Ohio 2nd Blog

Ohio 2nd Democratic Candidate Thor Jacobs, who finished second to Victoria Wulsin, has posted a post mortem on his campaign.

Democratic candidate Thor Jacobs was working the crowds this afternoon in Piketon. Hopefully somebody thought to take some pictures later on in the day at the rally in Cincinnati with Hackett.

ADDED: There it is.

This just in from the Warren County Dems:

Paul Hackett joined an enthusiastic crowd of more than 50 volunteers at the Warren County Democratic party headquarters in Lebanon. After teams and precincts had been assigned, Paul addressed the crowd. He spoke of the importance of this grassroots effort to reach out to our fellow Democrats. And he challenged us to continue to strengthen our Party by building and organizing at the local and county level. And then we hit the streets! See attached pictures. Today was a huge success. Targeted precincts were canvassed, hundreds of Dems were touched personally for the first time in years. And dozens of those signed up to volunteer efforts for the coming Election season. Watch us grow in Southwest Ohio!

We had the fifty or so volunteers show up this morning at 8:30 and found that at least 70% had canvassing experience. Besides Paul and Suzi, 2nd District congressional candidates Jim Parker, Gabby Downey and Thor Jacobs showed up and not only wished us well, but contributed volunteers and joined in the canvass effort. 3rd District candidates Studebaker and Fierst also showed up and Fierst stayed and canvassed to the bitter end. State Central Committee candidates Steve Spraley and Maria Ferro canvassed and special thanks to Maria’s son Matt for taking the pictures.

We targeted 11 Precincts with high Democrat active voter counts that do not have a Precinct Captain. In those 11 precincts we have nearly 2000 Democrats. Teams of four were given their target precinct, walking lists, maps, a script and the DNC provided door hangar. Volunteers got additional literature appropriate to their State legislative district and were free to carry and distribute other candidates literature as well.

But this was not about a lit drop. My report from my targeted precinct:

Precinct # 5 in Franklin… 128 active Democrats in a middle class neighborhood. Small neat single family, duplex homes and apartment buildings in the central part of the city of Franklin. We arrived at a little after 10:00 and began knocking on doors. Found about 50% of the folks at home. We introduced ourselves by name and as Democrats who lived in Warren County. Our reason for calling on them was simple. This was an effort to reach out to our neighbors in a personal way, to ask them what they wanted the Democratic Party in Warren County, in Ohio, and nationally to address. We were not there to tell them what the Democratic Party had determined was good for them. We were there so the Democratic Party could find out.

You can imagine what we heard: Jobs, energy, gas prices, the war in Iraq, corruption. Education and how its funded, the environment. Jobs, living wages, immigration. Jobs. Healthcare. Jobs. At one house we were told that the person we were talking with had a brother who died fighting in Iraq. Guess what was her most important issue. We promised to take their messages back to Lebanon, to our local Party and candidates. We also promised to carry their messages to the state Party and candidates and to the national Democratic Party. We asked that they find a way to help us. Volunteer to take responsibility for communicating with the other Dems on their street through a phone tree. Or post a yard sign for a candidate or issue. Help us to canvass other neighborhoods. We got a very good response. Nearly 50 % of those asked responded with a commitment to help.

Four hours later, we had completed our canvass and headed back to the HQ in Lebanon. There we found other teams had reported similar results. We grabbed some lunch and “hotwashed” the mission as Major Hackett would say. Final tabulations are not in, but we know we have dozens of new volunteers; hundreds of Democrats that had not seen or heard from the Warren County Party in years, now had had a visit. We’ll follow up with calls, e-mails, post cards and more visits.

Chris, you know I firmly believe this is how we make our Party strong and responsive and relevant. Sure, today it was preaching to the choir. But we got stronger, better at doing the grunt work. Better at meeting and listening to our neighbors. As we grow our numbers, we will more quickly finish our missionary work among the already saved. Then we can reach out to our non aligned neighbors. Same strategy: “What’s important to you? What should a political party do to make your world better? If we decide to do those things, will you help us?”

It’s not a quick or easy fix. I am tired, exhausted. We all are. But it is satisfying work. We’re getting stronger. It’s worth every step.

That’s what it’s all about.

While the two main Republican candidates allied with their pals at the Enquirer have been trying to out disgrace one another, candidates on the Democratic side of the fence have been talking about real issues and offering substantial solutions. Case in point Thor Jacobs.

Yesterday his campaign released his paper The Way Out - My Prescription for Success in Iraq _[PDF] (For those want to cut to the chase, they’ve been kind enough to provide a synopsis _[PDF])

This is no position paper prepared by staffers in order to create a venear of gravitas. This is a document written by an expert expressing ideas fordged by real world experience.

