This is from ONN, Ohio News Network, an outlet that leans so far Right I once actually took the time to email them and complain back before I gave up on contacting media outlets altogether. It’s such a classic example of even-steven, both-sides-do-it, scaredy-cat reporting that it made me laugh out loud:
From the president to the governor, some Ohioans are having voter remorse over their 2010 ballot. Longtime Ohio State political science professor Paul Beck said the economy is causing voters to second-guess their elected officials. “Right now, there are people who voted for Barack Obama who are saying I wouldn’t do that again, I’ve been disappointed in some ways. So it’s not uncommon,” said Beck.
They’re incapable, apparently, of writing a simple factual statement on the Ohio Governor’s low poll numbers without inserting the all-important bipartisan context, and leading with Barack Obama. This article isn’t about Barack Obama, despite that cowardly, craven intro. It’s about former Fox News personality John Kasich:
A new Columbus Dispatch poll finds central Ohio voters would prefer former governor Ted Strickland to Gov. John Kasich by 14 points, 49 to 35 percent. What’s most ominous for Kasich is that Independents want a do-over election, reported ONN’s Jim Heath.
“The fact that Independents are swinging away from Kasich by a margin of 3 to 1 should be very troubling,” said Beck.
Voters like Neil Allison say incumbents like Strickland often get blamed for economic conditions beyond their control. “I’m not sure the last governor did a good job either, but I think people were just fed up with what was already in there and decided to go a different way,” said Allison. Allison said Kasich has made a huge mistake with Senate Bill 5. He said most Independents do not approve of the way Kasich has championed the controversial collective bargaining law. “What he did for the firefighters and police, those are people we need. When you try to turn it around and make those people have less pay, that’s a problem right there,” he said.
Beck said Kasich’s take no prisoners style, combined with a very different personality than Strickland, and has contributed to his low poll numbers. “I think Strickland would have said these are cuts I don’t want to make, we just got to do it, everyone has to sacrifice. Kasich’s style has been to attack,” said Beck.
Reading that, I’m now wondering about a political theory I have heard. Kasich is a belligerent, insulting, arrogant jerk but he’s also DECISIVE and brooks no compromise. He’s the sort of manly-man leader media and pundits adore. So why aren’t regular people in Ohio buying it? If I’m reading “personality” right, Ohioans simply don’t like this former Murdoch employee and his directives and marching orders and insults, where he’s running people over with his bus and such. How can that be? He’s wrong, about everything, but he’s strong. What gives?