Fingerhut filing is sign he's in governor's race

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/113645344379550.xml&coll=2

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Columbus- ...

Fingerhut's expected entry injects new competition into the contest and poses a dilemma for House Minority Leader Chris Redfern, the newly elected chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party: Does the party remain neutral or does it endorse Strickland, Redfern's preferred candidate?...

"I can see that giving the endorsement is very helpful but when you have as many people interested in running as we do this year, there is a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm, and I'm concerned that an early endorsement might strip some of that away," Redfern said...

In the 1990s, party leaders - largely at the urging of organized labor - issued early endorsements for gubernatorial candidate Rob Burch, a state senator from Dover, and for first-time U.S. Senate candidate Joel Hyatt, founder of Hyatt Legal Services. Both were trounced in the general election.

Redfern conceded that those early endorsements "harmed the party" by discouraging stronger candidates from getting into the races and by giving an unfair advantage to weaker candidates who benefited from the party's slate cards and other perks...

[geiger]

1. What a waste of time

When he ran for the Senate, I was told by credible sources that he seemed not to see the need to aggressively fund-raise or even pay people that could make him a credible candidate, that he somehow thought he could get volunteers to do mostly everything. Fingerhut's a really smart guy, and if he couldn't even figure out how he needed to run a Senate campaign, I don't see how he thinks he can mobilize a serious challenge to the Governor's seat. If anyone new is going to enter the race for governor now, it should be Marcy Kaptur. Her campaign would be determined, articulate, and it would resonate with the base and beyond.

[Schmajo]

2. I'll be sorry to see it

Fingerhut will never win a state-wide general election. Strickland is the best hope for taking back the Statehouse.

[liberalnurse]

11. Fingerhut is diluting his marketability as

a candidate by running in loosing races.....What can I say......

[Kolesar]

3. Eric may be running just to get some ink for him and Strickland

They can have debates and get some "earned media" coverage. Otherwise, the stinking media will just ignore the Dems up til November. Eric could use this as a means of getting attention for another state wide race someday. Maybe he will use the race as a way to advance the agenda of fair elections.

[cmd]

4. I hope you are right

Lt. Gov. Fingerhut has an appealing ring.

[geiger]

5. Kaptur

There would be more lively debates if they were between Strickland and Kaptur, I think, besides it would also give a female face to the Party.

[OzarkDem]

6. She would be a strong candidate

Wouldn't it be great to have a woman governor?

[geiger]

7. The Case for Marcy Kaptur

should be the next book written by Susan Estrich, who is promoting her most recent book, "The Case for Hillary Clinton."

[Ninga]

8. Whoa!!! Hold on here, and let's calm down on bashing Fingerhut.

I guess a good place to start is what we know. No rumors about stingy campaingn finance.....remember this guy walked accoss Ohio for heaven's sake.

What we know is:

1. Strickland was looking strong until he hooked up with Redfern.

2. Strickland had NO OPONENT in his last election.

3. Although Strickland won in 2 of Ohio's most conserative districts, the total population
of those districts would fit on the head of a pin and do not translate into large voting blocks.

4. The election in November has a good chance of being won from votes casted in Columbus, Toledo, Cleveland, Youngstown.

5. Eric Fingerhut has served in the State house as a Senator for 12 years, he knows the State of Ohio inside and out, he understands commerce, finance, and how the budget cycle works. He already has a plan to better the job climate and attract businesses.

6. Stickland has not been strong in his speeches, and seems directionless regarding the workings of the State government.

7. Fingerhut has raised a million dollars as of this date.

Fingerhut was not given support by the DNC or the State Dems when he ran last year. He is well respected, smart and let the debates begin.

[Schmajo]

9. No One Here Is "Bashing" Fingerhut

I truly believe that any statewide candidate MUST have major appeal to independents and moderate-to-conservative-sometimes Democrats. Someone who can appeal to the so-called Reagan Democrats. Someone who seriously can compete for the votes of the mis-guided fundies who are being brain washed by the Pat Robertson - Jerry Falwell - Rod Parsley demagogues into believing that the Republican Party is the last bastion of morality.

In my opinion, Ted Strickland is that person. Is Strickland "less-left" than I am? Probably so. But Ted is a good man who holds to true Democratic values. He certainly is no DINO.

I have nothing bad to say about Eric Fingerhut. But he is a classic NE Ohio liberal. That is not a bad thing to me personally, but it will be bad with many suburban, rural, and Southern Ohio voters.

I want to WIN in 2006, and Ted Strickland is the best choice to make that happen.

You are correct about the need for the Democrat nominee to get the vote out in Cuyahoga, Lucas, Franklin, and Mahoning counties, and that will be a challenge for Strickland, but a challenge I believe he is up to.

[BillORightsMan]

10. Too bad Coleman dropped out - poll sez...

Strong Support
Columbus Mayor Coleman succeeding at the job he loves, says a poll of the people he serves

Col Dispatch 12-18-2005

~snip~
His approval rating is 65 percent, according to the results of a telephone poll Saperstein Associates of Columbus conducted for The Dispatch.

And 72 percent say Columbus is headed in the right direction.

~snip~
Of those polled, 62 percent said they are likely to vote for Coleman if he runs for re-election.

~snip~
52% likely would have voted for him for Governor, had he continued to run.

It's a shame Coleman dropped out - he would have made an EXCELLENT Governor, imo.

I'm all for Eric Fingerhut giving it a shot, tho.
:patriot:

[Kolesar]

12. While we are talking about Eric Fingerhut

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=172&topic_id=4991
Edit: I put up the link for Eric's book, but my link from 13 months ago will not execute. Sorry!

[comalog]

13. I like primaries

Let them all run. It gives Strickland an excuse to raise money right now and will create media through debates and put the name infront of more than a million of voters. And the data they will get from the performance will be amazingly valuable. It's a good thing for Strickland to have to Cleveland boys running. They will split the vote and not cause any harm. All they are doing is helping Strickland and they will be able to attack and say the things that Strickland might not be able to get away with.