In Ohio, it's really about the economy

[maseman]

Source: MSNBC/BusinessWeek

For most of her adult life, Kirsten Heft has voted Republican. A stay-at-home mother of two who lives on the outskirts of Columbus, Heft was raised in a GOP family, and her husband, Brian, a project manager at Motorola and a member of the Air Force Reserves, is even more staunchly Republican. She voted twice for George W. Bush, and the GOP always seemed the way to go.

But as Ohio heads into the critical Mar. 4 vote, Heft has decided she'll register to vote in the Democratic primary. Fed up with the struggle to make ends meet on a budget without wiggle room, worried about how they'll manage to save for college for 9-year-old Travis and 7-year-old Robin, and outraged that her sister-in-law, recently diagnosed with cancer, has to worry as much about the cost of treatment as she does about getting better, Heft is going with Illinois Senator Barack Obama. "Thinking about how you're going to pay for your care shouldn't be the first thing on your mind when your doctor shows you your scans," says Heft. "Economic issues are key for me, and I think the Democrats are more interested in doing things that will help get the middle class back on track."


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23450934

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Littl long but GREAT article. This really sums up my state of Ohio. It is sad man. People are really hurting here.

[depakid]

1. Better late than never... I guess

It's been about the economy in Ohio for 15 years now... and the state has gone Republican for most of them, despite watching its communities devastated by right wing policies.

[ingac70]

2. I guess it had to reach critical mass...

for them to understand what they were doing to themselves.

[maseman]

3. You nailed it

I wonder what the hell can turn Ohio around. People simply don't want to live here. I travel for a living and tell people I am from Ohio. Then the jokes start. Weather, in middle of nowhere, corn, hillbillies, shit-kickers, Amish people, etc.

[ingac70]

4. Don't feel bad...

I live in Tennessee and catch it worse when I travel, I assure you.

That said I really don't know what could turn Ohio around at this point.

[Omaha Steve]

5. You can fool some of the people.....

K&R!

[Sebass1271]

6. I don't feel her pain..

yeah, i like the fact she is supporting obama, but if it wasn't b/c her sister was diognosed with cancer she would hav eprobably voted her wallet/ instead of what is good for society..

She can go to hell and her sister too.. She contributed to our nations' destruction..
selfish republicans, all is me me me....
:puke:

[Dark]

7. Actually, Ohio's a lot worse off than that.

God help America. Ohioans are going to decide BOTH elections of 2008.

[Berry Cool]

10. "God help America"? Don't you trust us?

Or are you going to continue to blame us because our election was stolen?

If you want to say "God help America," say "God help fix Ohio's crooked elections."

[OhioChick]

12. Damn Right it was Stolen. n/t

[happygoluckytoyou]

8. sharper image not to accept their own gift cards

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

here they are... financial problems and taking the "american way" out... bankrupt and disavowing their debt to others (their own gift cards)...

these are our country.... wonder why michelle obama is not proud of this country... R U ?

[OhioChick]

9. People Sure are Hurting Here....

As for Kirsten Heft, she should have thought about her choices sooner.

[samplegirl]

11. All these people who were so

dissolusioned about Bush & his tax cuts. I would say the majority of the people who lived in my area all voted for Bush.
I don't really feel that bad for them. They can just suffer
right along with the rest of us.
To bad that when Limbaugh & O'Rilley were busy brainwashing these "Dumbasses" that they forgot to tell them that they were
not looking out for the people in the tax bracket they thought
they were in.

[closeupready]

13. Part of me wants to be empathetic because that's how I am naturally. But,

another part of me wants to wag my finger at her and say, "you got the government you voted for, so you've gotten what you deserved." I realize that doing so is self-righteous, though, so if she's now ready to vote Dem, all I can say is "welcome."

[Acadia Blue]

16. Recall there is lots of evidence W with Blackburn stole Ohio from

Kerry. I watched a video on FSTV or LINK recently about how the elections official prevented Blacks from voting. These people had their election stolen.

[closeupready]

18. I actually remember the Blackburn thing VERY well.

:mad: It was, and is, infuriating how that unfolded.

[0007]

14. Aren't folks hurting all over America?

Ohio is just a thumbnail of the big picture.

[samplegirl]

15. Yes they are

I just think Ohio in particular has been affected very hard due the job losses from...our automobile manufacturing. Also all the steel mills that have closed.
Ohio had the highest numbers in Unemployment this month.

[Acadia Blue]

17. Yes. High manufacturing states have the worse