In OHD-41 (formerly OHD-37) Republicans have clobbered Democrats in each of the five contests since the last reapportionment in 2000.

The repeal of SB-5 surprised many entrenched Republicans. The repeal of SB-5 gives stark evidence that our Republican governor, along with the Republican Senate and Republican House, in advancing a right wing agenda, has gone beyond what most Ohio voters will support.

The question is: Will this rejection of Republican radicalism continue to resonate in November’s elections?

Voters generally don’t like one party rule, so, in contests for the State Assembly, voters who habitually vote Republican may be more open minded than ever, this year, to voting Democratic.

With their easy domination in gerrymandered districts, Republicans have become complacent. Rather than finding candidates who might have some appeal to moderates or Independents, Republicans have advanced the most zealous members of their group, those most out the mainstream, to be their candidates. These zealous Assembly members hold a POV that offend even some Eisenhower / Taft Republicans.

Ohio House District 41, where I live, provides a telling example. Republicans traditionally clobber their Democratic rivals in this district (previous to reapportionment, OHD-37), usually by 65% to 35%. But this past election, 53% of voters in OHD-41 rejected SB-5.

Last year, when the Republican representative for this district, Peggy Lehner, was promoted to the Ohio Senate, the small clique running the local Republican Party got to choose who they wanted to fill the empty seat. And, they chose Oakwood attorney, Jim Butler.

Most voters in OHD-41 are women, and, by far, most are unaffiliated.

Butler, on a personal level, seems a quality person. He is a  Navy Academy graduate and a former Navy Aviator. But his views are to the far right and, I believe, outside of the mainstream of voters in OHD-41. Butler supported and defended SB-5, as well as every other legislation dreamed up by the most far out Republicans. Butler is on the House Education Committee and, in committee, voted for an amazing law, HB136, that would subtract money from public schools and fund vouchers for religious private schools. (HB136 has not yet been brought to the Assembly.)

To challenge Butler, OHD-41 Democrats have a great candidate, Caroline Gentry, and, it looks like the stars have aligned — Kasich’s and Butler’s radicalism, repeal of SB-5, a great Democratic candidate — so that, miracles of miracles, OHD-41 this election has a good shot of sending a Democrat to the Ohio House.

Gentry is 41 years old, a mother of two, a graduate of Yale Law School.
I write about her here: Moderate Oakwood Democrat Seeks To Replace Radical Republican Jim Butler To Represent OHD-41

An analysis of the voter base in OHD-41 shows opportunities for the Democrats. Yes, registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats almost by 2:1. But, still, here are some other facts:

• There are over 7000 Democrats in OHD-41. And Kasich and the radical actions of the 129th Assembly may just provide the fire needed to propel a lot of these Democrats into grass roots activism.
• There are over 11,000 voters age 18-30 and 93% of these voters are unaffiliated. It is this age group that is most likely to vote Democratic and so the huge size of this group is an advantage for a qualified Democratic candidate.
• 56% of registered OHD-41 voters are women. A qualified Democrat who is a woman has an advantage with this huge block.
• 72% of registered OHD-41 voters are unaffiliated. Yes, the biggest block of these voters habitually choose Republican candidates, but their unaffiliated status means they should be open to considering a qualified Democrat.

The 10th congressional district is much more compact than other Ohio distrists. It contains all of Montgomery County and all of Greene County and part of Fayette County.

Six individuals are on the March 6 Democratic Primary ballot seeking to be the Democratic Party’s candidate to represent Ohio’s new 10th Congressional District. The winner of this Democratic Primary will challenge the five term incumbent, Republican Mike Turner.

Shown below are you-tube videos, produced by David Esrati, showing each of the candidates speaking to the Greene County Democratic Party on January 22.  Here are the six candidates, in alphabetical order, with links to their web-sites:

1. David Esrati — retired from the military, an active blogger in Dayton, runs his own business, has campaigned for other offices and has had many public encounters with Mike Turner.
2. Olivia Freeman — a very personable and energetic black business woman, retired from the military, speaks with a lot of confidence in her capacity to do the hard work needed to win the 10th district.
3. Tom McMasters — a retired captain says he is an “Independent.” He is registered as a Republican and in 2010 opposed John Boehner in the Republican Primary for the Republican nomination to represent the 8th District. He received 10% of the primary vote.
4. Sharen Neuhardt — a successful attorney, she grew up in Dayton and now lives in Greene County. In 2008, after the retirement of long time congressman, Republican Dave Hobson, Neuhardt spent over $800,000 as the Democratic candidate seeking election to the 7th Congressional District. She received 42% of the vote but lost to Steve Austria.
5. Ryan Steele — a 28 year old is now working as a pizza deliverer. He has a college degree in religious studies and philosophy. Steele says his temperament and his training in philosophy equips him with the analytical and people skills needed to be an excellent congressman.
6. Mack Van Allen — a retired Centerville High School government teacher with a Master’s degree in economics, Van Allen is centering his campaign on his commitment to provide leadership to solve the country’s fiscal crisis and to make the hard choices needed to bring a prosperous future.

I’m thinking that Esrati, Freeman and Van Allen will each make a good showing, but, because of her capacity to raise money and because of her efforts in the 2008 campaign, I’m predicting that the winner of the nomination will be Sharen Neuhardt.

