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Political History

Background and history of political activity in Ohio and the nation.

60,000 turn out for Obama rally in Columbus

Over 60,000 Ohioans turned out Sunday afternoon, November 2, for a campaign rally held on the west lawn of Ohio's state house in downtown Columbus. The whole Obama family -- Barack, Michelle, and their daughters Malia and Sasha -- made a final swing through the Buckeye State on the brink of Tuesday's Election Day.

UAPA issue endorsements

Here's a summary of UAPA's position on ballot issues 1, 2, 5 and 6:

  • Issue 1: Vote YES.
  • Issue 2: Vote YES.
  • Issue 5: Vote YES.
  • Issue 6: Vote NO.

ProgressOhio has conveniently deciphered the ballot issues and summarized them in a one page document. And here's a sample ballot of endorsed Democratic candidates to print and take with you to the polls.

UAPA's positions on the ballot issues align closely with those of the editors from Ohio's largest daily newspapers:

Newspaper or blog Ohio Issue 1 Ohio Issue 2 Ohio Issue 3 Ohio Issue 5/Payday loans Ohio Issue 6/Casino
Akron Beacon Journal - - - Yes No
Cincinnati Enquirer Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Cleveland Plain Dealer Yes Yes - Yes No
Columbus Dispatch Yes Yes Yes Yes No
The Courier - Findlay Yes Yes - - No
Canton Repository Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Dayton Daily News Yes Yes - Yes No
Mansfield NewsJournal Yes Yes Yes Yes  
Newark Advocate - - - No -
Toledo Blade Yes Yes No Yes No
Youngstown Vindicator - Yes - Yes No
Zanesville Times Recorder Yes Yes Yes Yes No

 

And here's the our rationale for our positions:

Police Prepare for Unrest

By Alexander Bolton
TheHill.com

Police departments in cities across the country are beefing up their ranks for Election Day, preparing for possible civil unrest and riots after the historic presidential contest.

Public safety officials said in interviews with The Hill that the election, which will end with either the nation’s first black president or its first female vice president, demanded a stronger police presence.

Reagan reprise

"Are you better off than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? If you don't think that this course that we've been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have."

--- Ronald Reagan, 1980 Presidential Debate

GOP Agenda-Driven Journalism

The Jed Report put together this video mashup of WFTV's Barbara West, giving us a nice side-by-side contrast of her respective interviews with Joe Biden and John McCain.

As it turns out, Barbara West is a registered Republican and Barbara's husband, Wade West, is a Republican Media Consultant.

The Top Ten Reasons Conservatives Should Vote For Obama

10. A body blow to racial identity politics. An end to the era of Jesse Jackson in black America.

9. Less debt. Yes, Obama will raise taxes on those earning over a quarter of a million. And he will spend on healthcare, Iraq, Afghanistan and the environment. But so will McCain. He plans more spending on health, the environment and won't touch defense of entitlements. And McCain's refusal to touch taxes means an extra $4 trillion in debt over the massive increase presided over by Bush. And the CBO estimates that McCain's plans will add more to the debt over four years than Obama's. Fiscal conservatives have a clear choice.

8. A return to realism and prudence in foreign policy. Obama has consistently cited the foreign policy of George H. W. Bush as his inspiration. McCain's knee-jerk reaction to the Georgian conflict, his commitment to stay in Iraq indefinitely, and his brinksmanship over Iran's nuclear ambitions make him a far riskier choice for conservatives. The choice between Obama and McCain is like the choice between George H.W. Bush's first term and George W.'s.

7. An ability to understand the difference between listening to generals and delegating foreign policy to them.

Ron Howard's Hilarious Call For Obama (with Henry Winkler and Andy Griffith)

Director and icon of wholesome television entertainment Ron Howard takes viewers on a journey back through his iconic career—and goes briefly, tastefully topless—in an effort to drum up support for Sen. Barack Obama. Co-starring old pals Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler.

 

Republican tax hikes on future generations

"They always talk about how the Democrats raise taxes. But the Republicans raise debt ---- which is a deferred tax hike, really. It's a cowardly tax hike. It's a tax hike on people who can't vote and speak up against it at the time."

---- Bill Maher

Opinion: Break up the one-party rule on the Ohio Supreme Court

 
 

A 2002 poll commissioned by the League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund found that 83% of voters believed that campaign contributions influence the decisions of the Ohio Supreme Court.

Today, all seven Ohio Supreme Court justices are Republicans with little to check the excesses of one-party rule.

Newspaper articles and studies have pointed to a correlation between campaign contributions and the votes of members of the Ohio Supreme Court. The New York Times article “Campaign Cash Mirrors a High Court’s Rulings” noted:

"An examination of the Ohio Supreme Court by The New York Times found that its justices routinely sat on cases after receiving campaign contributions from the parties involved or from groups that filed supporting briefs. On average, they voted in favor of contributors 70 percent of the time. Justice O’Donnell voted for his contributors 91 percent of the time, the highest rate of any justice on the court."

Under Ohio’s Code of Judicial Conduct (Canon 3), judges should disqualify themselves when they cannot perform their duties “impartially and diligently.” The NYTimes investigation found that Ohio Supreme Court judges almost never disqualified themselves from hearing their contributors cases:

"In the 12 years that were studied, the justices almost never disqualified themselves from hearing their contributors’ cases. In the 215 cases with the most direct potential conflicts of interest, justices recused themselves just 9 times."

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama

On Sunday's Meet The Press Gen. Colin Powell delivered the most convincing and eloquent endorsement (video) yet for Barack Obama.

Powell appeals to independents who are socially liberal, fiscally conservative and moderate on defense issues.

Unlike other endorsements, very recent polling indicates that Powell's endorsment carries weight with voters.

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