There’s no better poster child for why we need to get big money out of political campaigns than the current Senate race in Ohio between incumbent Republican Rob Portman and his challenger, former governor Ted Strickland.
Strickland, who announced his run in early 2015, led most polls for a year. Then earlier this year, there was a dramatic turnaround and now Portman holds a double-digit lead. Whether you think that is surmountable or not is beside the point. It’s important to vote for Ted Strickland.
Given Strickland’s poll numbers it’s tempting to not even bother to check the box by his name or even give Portman a shot because he seems nice and you don’t know what he stands for. Don’t do it. Strickland supports women’s reproductive rights, raising the minimum wage, equal pay, collective bargaining, strengthening Social Security and Medicare, expanding affordable health care coverage, encouraging the development of clean energy, repealing Citizens United and enacting campaign finance reform. Portman’s not down with any of that.
So what happened to reverse the race? There were no unexpected occurrences, outrageous statements or damning revelations from either candidate. While some Democrats, in typical circular firing squad fashion, are blaming Strickland for being a “terrible candidate” (he’s not), both candidates could be perceived as equally bland. Portman has one of the lowest name recognitions of any sitting senator. People don’t know who he is or if they do, they know virtually nothing about him or his voting record.
He’s a pleasant, well-spoken guy, not prone to gaffes or even taking strong positions on controversial issues. He’s been talking a lot about how heroin addiction is bad. Duh. Without putting out any information on his hard-right voting record, he can pass as a “moderate” simply because he isn’t crazy.
So he was the perfect guy for big money to prop up — and that’s what they did. This race looks like it will be the most expensive Ohio Senate race ever, which is really saying something. Ohio’s 2012 race, pitting Sherrod Brown against Josh Mandel, was previously the most expensive and made the race closer than it should have been, given Mandel’s awfulness. But Portman is no Josh Mandel. He’s a savvy politician who votes in lockstep with his party while issuing soothing words that make him sound like a good guy. (Portman also strongly supported the Trump until the video came out of him talking about women he’d molested. It took him 26 hours to announce he would — finally — not vote for him).
The NRA, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Koch Brothers-funded Americans for Prosperity and others have poured tens of millions of dollars into this race, attacking Strickland’s record by attaching to him the woes of the Bush recession, which hit in the middle of his term as governor.
In fact, Strickland was a steady skipper who steered the state through the worst of the storm, as even the Plain Dealer admitted in its bizarre editorial endorsing John Kasich. When the recession hit, he slashed state spending without cutting education (some still resent other cuts he had to make). Yes, he did drain the rainy-day fund to do so — it was pouring, thanks to the national economic collapse. But he set in place policies for the recovery and job growth that took place after Kasich defeated him. Kasich’s policies, including his inexcusable freeze of Ohio’s renewable energy standards, signed into law by Strickland in 2008, soon had Ohio’s recovery lagging the rest of the country.
Because Strickland is not flashy and perhaps because he comes from southeastern Ohio, he’s been perceived as a “conservadem,” although he’s consistently good on progressive issues. And on one issue that was a sticking point for many progressives when he first ran for governor in 2006, he’s moved way to the left.
Some may recall than when he ran that year, he was endorsed by the NRA and even campaigned at gun shows. We’ve seen a wave of tragic mass shootings since then, and Strickland has clearly taken note. He’s now an advocate for stronger gun regulations.
The NRA has also taken notice. The gun lobby has spent more in Ohio on Portman’s behalf than in all other senate races combined. One person suggested to me this spending was a shot across the bow, warning others who stray from the “more guns everywhere all the time” gospel that this could happen to them too. Sadly, Strickland’s “straying” has him more aligned with the thinking of most Americans, who largely don’t agree that gun ownership should be entirely unregulated.
Sure, Portman hates heroin. So does Strickland. But it’s crucial to know more about the candidates and to vote for a solid progressive like Ted Strickland whether you think he’ll win or not. With Hillary surging ahead in Ohio, it’s important to check the box next to Strickland’s name too.
Learn about Ted Strickland’s positions on issues here.