Ohio DUers: Has Coingate and Taft's dismal approval had any effect

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

on day to day conversations, the prospects of Dem candidates in 2006?

What's the water cooler buzz? Any Ohioans getting sick of one party rule (Repubs that is)? Or are they all still drinking deeply of the Kool-Aid?

[Schmajo]

1. Affect on Rs

I recently read some literature put out by the Blackwell campaign (aimed at a Republican audience), citing all the scandal stuff and making a good case that only Blackwell has any chance of defeating the Democratic candidate in 06.

In short, the argument is that only Blackwell can energize the right wing base. If Montgomery or Petro is the candidate, the conservatives will stay home and keep their wallets in their pockets. Also, Blackwell is more 'distanced' from Coingate than are Mont. & Petro.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. What about Senate/House? I was kind of aiming at what are people

saying, particularly Repubs. Any of them express any dismay about ANY of this?

[newyawker99]

6. Hi Schmajo!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[johnkerryyip145]

3. From my own personal experience...

I can't honestly say it's ever come up in mixed company (i.e. while talking with my Repub friends), although it's something i've talked about with my Dem friends. But, really, not in some months (Coingate that is).

However, that's not to say that my R friends aren't ticked at the current political climate. If you bring up gas prices, my R friends are just as livid as my D friends--often times, more so. And while that doesn't mean they're going to vote for D's in '06, i don't hear them singing the praises of the R's these days (quite a contrast from a year ago).

[VolcanoJen]

4. Well, it's turned Taft's name into a statewide joke, that's for certain.

As a bartender, I get a lot of Jagermeister-cooler buzz. :-) And southwestern Ohioans, the most reliably Republican Buckeyes, are pretty heated up on a "Throw The Bums Out" mantra right now.

We should milk that... but the Dem leadership in Ohio is too old-school to make that happen. It's going to take DUers, bloggers, and the grass roots.

All that being said, I'm confident we can turn the mood in Ohio into Democratic gain.

[ohio_liberal]

5. My Input

Taft couldn't be more unpopular. He is universally despised. As far as coingate and the candidates for 2006 go, Petro and Montgomery are taking the worst hits. That miserable fuck Ken Blackwell is still the favorite. As for DeWine, you know nobody really says much about him so far.