Here is a schedule of public “Meet the Candidates” meetings that, so far, have been announced:

• Monday, February 6th, at 7pm; The Montgomery County Democratic Party; 131 South Wilkinson, Dayton OH
• Tuesday, February 7th, at 7 pm; Fairborn Senior Center; 325 North Third Street; Fairborn, OH 45324
• Thursday Feb 9th from 7:00 pm – 8:00 Pm; Trotwood United Church of Christ; 18 N Broadway; Trotwood, OH 45426
• Tuesday, February 14, 5:30 PM; Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce Candidates night; Main Elementary, Auditorium; 2942 Dayton Xenia Rd.
• Thursday, March 1st, 6:00 pm – 8:00 Pm; The League of Women Voters; Stivers School for the Performing Arts; 1313 East Fifth St. Dayton

David Esrati has pages outlining his thoughts on many issues. He says, “I’m a candidate of substance and ideas – not sound bites.” He says, “I want to be the candidate of the Democratic party to take on Mike Turner in OH-10. I believe my skills, both as a special operations soldier, a small business owner, a blogger and community activist and last but not least, an advertising pro, can make me the best choice to face the incredible money-raising skills of our current corporately owned congressman.”

Olivia Freeman says she is a “workhorse,” not a “show horse,” and that she knows how to defeat Mike Turner.  Freeman has an extensive web-site. She warns, “If we don’t get the right person in congress, we are about ready to go over a cliff.”  She writes, “Kill the wars, tax the rich. This is not rocket science.”

Tom McMasters says he is an Independent but says, “I certainly will caucus with the Democratic party if I should get elected but I won’t feel obligated to vote party line on each and every issue.”   McMasters says that he thinks Republican background will help him get elected, that the 10th district will not elect a person strongly identified with the Democratic Party.

Sharen Neuhardt says she has deep roots in Dayton. Her father was a Dayton policeman and her grandfather was a Dayton fireman.  She attended Fairview High School.  Neuhardt spent $832,329 in her 2008 campaign against Steve Austria and says she is back seeking election to congress in 2012 because, “This is finally a race that Democrats can win.”

Ryan Steele, 28 years old, says that a job with DP&L that often required him to disconnect electricity from those unable to pay their bill made him reconsider his Libertarianism. He says he is now a conservative Democrat and believes that he has the outlook that will appeal to many voters in this district who are looking for an alternative to Turner, but who would never vote for a Liberal.

Mack Van Allen says he is appalled at the current congress’ refusal to “act as adults” and deal realistically with the debt crisis. A headline on his web-site says, “A voice of reason.” He says he believes voters are looking for a representative who will be willing to do the hard work needed to find an acceptable compromise on a “grand bargain” dealing with debt, taxes, and entitlements.

One of the windows in the Boston Trinity Church, built by Phillip Brooks, show the three wise seekers of truth offering gifts to the baby Jesus.

Phillips Brooks was 30 years old in 1865 when he delivered his sermon on the death of Abraham Lincoln saying,  “The more we see of events, the less we come to believe in any fate or destiny except the destiny of character. …”

Brooks went on to an illustrious career in the Episcopal church and is remembered in this season for writing the words of a Christmas meditation, the words of the hymn, “Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem”:

“Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The Everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.”

In this Christmas time, it is obvious that it is “Light,” more than anything, that humanity now needs. Brooks in his writing and sermons frequently quoted this saying of Jesus: “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This theme of bringing truth and freedom to those in darkness was a central part of Jesus’s teaching. At the end, Pilate, a clever politician, asked the profound question: “What is truth?”

What is the truth, the light, that brings freedom? Much of what passed for “truth” in the first century we now see as superstition and irrational speculations. Humanity now knows more — scientific truth, rational truth — than what in first century was possible to know. Jesus said he, himself, was truth and light. His life revealed the truth of the power of love. The challenge is to grasp the great truths revealed in Jesus’ character.

The book I read this year that most inspired me was “The Singularity Is Near,” which predicts that, by the year 2045, machines will be billions of times more intelligent than humans. What? It’s impossible to conceive what a ten fold increase in human intelligence would mean — a billion increase is beyond every level of imagination. The fascinating question is: With this enormous intelligence will these future machines also exhibit a depth of personality that we now define as “character”?

It was the character of Lincoln and the character of Jesus, that mattered.  They were both intellectuals with high IQs, but it was their character, not the power of their intellect, that was the foundation of their gift to humanity.  It was the expression of truth in their character that made them singular individuals. Character and intelligence seem to go hand in hand, but, it seems, in the highest functioning humans, it is character that forms intelligence, not vice versa. An interesting essay on Einstein, which I need to re-find, makes the interesting point that it was Einstein’s powerful integrity that was the secret of his genius, not his mathematical prowess. It is commitment to truth and integrity that reveals the “Everlasting Light.”

My last attempt to write a Christmas eve web log meditation was three years ago: “A 21st Century Understanding: The Christmas Story Tells That In Every Baby The Human Race Can Start Anew.” I wrote, “Thoughtful Christians need to find an understanding of their Christian faith that is worthy of a 21st Century understanding, one that does not promote irrational thinking and religious radicalism.”

Here in the 21st century religious fanaticism threatens to enslave and destroy us. Christmas eve reminds us that character is destiny and reveals that in the canyons, the dark streets of humanity, there can shine a force much greater than irrational fanaticism — “The Everlasting Light”–  a light revealed in the highest expression of human character, a light, a truth, that we must work to help develop in this new generation, a light that inspires the resolve and outlook expressed by Robert Kennedy: “Some look at the world and ask why? I dream of things and ask why not?”

• When Computers Are Billions Of Times More Intelligent Than Humans — What Should Be The Aims Of Education? By Mike Bock, on April 12th, 2011