Friday, August 17, 2007

Ohio GOP Scrambling for A Candidate?

Dispatch:
The much-anticipated 2008 rematch in the 15th Congressional District between Republican incumbent Deborah Pryce and Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy was to play out on a national stage, with the balance of power in Congress potentially at stake.

But now that Pryce has dropped out, Republicans are scrambling, hoping to unite behind a candidate who can hold onto a district the GOP has controlled since 1967......

....with Pryce out of the race, it "is clearly going to be a tough seat for Republicans to hold," said David Wasserman, House editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in Washington.....

....While a GOP replacement for Pryce seemed far from settled yesterday, Democrats appeared ready to anoint Kilroy, who lost to Pryce by a percentage point after a recount in 2006.....

Pryce's decision has started a real panic among Republicans. With many well-known Ohio GOPers turning down the offer to run for Congress, no one, other than Jim Petro, has appeared interested. Jim Petro, allegedly, turned down the first offer to run for Pryce's seat. Now, supposedly, he is talking over a possible candidacy with his family.

What does this say about the Ohio Republican Party and the Republican Party in general? Do they only want to run for an office if they are guaranteed to win? With a Democrat as the Ohio Secretary of State, manipulation/adjustments of elections by the Ohio GOP will be nearly impossible. Are Republicans afraid of a fair election?

By the way, according to the Dispatch article, Steve Stivers and former Columbus Mayor Buck Rhinehart also turned down the Ohio GOP. Buck Rhinehart????? (Are they kidding??????) Where will the GOP find a candidate? Is there a toxic atmosphere for any Republican? Are Republicans afraid that Ohioans are still focused on the "Culture of Corruption" of the Taft administration?