Blackwell has 11-point lead with 5 weeks left (in Ohio R. primary)

[populistdriven]

Sunday, March 26, 2006
Darrel Rowland
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell holds a double-digit lead in Ohio’s GOP gubernatorial primary race in the first Dispatch Poll before the May 2 election.

While Attorney General Jim Petro trails by 11 points, nearly a third of Republican voters remain undecided. That means Petro must win two out of every three of those uncommitted voters just to draw even as the candidates fire up their TV ad war over the final five weeks of the campaign.

Blackwell’s margin might help explain his decisions not to debate Petro and to limit media access. The front-runner will face a crucial decision as the primary approaches on whether to spend the bulk of his campaign cash to counter a probable all-or-nothing Petro onslaught or to save some money for the fall campaign.

On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland has a commanding 43-point lead over former state Rep. Bryan Flannery with 41 percent saying they are undecided. That means Strickland probably can preserve most of his cash reserves, although he is currently airing his first TV ad.

~snip~

http://www.dispatch.com/?story=dispatch/2006/03/26/20060326-A1-02.html





/edited to use actual source of poll

[Marie26]

1. Oh, no.

How can that be?

[Democrats_win]

2. Blackwell: The antichrist of elections! Why Oh Why OHIO!

[HillDem]

3. I don't believe it

Rasmussen February 19, 2006 Ted Strickland - 47% Ken Blackwell - 35%
Rasmussen February 19, 2006 Ted Strickland - 44% Jim Petro - 37%
Zogby February 6, 2006 Ted Strickland - 38% Ken Blackwell - 35%
Zogby February 6, 2006 Ted Strickland - 36% Jim Petro - 36%
Rasmussen January 7, 2006 Ted Strickland - 44% Ken Blackwell - 40%
Rasmussen January 7, 2006 Ted Strickland - 43% Jim Petro - 38%
Rasmussen November 15, 2005 Ted Strickland - 42% Ken Blackwell - 36%


You mean he suddenly took the lead??!

[populistdriven]

5. The 11 point lead lead is in the Primary

[HillDem]

11. You gave me quite the shock there

thats a relief

[NanceGreggs]

4. That 11-point lead will become a Blackwell landslide ...

... once the Diebold machines start churning out the 'vote'.

[bluestateguy]

6. You mean Kenneth TAFT Blackwell?

I didn't know that Kenneth TAFT Blackwell was doing so well. I guess Kenneth TAFT Blackwell will be the Republican nominee. Kenneth TAFT Blackwell is the Secretary of State. I guess Kenneth TAFT Blackwell is popular among Republican primary voters.

P.S. There is a hint in this post as to how Strickland should run his campaign. Figure it out.

[Nutmegger]

7. YAY! Another one for DIEbold!!! [nt]

[rg302200]

8. I'm more worried about Petro than Blackwell

As an Ohioan, I know Blackwell has NO chance against Strickland. But Petro scares me because he could steal some of the Cleveland Dem. vote and hurt Strickland.

Trust me when I saw Ohio WILL NOT elect that man to the office of Governor. Hell, most Republicans can't stand him and the independents won't vote for him because he curies to much favor among the fundies in Ohio!

[AndyTiedye]

13. Who Needs the Voters When You Count the Votes?

Strickland isn't nearly far enough ahead to avoid another highway robbery on Election Day.

Remember how last fall's initiatives came out, leading 30 POINTs in the polls, but they "lost".

Blackwell is unbeatable as long as he controls the vote-counting process,
and last Fall's initiatives were the last, best hope to change that.

[Vidar]

18. Maybe if the League of Women Voters are armed & the machines are ditched.

[KoKo]

9. The title of that Book should have been "What's the matter with Ohio" and

not "Kansas." What the heck is going on there in Ohio? Hasn't Blackwell and Taft's Corruption been written about? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA :eyes:

What is wrong?

[Bullshot]

10. Blackwell has been whacking Petro over the Noe scandal.

Petro can whack Blackwell over the Ohio election debacles, plus the fact that Blackwell was chair of the Bush/Cheney campaign in Ohio, a major conflict of interest.

But Petro hasn't done any of this. Why?

Is Petro falling on the sword for the sake of the Republican party? If he starts attacking the integrity of the Ohio elections, will it let the cat out of the bag regarding how the fix was on for the 2004 presidential election?

It's my theory.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Sounds like Ohio Republicans like governors who belong in the slammer

Is that right?

[ThoughtCriminal]

14. Republican Primaries are a race to the bottom

BUt I still would not rule out "Undecided" pulling off an upset.

[quiet.american]

15. The good news is Blackwell has much less support among GOP voters than--

-- the Democratic nominee has among Democrats -- 39% of Republicans in favor of Blackwell, vs. 51% of Democrats in favor of Strickland. If Blackwell can keep on NOT inspiring Republicans, it's definitely in our favor. :)

[oasis]

16. 33% undecided in that race. Not exactly a ringing endorsement by his

party. The Ohio Dems that were denied the vote in 2004 will be out in full force. Blackwell's going down in a humiliating defeat when the general election rolls around.

[quiet.american]

17. From your lips to God's ears. n/t