Note: After writing this post, in response to my message urging his candidacy, I received this Facebook message from Mr. Conner: “ Mike,Sorry for the slow response. I was in Hillsboro laying brick. Thanks for the confidence. I would rather support another good candidate in 2012. I’ll run if no one who I can support steps forward. Bill”

The good news for Dayton Democrats is that it appears that Bill Conner. — the progressive Democratic candidate who opposed Steve Austria — will now live in the new 10th district. It appears Conner will offer a high quality choice for 10th district Democrats to select as their congressional candidate. According to his web-site Conner intends on seeking the Democratic nomination. I’ve tried to reach him by home to confirm his intention, but have not spoken with him yet.

The information on Mr. Conner’s web-site is impressive. And his facebook comments are impressive too. He shows thoughtful progressive positions on issues and he has great credentials and a great life story. My own judgment is that voters are ready to hear a progressive candidate and the Democrat for the 10th district should speak boldly. I like the fact that Mr. Conner has the guts to say, “Class Warfare Is Here.”

The 3rd Congressional District used to be Democratic. Dayton Democrat, Tony Hall, represented Dayton in congress from 1978 to 2000. But, after the 2000 census, the Republicans controlled the redistricting process and redrew the 3rd District to include heavily Republican areas — Clinton, Highland, and Warren Counties. So, for the last five elections, (2002 – 2010) the 3rd District has been owned by Republican Mike Turner.

The Democratic Party has had trouble fielding a good candidate. In two of those elections — 2006 and 2010 — the original Democratic candidate withdrew and a special election was required to field another candidate. The last special election resulted in the nomination of an especially nonviable candidate, a 25 year old student, Joe Roberts.

It seems mathematical. According to the proposed redistricting plan, Republican Mike Turner’s 3rd Congressional District is merging with Republican Steve Austria’s 7th District and the new District will be Ohio’s 10th Congressional District. The current 10th District — Cuyahoga County — is represented by Dennis Kucinich.

It looks like the new 10th district will have more Republican voters from Austria’s old 7th district than Republicans from Turner’s old 3rd District, so, it appears that Austria will have the advantage in the coming primary battle between the two Republicans.

The proposed new map puts more more Montgomery County Democrats into John Boehner's 8th District. This makes it possible to put even more Republicans in the new 10th District. I'm thinking Austria has an advantage because I'm guessing the number of Republicans in the new 10th District in Montgomery County, that currently are in Turner's 3rd District, must be a smaller number than the combined number of Republicans currently in Austria's 7th District -- in Green, Fayette, Pickaway and Fairfield Counties.

This is how the districts currently look. In the proposed new map, Turner loses the Republicans in Highland, Clinton, and Warren Counties. Austria loses the Republicans in Perry and Clark Counties.

This is the proposed new map -- most of the districts are really wildly shaped, bizarre. It is so shamelessly gerrymandered as to be funny. The logic of this design was to produce a map that would send as many Republicans to Washington as possible and the new map should produce 12 Republican congressman and 4 Democratic congressman. Our democracy allows politicians to choose voters, rather than vice versa. Republicans are counting on controlling 75% of Ohio's congressional caucus, regardless that the state votes only about 55% Republican, or less, in congressional contests.

The DDN reports that, because of redistricting, two local Republican congressmen — Mike Turner and Steve Austria — will be required to duke it out in a primary contest to determine who will be the Republican candidate for a newly formed district.

A Republican slug fest might open the door for a Democratic candidate.

A supposed smart political strategy makes Democrats, again and again, choose a candidate that is Tweedledee to the Republicans’ Tweedledum. But the big problem any Democratic candidate must solve, in order to win, is somehow to get out the vote. Democrats need to be a little more daring than to choose a barely progressive Democrat to oppose the winner of the Turner / Austria contest.

I’d like to see the Democrats nominate someone, with credibility, who can articulate a liberal vision that will inspire and motivate citizens who otherwise may not even bother to vote. Rather than nominating a Democrat that is a shade more liberal than Turner or Austria, I’d like to see someone like Dennis Kucinich run.

The new 3rd District may be in luck. It looks like Kucinich will be looking for a job. According to The Hill,

The new lines would force Kucinich to run in an uphill primary against either African-American Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) in a majority-black district, or against longtime incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). But Kucinich has been considering another option: moving to Washington state, which is gaining a seat. Washington will release its draft redistricting maps later on Tuesday.

I wonder if Kucinich would consider moving to Dayton, instead?

Note: According to Wikipedia,

Helen Keller, the first deafblind recipient of a Bachelor of Arts degree and a prolific writer and left-wing activist, said this of democracy in the US: “Our democracy is but a name. We vote? What does that mean? It means that we choose between two bodies of real, though not avowed, autocrats. We choose between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.“