OH-02: Special Election August 2nd...

[Moooooo]

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

 In a sign that the 2nd Congressional District race might be tight, the National Republican Congressional Committee has dumped more than $500,000 into a TV ad campaign attacking Democrat Paul Hackett.

The ad buy was estimated at $265,000 in the Cincinnati media market, along with another $250,000 on Huntington, W.Va., stations that cover the eastern end of the seven-county district.

Democrats, though, believe the TV ad blitz is the result of Hackett's success in raising his own campaign funds through online contributions.

Hackett has benefited from a surge of online support in the last week that has brought in, as of Thursday, an estimated $303,000 from more than 5,000 small campaign contributors through a Democratic group called ActBlue.com.

The online buzz for Hackett started last week when Democracy for America, the group founded by Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean endorsed Hackett's campaign in an e-mail to supporters, calling on them to contribute.

Several other liberal-leaning political Web logs, called blogs, urged their readers to contribute to Hackett on July 19, in honor or Blogosphere Day. On that date in 2004, online campaign contributions for Ginny Schrader, a Democratic congressional candidate in Pennsylvania, raised $25,000.

Hackett's online contributions, which increase each minute, surpassed the money raised for Schrader in the first day and continue to grow.

"This has never been done for a congressional candidate before at this level," said Tim Tagaris, a blogger who writes for Ohio Rep. Sherrod Brown's GrowOhio.org blog and, separately, SwingStateProject.com, one of the Web sites that urged online readers to support Hackett.

Hackett's on-line contributions have enabled him to spend far more money than any Democratic candidate in the historically Republican district

[Moooooo]

Hmm... Whats going on here?  The GOP just dumped $5 0 0 , 0 0 0 into a safe CD?

[minionofmidas]

Hmm... Whats going on here?  The GOP just dumped $5 0 0 , 0 0 0 into a safe CD?

Um...they'd like to keep it one?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Shaping up to what would be called a "classic by-election" over here isn't it?

[Moooooo]

Um...they'd like to keep it one?

No, they know they're in trouble.  In a CD that went to Bush by almost 30% and the previous Rep never received less than 70%, Schmidt should have been able to win this race simply because of the (R) behind her name.  Now she is calling for the NRCC to bail her out.  There is more to this race than just a House seat.

[minionofmidas]

Um...they'd like to keep it one?

No, they know they're in trouble.  In a CD that went to Bush by almost 30% and the previous Rep never received less than 70%, Schmidt should have been able to win this race simply because of the (R) behind her name.  Now she is calling for the NRCC to bail her out. 

Yes, of course. What I meant is, if they win this now (and Schmidt's still very much the favourite though I'm not ruling out an upset anymore) it'll revert to safe Rep next time around.

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No, there isn't.

[Moooooo]

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No, there isn't.

Sure there is.  This sets the tone for 2006.  Its part of Deans 50 state strategy.  If we can win here, we can win anywhere.  Will we?  Well, thats a different story.

[minionofmidas]

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No, there isn't.

Sure there is.  This sets the tone for 2006.  Its part of Deans 50 state strategy.  If we can win here, we can win anywhere. 

Only if every seat is fought as a by-election except for the one that brings the Dems control of the House, which will have to be gained by defection.

[Moooooo]

Again, take it for what its worth...

OH-02: WKRC Channel 12 Online Poll:

Who do you like in this race for Congress?

Paul Hackett: 57.3%
Jean Schmidt: 36.9%
Neither: 5.8%

EDIT:  Forget it.  The poll has offically been DU'd and DKos'd and god knows what else.  The numbers above were prior to the poll slamming.  They new numbers are like 70% Hackett 25% Schmidt 5% Other.

[Moooooo]

OH-02: View from the Right

Mike Krempasky at Red State:

The only really significant things about this race are 1) online donations for Hackett have been extraordinary - somewhere north of 400K in short order, and 2) the absolute "bleh" that Schmidt inspires in her voters.

[Moooooo]

OH-02: Rush Limabugh Slanders Paul Hackett

Rush Limbaugh, on air, called Paul Hackett a "staff puke." Repeatedly.

Paul Hackett served as a civil affairs officer in Iraq. Eleven civil affairs soldiers and marines have died in Iraq. What's more, Paul Hackett led marines in combat while in Iraq. And, it goes without saying, he faced deadly violence every day he was in the country.

Rush Limbaugh avoided military service thanks to a pilonidal cyst. Paul Hackett volunteered to serve, even though no one had asked him to.

... And to think this guy still has an audience.

[TheresNoMoney]

Rush Limbaugh avoided military service thanks to a pilonidal cyst. Paul Hackett volunteered to serve, even though no one had asked him to.

What a disgusting human being. He rails against Paul Hackett's courageous military service yet dodged the draft because of an anal cyst.

He ridicules drug users yet becomes an OxyContin addict.

He spouts on and on about family values but is engaged to be married to his 3rd (or 4th?) wife.

[Notre Dame rules!]

Don't forget, your boy Clinton dodge the draft on even less than a cyst.. something about 'loathing the military' if I recall.



Hackett's ads play up the Bush card, and no I don't mean the card from the Democrat playbook that says that Bush is a 'son of a bitch', even though that is what Hackett personally refers to him as.

 No, in his ads, Hackett plays to his symbolic affinity with Bush.  Kind of makes him a liar, doesn't it?

[TheresNoMoney]

No, in his ads, Hackett plays to his symbolic affinity with Bush.  Kind of makes him a liar, doesn't it?

Not at all. You are twisting the facts.

The only reference to Bush in Hackett's ads was the line about being called to service.

Hackett has been very clear about his criticism for the president but agrees with him on the virtues of those who choose to serve.

[Moooooo]

Don't forget, your boy Clinton dodge the draft on even less than a cyst.. something about 'loathing the military' if I recall.

I don't remember Clinton being mentioned in this thread.