Free Republic

Ohio, a traditional bellwether state, will take center stage once again to gauge how the two major parties will fare in 2010, a year Republicans are hoping to make gains in statehouses and congressional seats across the country. Republicans are looking to defeat Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland with the help of former congressman and Fox News host John Kasich, and win an edge in congressional redistricting in the process. The Republicans are also playing defense in the state, however, hoping to hold onto the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. George Voinovich — a moderate Republican representing a state that...

Ohio state Sen. Bob Gibbs is in the 2010 race to unseat Democratic Rep. Zack Space. Gibbs, a Republican, recently filed a statement of candidacy and a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission to initiate a campaign in Ohio's 18th, a mostly rural and culturally conservative area of east-central and south-central Ohio that includes Zanesville and Chillicothe. Gibbs also has set up a rudimentary campaign Web site. Gibbs was elected to the Ohio House in 2002 and served three two-year terms, then was elected to the Ohio Senate in 2008 with 59 percent of the vote in a...

Obama's down 13 points in approval survey in Ohio so he has sent Biden packing to Ohio to rally the faithful. "Everything is out of...uh, I mean under control!" Read the full text at http://www.edistojoe.com

Several local Republican lawmakers are considering running against Rep. Zack Space (D) next year, although none is ready to toss his hat into the ring yet.

clevelandteaparty.webs.com

While most establishment Republicans are rallying around the idea of a Rob Portman candidacy to replace the retiring Senator Voinovich, some Ohio conservatives are quietly clamoring for an attractive conservative outside-the-box candidate to emerge. That candidate may just be Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor. Like Sarah Palin, Taylor is thought of as both a conservative, and as a maverick who stood-up to the Republican "good old boys" machine in Ohio. A CPA by trade, she has also proven she can win in a difficult environment. In fact, she was the only Ohio Republican to win statewide in 2006. Taylor was even...

ACORN has been in the news for their creative get out the vote efforts. From Mickey Mouse to the entire Dallas Cowboys offense, they've managed to get some dude registered (73 times at last count)for nothing more than some smokes. So how do supposedly sober Democrats greet this affront to this most cherished of American rights? With scorn and half-truths of course: From the New York Post we get openers like this one: an Ohio man registered to vote several times and cast a bogus ballot with a fake address... One Ohio man is a conduit to voter fraud, something...

Republican presidential candidates John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, will hold a large rally Wednesday afternoon in the Cleveland area. The location has not been set. Expect McCain and Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to be slugging it out in campaign visits in Ohio during the last three and half weeks before the Nov. 4 election.

The video features red title cards and the theme music from the movie, "The Untouchables." It accuses state Sen. John Boccieri (D-Alliance) of using "Youngstown tactics" in his campaign against state Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Jackson Township) in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) in Ohio's 16th Congressional District.

The Weekly Standard’s Brian Faughnan notes here that things are looking good for McCain in the battleground state of Ohio at this stage in the race for the presidency. Ohio, as we all know, is a must-win state for whoever will go on to win the presidency. Daily Kos blogger and failed candidate for US Senate (as well as the US House) Paul Hackett (D-AntiWaristan) has noticed this as well and, after blaming poll numbers partly on racism, has what he feels is a “solution” that would “help” Barack Obama win the state of Ohio in November. Check this out...

We are doing all we can to enlighten the left wing in America. We get hundreds of E-mails a day saying how www.StopObamaExpress.com has open the eyes of Obama supporters, by listen to Obama in his own words at www.StopObamaExpress.com . If we all work together we can save our great nation from the liberals. ALL ABOARD! The Stop Obama Express. A great site for Anti-Obama Fun, videos, pictures, quotes and more. Check it out at www.StopObamaExpress.com

We've been saying for some time that all of the national polls in the presidential contest may be one thing, but the real battle for the White House will play out in several "battleground'' states where Barack Obama and John McCain each hope to build their victory in the electoral vote-count. Like Ohio - a place where victory generally has meant election as president for some time now. Twenty electoral votes in play. And the word today from one of the nation's most respected state polls - the Ohio Poll conducted by the University of Cincinnati - shows a narrow...

Readers may recall that I'm a bit down on the prospect of John McCain finding a running mate who will do him more good than harm. However, one person who might fit this description is John Kasich. He was a popular nine-term Congressman from Ohio, a state Republicans desperately need to carry. And he's originally from western Pennsylvania, another key area. Kasich seems to possess a blue collar appeal that his party desperately needs. To be sure, he was never a Senator or a Governor, but he held a leadership position in the House, serving as Chairman of the Budget...

Day three of the Clark controversy, and things keep getting more and more interesting. Today, Barack Obama is apparently denying that his own speech yesterday in Ohio -- where we all assumed he was specifically repudiating Clark's comments -- was, in fact, aimed at Gen. Clark. Here is what Obama had to say today: "... I notice that I think in at least one publication it was reported that my comments yesterday about Senator McCain were in a response to General Clark. I think my staff will confirm that was in a draft of that speech that I had written...

So much for the 50 State Strategy, announced just last week. The Obama campaign admits neither FL and OH "was hospitable to Obama this year." Even three states Kerry won (PA, MI, NH) "look competitive" for McCain. Obama will try to pick off VA, NM, and others to make up the difference. Is Obama the underdog in this Year of the Democrat?

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain delivered the following remarks as prepared for delivery at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, in Columbus, OH, today at 10:00 a.m. EDT: Thank you. The hectic but repetitive routine of presidential campaigns often seems to consist entirely of back and forth charges between candidates, punctuated by photo ops, debates and the occasional policy speech, followed by another barrage of accusations and counter accusations, formulated into the soundbites preferred by cable news producers. It is a little hypocritical for candidates or reporters to criticize these deficiencies. They are our creation. Campaigns and the media...

Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann admitted that he had an affair with a subordinate on Friday at a press conference held in response to an internal investigation of sexual harrassment claims against Director of General Services Anthony Gutierrez. Results of the internal investigation were released on approximately 9:30am Friday morning.

One meme that has emerged in recent days is the idea that Hillary Clinton’s remaining in the race, and especially her negative attacks on Barack Obama, will seriously damage the Democratic Party and make Obama damaged goods in the fall. John Aravosis is one of the more passionate advocates of this position. Well, come Wednesday, if Hillary doesn’t win 65% of the delegates in Ohio and Texas, and still insists on staying in the race and ripping our party in two, it will be time to start treating candidate Clinton with the same golden rule she is using for candidate...

After reading this question that was posed to Fred Thompson and his answer, I can't help but think it's a shame that he's not doing better in the campaign (h/t Instapundit): AKD: What will you do for the farmers of Bremer County? FT: (laughs) AKD: You knew this was coming, right? FT: I would continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor. I’ve been looking all over Iowa for a bad steak and I can’t find it. Been trying my best. It’s not a matter of what I would do for the farmers. Farmers are not looking for a president...

Many active duty military are praising Fred Thompson, as the conservative leader they want as the next Commander in Chief. Typical of these comments is this one from a soldier in Ohio: "As a soldier, I know there is some pressure to not get involved in anything political, but as a current member of the finest Army to have ever existed, and a Combat Veteran of the crucial Iraq campaign, I feel it is my duty as a patriotic American to see a good conservative succeed our current commander and chief. Every Soldier wants a leader that they can proudly...