What Barack’s victory means for Ohio Democrats, first thoughts
Wed, Jun 4, 2008
After a bit of an email thread on this topic, I decided it was time to comment. Barack Obama doesn’t need ODP, or Chris Redfern, or Ted Strickland. It is precisely the reverse.
I’ve written before (here and here) that Barack already has built an organization in Ohio that dwarfs whatever party structures existed before it, in every county in Ohio. He’s done that because he had to. ODP and TedFern didn’t endorse Hillary to build the party, they did so because they figured it would be a fait accompli through which they could coast like they always do. Surprise!
Further, whatever “neighborhood leaders program” Chris Redfern has been mouthpiecing since he became ODP chair, it is nowhere near as energized, thorough, organized, and self-fundable as Barack’s internet database in Ohio, right now, this minute, TO. DAY. One email goes out from Chicago and in an instant an army is raised. Chris Redfern can never, and ODP has never been able to, claim this.
The argument then becomes, hey wait a minute, Hillary won Ohio, thanks to TedFern. What about that? Ummm…who’s the nominee? TedFern has an AG race to win this fall. They should focus on that. And they should pray to God that Barack ties that AG candidate into everything Barack does in Ohio. The coattails are on Barack’s backside, not ODP’s.
As for TedFern…it looks pretty weak for the ODP, which everyone has known was in the tank for Hillary during this primary, to have backed a big, whiny, loser like Hillary, even though she won Ohio. Especially since the next thing the ODP did after the Ohio primary on March 4 was observe Marc Dann implode a statewide agency.
Barack Obama needs to win Ohio, and ODP needs to help do that. No question about it. But ODP will be making a really big mistake if they think they are going to call the shots instate. I’ll have a lot more on this later, particularly on the money issue, but these are my thoughts right now.
Tags: barack obama, chris redfern, odp, ted strickland
June 4th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
To a degree, I’ll assume you’re partially right about Obama’s Ohio organization. But, one of the pillars of Obama’s Ohio primary GOTV was ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Before you go thinking I’m some Republican, I’m not. I worked for the Ohio Kerry Campaign in 2004 and I am a registered Democrat.
ACORN Ohio is CORRUPT due to knowingly employing ghost workers, knowingly violating election/voting laws and knowingly violating federal labor laws regarding its paid GOTV canvassers and voter registration canvassers. I’m a first hand witness and have completed affidavits for the US Department of Labor.
ACORN Ohio is also guilty of misclassifying their salaried employees to make them think that they are exempt from overtime laws. Ohio ACORN routinely works salaried employees AT LEAST 54 hours per week Monday – Saturday. When it is all said and done, salaried organizers make about $9.00 per hour for working very demanding and long hours.
Hourly GOTV and Voter Registration Canvassers are paid much less than their stated $8.00/hour wage because Ohio ACORN gets them to do things off the clock and refuses to pay them overtime.
People are exposing countless issues related to ACORN branch offices across the country. Here’s one critique (There are many others that can be found by searching the net):
http://www.rottenacorn.com/
The following ACORN Ohio email address polnatoh@acorn.org is included in the below blog hiring announcement and belongs to Mari Irwin Engelhardt, the ACORN Ohio Statewide Political Director. Her phone number is 216-374-1744:
http://www.ohiodailyblog.com/content/ohio-acorn-hiring-canvassers-help-obama
The question is: why is ACORN coordinating with the Obama campaign when ACORN is considered a non-profit organization? Also, why would the Obama campaign even consider contracting with labor law breaking slave drivers like ACORN?
June 5th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
rottenacorn.com is registered to The Employment Policies Institute, one of several front groups created by Berman & Co., a Washington, DC public affairs firm owned by Rick Berman, who lobbies for the restaurant, hotel, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Employment_Policies_Institute