What was once considered a potential stepping stone to statewide office in Ohio is now considered to be a one way ticket to political obscurity.
Where there was once jockeying being done to be picked for the position there is now jockeying being done to not "get the call" to serve as Ohio's next lieutenant governor on Ted Strickland's ticket.
Only a democrat officeholder with no political savvy whatsoever would even consider running on the "Strickland/Their Last Name 2010" ticket at this point in time.
Tim Ryan was Strickland's first choice to replace Lee I. Fisher as LG and Timmy said, "Go pound salt, Teddy!"
David Pepper was Strickland's second choice to replace Mr. Peggy Zone Fisher as LG and Davy said, "You can take that job and ..."
In any election other than this election cycle I am sure Strickland and his crew would love to take someone like Dean DePiero as their LG, but, as I have stated before, anyone & everyone from NE Ohio (heck, if you have ever even been to Cuyahoga County and you are a dem it may disqualify you from the Redfern/Strickland dem ticket of 2010. I can just hear the dem screening process before the Pepper for Auditor announcement...David, have you ever been to Cuyahoga County? No, Ted, I have not. Ok then David, just one more question: Have you ever met with or taken money from anyone whose last name ends in a vowel? No, Ted, I am from Hamilton County. Everyone my daddy and I have ever raised money from has a last name that ends in a consonant. Great stuff, David...can I call you Dave? No, Ted, you may not) is 100% persona non grata in the 2009-2010 cycle.
In my "hopes & dreams" wish list for the MSM being fair I still have this hope I am holding to that some reporter will at some point ask Ted Strickland (not Amanda Worst because she is too slick & will deflect the question well) point blank what he does & does not know about what has gone on up in Cuyahoga County and when did he know it. He probably knows even more than the FBI guys putting the RICO case together.
But, I digress as I often do...back to the LG spot...
So I'm thinking this: John Haseley & Co. don't want to look like they are begging someone to be on the gov's (remember...small "g" from now on until Ted does something to deserve a big "G") ticket with him so they really need to make sure whoever they vet for the spot will actually take it if approached.
I still think Paula Brooks brings a number of positives to the table for Ted, but I am hearing that idea is being rebuffed. Someone within the gov's crew told one of my sources over a few drinks that they thought she had a few scre....I'll be nice and not repeat it, but you get the gist of it.
I had heard rumblings about Jen "I'm gonna knock you out Marilyn Brown" Garrison, but that never, ever made sense for Ted to do. The Buckeye State Blog boys think she is going to run for SOS in a primary against the Judge's wife and those guys are usually right with this kind of info.
It would be nice if Ted could get someone like a Dusty Rhodes, Todd Portune or Mat Heck, but all of those guys are way too smart to take this incredibly horrible job.
Seriously, think about what your name will be associated with in the newspapers in 2011 if you take this position:
"Strickland/Rhodes call for the largest increase in taxes in the state of Ohio...ever! This increase surpasses the Taft tax increase by far."
"Under Strickland/Heck the state of Ohio is seeing the largest exodus of jobs in its history. Employers and college graduates are leaving the Titanic before it sinks."
"Site Selection Magazine rates Ohio #38 under Strickland/Portune due to its onerous tax increases and plummeting bond rating."
Who in their right mind will want to run on this ticket?
Stay tuned to see who will raise their hand and announce to the world:
"I am the dumbest politician in the entire State of Ohio!"
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