Published: Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Strategist: Strickland will make the 2008 list
The incoming governor will be a 'national figure,' a Democratic pollster says.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — While Ted Strickland has yet to serve a day as governor, a prominent Democratic pollster and strategist says the Lisbon politician "will be on everyone's vice president list" in 2008.
Mark Mellman told The Vindicator on Monday before delivering a speech that because of Ohio's importance in recent presidential races, Democrats running for the nation's top elected office will at the very least consider Strickland as a running mate in two years.
Mellman, president and chief executive officer of the Washington, D.C.-based Mellman Group, has worked for John Kerry, Al Gore, John Glenn, Howard Metzenbaum, Dick Gephardt, Steny Hoyer, Harry Reid and Tom Daschle.
"Strickland's going to be a tremendous governor and very quickly a national figure," he said. "It's hard not to be a national figure as Ohio governor because of how large the state is and the importance of the state on presidential elections."
Seven presidents
While seven Ohioans have served as president — the last one being Warren G. Harding, elected in 1920 — the state has never had a native son serve as vice president.
"Ohio's a pivotal state, and when people think of vice presidents, they'll think of pivotal states," Mellman said.
Strickland's landslide gubernatorial victory last month shows how formidable he is, Mellman said.
"He can talk to the value constituency," he said, referring to Strickland's positions on protecting the 2nd Amendment and his vote to ban partial-birth abortions. "That's something that's a big challenge for Democrats. He's a model for how to get [value-based voters] back."
Mellman says the three most prominent Democratic presidential candidates for 2008 are U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, ex-U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
"All would make great candidates," he said.
On the Republican side, Mellman said the three strongest candidates are ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Reasons for Dems victories
Mellman said there are four reasons why Democrats took back Congress from the Republicans during last month's election. They are:
Antipathy of voters toward President Bush.
A "real distress" about the war in Iraq.
Scandals involving Republican congressmen.
Concern about the economy.
In Ohio, all Republican incumbent members of the U.S. House were re-elected, something that went against the national trend.
"Republicans knew these seats [in Ohio] were very much in danger," Mellman said. "Ohio is a pivotal state and they looked to spend money here. ...The House members were strong in their district because they had resources. The Republicans knew how bad Ohio was going to be, so they poured money into those congressional races."
Mellman, raised in Columbus, served as Kerry's pollster during the Democratic senator's failed 2002 presidential bid. Mellman said his polls echoed the close defeat of Kerry in Ohio by Bush.
Mellman said he wouldn't work for another presidential candidate for at least the foreseeable future because "it takes over your life for two years."
Mellman spoke about last month's election and the impact the incoming Congress will have on American Jewry on Monday at the Jewish Community Center on Gypsy Lane. Mellman said that the incoming Congress would continue to support Israel and that Jewish voters still overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates.
He was to speak today at Youngstown State University about how the Democrats won the Congress.
skolnick@vindy.com
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
The incoming governor will be a 'national figure,' a Democratic pollster says.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — While Ted Strickland has yet to serve a day as governor, a prominent Democratic pollster and strategist says the Lisbon politician "will be on everyone's vice president list" in 2008.
Mark Mellman told The Vindicator on Monday before delivering a speech that because of Ohio's importance in recent presidential races, Democrats running for the nation's top elected office will at the very least consider Strickland as a running mate in two years.
Mellman, president and chief executive officer of the Washington, D.C.-based Mellman Group, has worked for John Kerry, Al Gore, John Glenn, Howard Metzenbaum, Dick Gephardt, Steny Hoyer, Harry Reid and Tom Daschle.
"Strickland's going to be a tremendous governor and very quickly a national figure," he said. "It's hard not to be a national figure as Ohio governor because of how large the state is and the importance of the state on presidential elections."
Seven presidents
While seven Ohioans have served as president — the last one being Warren G. Harding, elected in 1920 — the state has never had a native son serve as vice president.
"Ohio's a pivotal state, and when people think of vice presidents, they'll think of pivotal states," Mellman said.
Strickland's landslide gubernatorial victory last month shows how formidable he is, Mellman said.
"He can talk to the value constituency," he said, referring to Strickland's positions on protecting the 2nd Amendment and his vote to ban partial-birth abortions. "That's something that's a big challenge for Democrats. He's a model for how to get [value-based voters] back."
Mellman says the three most prominent Democratic presidential candidates for 2008 are U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, ex-U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
"All would make great candidates," he said.
On the Republican side, Mellman said the three strongest candidates are ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Reasons for Dems victories
Mellman said there are four reasons why Democrats took back Congress from the Republicans during last month's election. They are:
Antipathy of voters toward President Bush.
A "real distress" about the war in Iraq.
Scandals involving Republican congressmen.
Concern about the economy.
In Ohio, all Republican incumbent members of the U.S. House were re-elected, something that went against the national trend.
"Republicans knew these seats [in Ohio] were very much in danger," Mellman said. "Ohio is a pivotal state and they looked to spend money here. ...The House members were strong in their district because they had resources. The Republicans knew how bad Ohio was going to be, so they poured money into those congressional races."
Mellman, raised in Columbus, served as Kerry's pollster during the Democratic senator's failed 2002 presidential bid. Mellman said his polls echoed the close defeat of Kerry in Ohio by Bush.
Mellman said he wouldn't work for another presidential candidate for at least the foreseeable future because "it takes over your life for two years."
Mellman spoke about last month's election and the impact the incoming Congress will have on American Jewry on Monday at the Jewish Community Center on Gypsy Lane. Mellman said that the incoming Congress would continue to support Israel and that Jewish voters still overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates.
He was to speak today at Youngstown State University about how the Democrats won the Congress.
skolnick@vindy.com
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
While Ted Strickland has yet to serve a day as governor, a prominent Democratic pollster and strategist says the Lisbon...
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