Politics

As 2023 arrives and the two-year anniversary of the infamous January 6th insurrection approaches, there is plenty to be grateful for as our imperfect nation ventures into the new year. Of course, there is also still much work to be done and more good fights to be fought. Here in Ohio, fascism continues to stand on our doorstep –– and is perhaps even knocking on the door –– especially as a new GOP supermajority is set to be seated in our Statehouse in January and Governor Mike DeWine starts his second term, both of which were decided by a majority of Ohio voters. Because of these recent midterm results, Ohio Republicans have been given a mandate –– and they will likely use it to their own advantage, just as they have since seizing power of every branch of our state government in 2010.

In a perfect Ohio world, the two months between the November election and the early January would be free of insults to our intelligence by the rogue Ohio Legislature.

We would be free to enjoy the holiday season without having to worry about our public schools being taken over by the governor, our voting privilges made more difficult, and our opportunity to petition our government severely diluted.

But this is the real Ohio where the rapacious Republicans are running roughshod over the rest of us during what is commonly called the lame duck session, the two months between the election and the New Year.

I call it the rogue duck session. It has got to end.

There is a remedy for this political malady.

The Ohio legislature needs to be defanged.

Its elected members need to become part-timers, banned from meeting for all but financial and existential emergencies between election day and the New Year.

Nothing like a mysterious disappearance to get our minds off Ohio’s miserable political situation and Ohio State’s one-sided loss to Michigan.

On Tuesday, dispatch.com broke the story that OSU President Kristina Johnson would be departing in the spring with more than two years to go on her contract that pays her upwards of $1 million in salary and benefits. The article contained a curious reference to staff complaints leading to an investigation by the trustees leading to her requested departure.

Of course, nobody is talking for the record. The OSU trustees are notoriously closed-mouthed about such matters despite keen public interest in the inner workings of Ohio Land Grant University.

Perhaps a complaining staff member will come forward and spill the beans, but it could mean risking one’s livelihood if outed.

The leaves what is left of the news media that regularly covers the Capitol City and its signature university.

Many of the reporters who might break the whodunit story are connected to OSU in some way, shape or form and dare not bite the hand that feeds them.

As Thanksgiving rolls around again this year, it’s time to once more get in your Republican family members’ faces about the harsh realities that their political party is creating –– whether they fully understand those realities or not. After all, it’s only been two years since one of the most controversial elections in American history –– and two years away from another that will have massive implications on democracy in our state and country as well. However, this past midterm election was equally important –– and while the majority of Americans succeeded in showing up and realizing that importance, it’s fair to say that Ohio voters failed to fully grasp the gravity of our own state’s situation. Ohio’s democracy is slowly teetering on the edge of fascism –– and Republicans are to blame.

A national Democratic leader attributed the general success in the midterms to very high enthusiasm levels, and that’s true for explaining the success at winning many congressional, statehouse and gubernatorial races.

But this absolutely did not apply to Ohio, where Democratic turnout crashed and enthusiasm was extraordinarily low, even though Ohio was one of the top Senate battleground states.

As a result, the Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio lost by 25.5 points, other statewide candidates lost by large margins, and the Senate race in Ohio was lost by a larger margin (6.6 points) than in any of the top ten battleground states. The next worst performance was in North Carolina, where the Democrat lost by 3.5 points. Jim Jordan won re-election by a 38.6-point margin, even though he was in the national spotlight for potential criminality.

There is no doubt that Ohio stood out for poor performance compared to virtually all other states. Ohio Democrats ought to be asking why and holding their state party leaders accountable.

Ohio Democrats were wiped out in the Nov. 8 election. Let the excuse-making begin.

Democrats in the state of Ohio have become like Democrats in Delaware County, where I reside. When you can’t win and you can’t even get close to electing Democrats, hold nice social gatherings and create an elaborate committee structure to divert the blame from the party leaders.

The Ohio Democratic Party, what of it there is, has moved into full public relations mode to try and save the jobs of its chair Liz Walters and her underlings.

Chris Redfern, the chair a decade ago, traveled from county to county after the party was whipped (though not as badly as this year) with charts and maps of how progress was being made and how the victory was just around the corner, if only brother Redfern were kept on the job.

Joe Motil, former Columbus City Council candidate and longtime community advocate who is circulating petitions to run for Mayor in the 2023 May primary election states, “I wish to congratulate Columbus City Councilwoman Elizabeth Brown on her appointment as President and CEO of the YWCA. And I also want to thank her for occasionally displaying a much-needed independent voice on City Council. If elected as mayor of Columbus I would have enjoyed working with her.”

Against my better judgment, yet keeping my promise, I offer below my predictions for the statewide races on Election Day Nov. 8.  Don’t call your bookie on my advice.

I wrote down what my head told me the outcome would be and then I wrote down what my heart told me the outcome should be. I averaged the two. After each prediction, I offered some comments, the snarkier the better.

U.S. Senate: Tim Ryan 50.01%, J.D. Vance 49.99%

Ryan’s relentless campaign is pushed over the top by the votes of the Ohioans of Ukraine ancestry who block voted for Ryan, who supports the war, over Vance, who does not.

Governor: Mike DeWine 57%, Nan Whaley 43%

DeWine defined Whaley inaccurately as a bad mayor. She never answered. The rest was easy. Sadly.

Attorney General: Dave Yost 51%, Jeff Crossman 49%

Yost barely survives vigorous campaign by future Democratic star. Yost’s run for governor in 2026 is toast.

Secretary of State: Frank LaRose 58%, Chelsea Clark 42%

Trump-loving, double-talking, erstwhile election denier moves to the head of the list of aspirants to take on Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate seat in 2024. He still stinks.

Columbus voters will decide three Issues on Tuesday’s ballot, and all three will change the Columbus City Charter. The city’s constitution since 1914, which can only be changed by a vote of Columbus’ citizens.

There’s Issue 19, which could ban citizen-initiatives seeking to create a “monopoly” or “special privilege.” Issue 20, which would make the City’s hiring process more subjective and less objective. And Issue 21, which could allow for virtual meetings for public bodies of the City and special emergencies for City Council.

From North Linden, to off-campus, to Hungarian Village, all three issues are flying under the radar. Even for those who regularly vote.

Governor Mike DeWine stuck his finger in the eyes of the Columbus Dispatch by not coming in for a pre-election interview.

His punishment? The newspaper endorsed Nan Whaley, who showed up for the interview, in a meandering long-winded article that concluded: “We urge you to vote for Nan Whaley for governor.”

The editorial, done by a newspaper that used to endorse a multitude of candidates and often played the role of kingmaker in close races, marked another reverse in a policy announced more than a year ago that the newspaper would no longer be telling its readers what to think, but rather would be conducting a “conversation” on its formerly called opinion pages.

The endorsement was released online early Friday morning and is destined to be featured on the section page of the newspaper’s Conversation section on Sunday, two days before the election.

It marked the second reversal of policy in a week at the central Ohio media outlet because the previous Sunday, the Dispatch endorsed Tim Ryan for U.S. Senator under the headline: “Vance Is No Stateman, Vote Ryan for US Senate.”