Email
PrintElection notes
Mike DeWine apparently didn't get the memo about the dress code for the GOP victory party.
Dan Trittschuh
A few random thoughts about Nov. 2 and its aftermath:
• One interesting question that’s popped up since John Kasich won the governor’s race is whether he and his family, including twin 10-year-old daughters, will move into the Governor’s Residence. If so, it won’t be the first time children younger than college age will call the Bexley mansion their home. In fact, since the residence was first occupied in 1957, four of the nine governors had kids living there—the last being Nancy Hollister and her five children during her historic, but short stint. (She became the first female governor of Ohio, serving from Dec. 31, 1998, to Jan. 11, 1999, when George Voinovich resigned the post to join the U.S. Senate and Hollister, the lieutenant governor, filled in the gap before Bob Taft took office.)
If the Kasich family doesn’t leave their Westerville home, he won’t be the first governor to ignore the Governor’s Residence, either. Jim Rhodes remained in his Upper Arlington home during his last two terms, 1975 to 1983. And if they stay put, what will become of the mansion? Perhaps Kasich and Ohio legislators will get so desperate to eliminate the estimated $8 billion deficit they’ll stick a For Sale sign in the front yard.
• The Democrats’ plight after the election reminds me of an Elvis Costello lyric on his album The Delivery Man: “There’s a story in your voice, both by damage and by choice.” They got swept away by circumstances, but also by their own mistakes. One consequence is that now Democrats will find getting a Statehouse job as challenging as putting a hubcap on the tire of a moving car. It’s another matter for Republicans. Cincinnati Enquirer Statehouse reporter Jon Craig, a contributor to Columbus Monthly, points out in a story for his newspaper that “the governor controls more than 5,700 so-called ‘patronage’ jobs, as well as another 5,611 appointees to various state boards and commissions.”
• Nothing against Mike DeWine, who likely will do a fine job as the new attorney general, but there was no reason to kick Richard Cordray out of office. By most accounts, he’s the kind of public servant people say they want. Instead, he became an unnecessary casualty in the throw-the-bums-out fever that swept the state.
A top-flight attorney, he probably could go into the private sector and make a lot of cash. Or, he might land at the Ohio Supreme Court, since Strickland can fill the seat vacated by Maureen O’Connor, who won the race for chief justice, before he leaves office. (Strickland’s Lt. Gov. choice, Yvette McGee Brown, is another rumored candidate.) If Cordray gets the appointment, he would face an election in 2012—his sixth campaign since 2002.
• A petty side note: Who was DeWine’s fashion consultant for the GOP victory party Nov. 2? He wore a slouchy blue sweater, as if he were showing up for a Saturday afternoon gathering to watch an OSU football game at a friend’s house.
• If you were tired of seeing political ads, then here’s another reason to feel fortunate you don’t live in Cleveland. According to the Plain Dealer, “The Cleveland market had the highest concentration of political ads in the country.” The paper wrote that almost 24 percent of all ads “aired locally during the month were political.”
• Sure, Josh Mandel has accomplished a lot for a 33-year-old: Lyndhurst City Councilman, intelligence specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, two tours in Iraq, an Ohio House rep and now the newly elected Ohio Treasurer. Still, doesn’t it make you pause that the officeholder in charge of the state’s money looks as if he’s barely old enough to vote?
A couple of plugs: Check out the new columbusbride.com. It’s a great resource for anyone planning a wedding. And remember to sign up for our e-newsletter at columbusmonthly.com.
