One thing was clear at last nights ODP town hall meeting, Chris Redfern is the clear choice to lead Ohio's democrats.  There were only three credible candidates going into last night, Chris Redfern, Mr. Lieberman and Susan Gwinn.  

     Chris Redfern has a clear vision of expanding the party into non-traditional sectors.  Chris is a proven leader who is not afraid to reach across the spectrum and give everyone a seat at the table.  Chris is a proven fundraiser and leader and is the clear choice to be ODP chair.
    Mr. Lieberman while a qualified candidate has failed to address how he will reach outside of his own community to address the concerns of ODP chair.  We are 5 months from the primary and 11 months from Ohio biggest election it is imperative that we have a chair that already has established relationships statewide.  We DO NOT have time for a learning curve.  
    This leaves us with Ms. Gwinn.  I will tell a simple story of the first time I met Ms Gwinn this should be enough to explain why she is wrong for ODP.  I met Ms Gwinn at a fundraiser introduced myself and suggested that Ms. Gwinn meet with a local start up group based at Athens.  Ms Gwinn advised me that she didn't meet with "those kinda groups".  Ms Gwinn's flat refusal to meet with start up groups is explanation enough as to why she is wrong for ODP and wrong for Ohio.

Chris Redfern is the clear choice to lead Ohio's Democratic Party.

 
Eric Fingerhut has announced the formation of an exploratory committee to examine a potential run for governor.  

Just when Ohio democrats could finally unite behind the best choice here comes Fingerhut less than 6 months until the primary throwing a wrench into the system.  If Fingerhut manages his run for governor anything like his run for the US Senate Strickland will have a landslide victory in May.

Fingerhuts release in the extended entry:

Governor Taft often mistaken for Disney's Goofy hits 6.5% approval rating. (hahahahahaha)

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051129/NEWS09/511290414/-1/NEWS

from The Columbus Dispatch

Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman Tuesday will quit the race for governor after his miscue-plagued campaign failed to get traction.
Greg Haas, Coleman's campaign manager, said that Coleman has scheduled a news conference Tuesday afternoon in the mayor's office to announce his withdrawal.

"This was not a matter of electability," Haas said. "Frankly, it was a matter of personal priorites of his familiy and his being mayor . . . He just decided he wasn't going to pull away from his family and from his responsibilities of being mayor."

Coleman's exit leaves U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon as the only major announced candidate for governor, although state Sen. Eric Fingerhut of Cleveland has indicated he might enter the race soon.

Coleman's campaign has been beset with problems, most recently the arrest of his wife, Frankie, by Bexley police Oct. 20 for drunken-driving. She pleaded guilty Nov. 9 in Franklin County Municipal Court to charges of drunken driving and failure to control.

The Coleman family underwent an emotional toll over the past year when his son, J.D., a marine, spent a year in Iraq with Lima Company, which suffered many casualties.

Anyone have the details on Denny White's resignation?

Welcome to Ohio Democratic Politics 101 - Eating Our Young.  

After far too many years of Republican control and scandal Democrats are finally poised to take control of Ohio.  Well at least we were, welcome to Ohio Democratic Politics 101 Eating Our Young.  It appears that those in power can not stand the site of new young blood in the political arena.

Case study #1: Paul Hackett.  
Most will remember Paul Hackett as the Southern Ohio Democrat who nearly pulled off an amazing win in OH-2.  The Democratic Party courted him for months asking him to run for Senate, a wise idea since he can win.  Hackett has broad based appeal on both sides of the aisle and could easily defeat a weak Mike Dewine.  All looks good for Ohio now right, wrong!  Enter stage left Sherrod Brown, a very qualified and competent Congressman, who said he didn't want to run.  Brown lacks the broad base appeal that Hackett has harnessed.  So instead of Ohio politicians asking Brown to bow out, we are hell bent on splitting the party across the state between a lifelong politician and a true grassroots candidate.  Does anyone remember Eric Fingerhut?  He too was a very qualified and competent candidate who LOST, he could not reach out to non-traditional democrats, neither can Brown.

Case study #2:  Mark Losey
How excited I was to see a new face in Ohio politics, someone who was willing to take on the #4 Republican in the House, Deborah Pryce.  For months, grassroots activist surrounded Losey as their candidate and true hope for taking Ohio's 15th Congressional District.  Losey has roots in the republican stronghold of Union County, and has a broad appeal to both democrats and republicans across the spectrum.  Enter Mary Jo Kilroy, a wonderful Franklin County Commissioner who is a sure win for the democratic primary.  Notice something here, I said primary, Kilroy has no broad base support to win the general election.  She is a career politician who in less than 12 months has gone from County Commissioner, to President of the Commission to wanting to run for Secretary of State and finally has set her sights on destroying our chances of unseating Pryce in OH-15.  

The most disturbing part of both of these stories is that the Ohio Democratic Party with its divine and ineffective leadership refuses to recognize new talent.  Instead the goal is to keep career politicians in the circle to the detriment of Ohio's citizens.  

Organizations like DFA should be ashamed of themselves for abandoning Mark Losey after months of singing his praises simply because their own Kilroy has joined the race.