So take your pick Southern Ohio. On one side you’ve got a teacher, a healer, a health care expert, an engineer and a Middle East expert. On the other you’ve got a megalomaniacal aerobics instructor, and a disgraced former Congressman turned lobbyist for third world oppression.

Ohio 2nd Democratic candidate Thor Jacobs has stepped up the heat going into the primary with a new radio ad focused on gas prices. Let me know if you hear it on the radio.

As a counterpoint to this ad they’ve also sent out a press release attacking their primary opponent over what seemed to be an off the cuff proposal for a graduated gas tax. I’ll post the full release after the break.

(UPDATE: The Enquirer Politics Extra “blog” has more on Wulsin’s thinking on the subject:

One of Jacobs’ Democratic primary opponents, Victoria Wulsin, has weighed in on rising gasoline prices as well. In an interview on WLWT (channel 5) and in the taping of a program to be shown on WKRC-TV Sunday, Wulsin has suggested a graduated gasoline tax as a solution.

Wulsin said she would rather see the tax based on income rather than actual vehicle consumption.

She said she hadn’t thought through how it work - a tax charged at the pump on income “wouldn’t be feasible,” she said.

“I haven’t gotten that far in my thinking,” Wulsin said. “I’m willing to entertain any ideas.”

)

Also, there seems to be another endorsement snafu. The Wulsin campaign has been claiming the endorsement of Cincinnati Councilwoman Laketa Cole, but yesterday the Jacobs for Congress campaign released a statement claiming her endorsement. Perhaps the Wulsin campaign is still including information from the 2nd special?

The Jacob’s campaign also released a slew of endorsements from local labor organizations:

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 212; the Plumbers, Pipe Fitters & Mechanical Equipment Service Local 392; and the Roofers Local 42, all of Hamilton County, have all also enthusiastically endorsed Thor Jacobs in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary. In additional, Boilermakers Local 105 of Piketon, Ohio in Pike County located at the far Eastern end of the district is lending Jacobs its support. “Thor understands the real issues working families face today,” said William Koester who is Business Manager of Plumbers, Pipe Fitters & Mechanical Equipment Service Local Union 392. “We need an independent, intelligent Congressman like him in Washington, fighting to protect us, not the profits of CEO’s.”

It seems that in the wake of the Enquirer endorsement for Wulsin the Jacob’s campaign has had to bump up their level of aggressiveness . As a fan of the sport I always enjoy the closing seconds before the buzzer, and this looks like it will be a close one.

(more…)

Jacobs did score one win over the weekend. Unfortunately for them local Dems seem to place a lot more stock in the paper that endorsed Jean Schmidt over Paul Hackett.

Lots of interesting Chandra news over @ BSB. Go check it out. Action items and everything. Keep scrolling and go back a page of two. This story is intense. This one is fun too… Chandra is relentless. Imagine having someone that’s that much of a fighter and that right and that good on our side.

Jacobs for Congress has a lot of GOTV events happening going up to the primary. I’ve added some pics from them too. I haven’t heard anything from the other candidates.

I’ll be honest with you. I’m worried about the 2nd. McEwen and Schmidt are so tainted, and so bad, and so out of touch with reality that it should be possible for someone serious to knock a few out of the park. Everyone’s written off the 2nd even thought we’ve got two of the biggest jokes in Congress trying to out sue and out extreme and out wacko each other. Will someone step up? This isn’t about what you want. This isn’t about what’s important to you. This isn’t about how frustrated or angry or idealistic you are. This is about convincing… yes selling voters the idea that you can best serve their interests in Washington.

Right now we’ve got two guys that have convinced enough people that what’s really important to people in the 2nd district is families not having the right to make their own medical decisions, and everyone following their faith, and protecting HMOs instead of your grandparents, and wasting trillions on corporate welfare, and invading every Middle Eastern country that even looks at us funny. What person living in the real world puts these things on the top of their TODO list? Please… somebody… show them that these twisted, corrupt, hateful, opportunistic, shells of human beings are wrong. Is it really that hard? Can you put down the idealistic frustration and anger long enough to show people a better way?

Go read the local Republican blogs. It’s not like anyone is bursting at the seams waiting to vote for these guys. How many times do you have to read Hey… I voted for Minamyer or don’t blame me, I voted for Tom Brinkman to realize that they’ve got nothing? NOTHING. Still… folks… I don’t care how much they suck… people ain’t switching teams unless you bring a realistic, rational, simple, human alternative that they are willing to support. You’ve got five minutes before they’re gone. Ready? Tell them: why you? GO.

OK… enough from me. I’m tired and off to bed. Wake me if a candidate does anything.