recognize that the race is a dead heat; that the polls (except Rasmussen) are rigged; that Obama is not the great and likable orator he has been proclaimed, but rather a prickly, narcissistic, isolated, empty suit; that Romney is not the out-of-touch, Thurston Howell clone he has been proclaimed, but rather an extremely smart, accomplished, and yes likable, candidate. What does Obama actually know of the problems ordinary Americans face? What he learned at Harvard? Is that it? Has Obama ever lived in a $60 a month apartment? Has his family been touched by cancer or some other awful disease? Has he ever undertaken a struggle other than getting elected – something like building a business? Has he been part of a church community, beyond sleeping through 20 years of racist rants by his pastor? Does he have many, many close friends? Does he have any? What does he do for his brother who, to this day, is close to starving in Africa? The contrast is stark. Somebody will have to notice. Eventually. (Continued)
Edited on September 27, 2012 at 5:13pmMay '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
In my less sane moments, I slide toward something that might be depression, but instead I direct myself into Schadenfreude. I think of the college kids who happily vote for Obama, and of the miserable lives they will lead as Julia - dependent on government subsidies, never knowing the pleasure of true accomplishment, living in their parents' basements. Maybe they will notice. Eventually. Maybe they already are.
Aug '11
Re: Ohio Says Hi
In Oregon there are far fewer Obama signs as well. How hard is the Obama campaign hustling signs this election.
Unfortunately, in Oregon, it is very difficult to get Romney/Ryan signs and there are very few of them. The Romney campaign is getting few signs to Oregon -- even for those people who pay for them. The signs are gone from Republican offices as soon as they arrive. But then Oregon is not considered a state in play.
We are hoping to finally be able to pick up the signs today.
Jun '10
Re: Ohio Says Hi
Here in Denver, I live in central Denver near Downtown, there are much fewer Obama stickers and no Romney stickers. We don't want our cars keyed. We're not dummies. However I have noticed in my neighborhood that the Romney yard signs are going up. I've seen them 2 to 1 over Obama. I would be brave and put one up but I'm trying to sell my house.
Jun '12
Re: Ohio Says Hi
While your post is certainly encouraging, Obama is up by at least 5 points in Ohio.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/?state=nwa