News from the boonies

Attended a 4 county Ohio Democratic dinner last night. First, the good news - it was sold out and two “opposition” groups that have sprung up since Trump was elected bought two tables, so 16 new people. There are about 40 members of the two new opposition groups so I feel like 16 out of 40 is a good result. Local Dems reaching out to Dem-aligned outside groups was successful, I think. I sat with the newbies and it was an interesting perspective - like looking at your living room thru the eyes of a visitor. All in all I felt we (Democrats) presented quite well. I’m going to a Hands Off event with these same people Saturday so we’ll see what they thought of the Democrats.

We invited Marcy Kaptur to this event but she declined, then about an hour into it she arrived! I suppose she was able to attend because House Republicans stopped working again this week. People were very happy to see her. Kaptur is a great retail politician and a “brand” unto herself in the Toledo area, which is how she has held on in a swing district even as Ohio swung far Right.

Now the bad news - the only Dem candidate who has entered the governor’s race is Dr. Amy Acton. I love Acton- she’s a truly impressive person - but she was the face of covid restrictions in Ohio and we are going to get slaughtered if she is the candidate.

Exactly. The household name on covid. Ugh. Not her fault but definitely her problem.

There is still (some) time for someone else to enter. The scuttlebutt is Sherrod is running for Senate again so he’s out but I’m hoping Tim Ryan might jump in. Ryan is a shape shifting moderate and a mediocre candidate but he may be all we got.

Vivek Ramaswamy will be the R nominee. I know online Democrats say he can’t win MAGA Ohio because he is not white, but I think this is bullshit and part of the lack of understanding of MAGA and what we’re up against among liberals and Democrats. Democrats refuse to accept it, but MAGA made real gains on diversity and Democrats had real losses among non white voters. This is just a fact at this point and insisting that non white candidates cannot win white MAGA voters goes against all observable reality. Unless we get a viable Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio we’ll all be suffering under far Right crook Ramaswamy.