Voinovich to announce retirement? Yes.

[Lief 🗽]

That doesn't make sense. Why would you rather have +3 Republicans than +1? It's not like his being crazy is actively hurting the country (besides Kentucky, I guess, but neither of you live there). Meanwhile, two more Republican votes could and would hurt the country, by helping to defeat or filibuster important legislation.

[© tweed]

That doesn't make sense. Why would you rather have +3 Republicans than +1? It's not like his being crazy is actively hurting the country (besides Kentucky, I guess, but neither of you live there). Meanwhile, two more Republican votes could and would hurt the country, by helping to defeat or filibuster important legislation.

moderate heroism.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That doesn't make sense. Why would you rather have +3 Republicans than +1? It's not like his being crazy is actively hurting the country (besides Kentucky, I guess, but neither of you live there). Meanwhile, two more Republican votes could and would hurt the country, by helping to defeat or filibuster important legislation.

moderate heroism.

Same reason he's endorsing Specter no matter who the Democrat is.

[Rust Belt Blue]

Voinovich spokespersons need to quit denying the rumor.  Because it is no longer a rumor.

Just saw on the news that Senator George Voinovich (R-OH)--a man whom I, a Democrat, have voted for in two senatorial and one gubernatorial election--has announced his retirement.  He will not be seeking reelection in 2010.

The news stations list "possible candidates" as Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher as well as Ohio Secretary of State Karen Brunner.  Another mentioned name is Attorney General Richard Cordray.  But no mention of U.S. Rep Tim Ryan (OH-17), my Congressman.  I would gladly campaign for Tim Ryan.  The others?  Not so much.  Speculation on the GOP side isn't much as of yet, although former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was mentioned briefly if he does not win the Chairmanship race.

I would like to say for the record that Senator Voinovich has been in public service for over 30 years.  I believe him to be a good public servant and a person of integrity, and I would have gladly voted for him again in 2010 should he have chosen to run. 

I'm not a very good Democrat, am I? *sigh*

[justfollowingtheelections]

To Keystone Phil:  Dude, relax.  There's no reason to be so angry.  You always get upset when someone disagrees with you (or if you think they were disagreeing) and you seem to take everything personally.  Life is too short to get upset over silly predictions.

I hate when people on this forum can't argue what's being argued and decide to dismiss the other person as being "angry" and/or taking things too personally.

Dude, I don't "get upset" when someone disagrees with me. You don't know me so please don't tell me that I am saddened by disagreement. If you knew anything about me, you'd know that I appreciate people that are different. Unlike some, I don't want this place to become a left wing echo chamber. If anything, it's you guys that get pissed off at disagreements.

You're right: Life is too short to get worked up over predictions. I've been arguing that for awhile. Now tell others that decide to rub it in when someone makes a wrong prediction the same thing.

Anyway, I explained why I think the Democrats will end up with 65 senators in 2011.  Hopefully we will both be alive in 2 years from now and we will see who was right and who was wrong.  Also, don't give me the "a lot can change in two years" line.  We all know that.

You say quite confidently that the Dems will get 65 seats and then dismiss me for saying a lot can change. You claim that we "all know that." Yet you're still foolish enough to call for the Dems to have a net pickup of six seats two years out. Oh boy...

LOL you claim you're not getting angry, but everytime a thread has grown 3 or 4 pages since I last read it, it's probably because you were having a fight with someone.  The other day when I said that Christie doesn't stand a chance, you thought I was talking about you again. 
As for my prediction being foolish because I already know that it's too early to make predictions, with that logic, we shouldn't be having these discussions at all.  Where's the fun in predictions if the only response we will get is "it's too early, things can change etc."?

[Keystone Phil]

LOL you claim you're not getting angry, but everytime a thread has grown 3 or 4 pages since I last read it, it's probably because you were having a fight with someone.

Why does that mean I'm angry? It just proves that I don't roll over for people. I have a debate with people. That doesn't mean I am angry.

 

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Uh?
 

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Uh...some of us have been arguing not against predictions but against certainty. Too many of these predictions are made with such arrogance.

[The Mikado]

The news stations list "possible candidates" as Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher as well as Ohio Secretary of State Karen Brunner.  Another mentioned name is Attorney General Richard Cordray.  But no mention of U.S. Rep Tim Ryan (OH-17), my Congressman.  I would gladly campaign for Tim Ryan.  The others?  Not so much.  Speculation on the GOP side isn't much as of yet, although former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was mentioned briefly if he does not win the Chairmanship race.

You're on the ground in Ohio, so you're my eye-on-the-scene source.  Does Blackwell have any support whatsoever left in Ohio?  After his trouncing (and that's not a word I use every day) in 2006, I'd hate to be the one to make the case for putting a man who lost by over 20 points on the ballot again.

Is Rob Portman popular?  Or even remembered?

[Rust Belt Blue]

Blackwell's support in Ohio is...well, to be quite frank, almost nonexistent at the moment.  If he were to happen to run, I don't think his chances would be good at all.  He would be a sacrificial candidate, but at least he does have name recognition statewide.

Rob Portman still has a good deal of popularity in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas, but I think he will have difficulty in other cities unless he becomes more visible there.  I really only know of him because I keep up with things like that, but Ohioans in probably 80 of our 88 counties have never heard of the guy. 

There has also been chatter that former Senator Mike DeWine--the Senator ousted by Sherrod Brown in 2006--is interested in Voinovich's seat as well.  I wish him the best of luck there.  Also people in my corner of the state are talking about 14th district Congressman Steve LaTourette as a possible name.  No official word as of yet from the LaTourette camp. 

My opinion of the Democratic *ahem* aspirants:
1) Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher--nice man, a bit boring.  Probably better off seeking another term as LtGuv.
2) Secretary Of State Karen Brunner--the SecState's office has had its share of mismanagement under Brunner, and that would be a liability for her.  And probably will be a liability for her should she choose to run for SecState again in 2010.
3) Attorney General Richard Cordray--I think he needs to focus on getting the AGen's office in order and run for another term in 2010.
4) 17th Distric Congressman Tim Ryan--Yes.  Yes.  Yes.

I think it's pretty clear who I favor.