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.“

Interesting post at the Red State Ohio web-site “The sorry state of the Ohio Republican Party” paints John Husted as a conniving Machiavellian who is undermining potential rivals Josh Mandel and Mary Taylor.

The post says, “The Ohio Republican Situation is a mess of egos and chess players. The wizard behind the curtain is current Secretary of State John Husted.” It says “Husted has spent the last several years building up an empire of supporters within the legislature and among donors,” with the purpose of putting him in line to be elected Governor of Ohio in 2018 and in order to assure his nomination, he is undermining his potential rivals, Josh Mandel and Mary Taylor.

The post suggests that Husted, along with Republican Chair, Kevin DeWine conspired to make SB5 an embarrassment for Governor John Kasich. The post states, “They (Husted and DeWine) worked to keep police, fire, and EMS in the bill knowing that the commercials would be devastating to Kasich. More importantly to them, defeat of SB 5 would be damaging to Lt. Governor Mary Taylor who they view as a threat to the Husted 2018 dream.”

The post also says, “Husted has made a useful idiot of newly elected treasurer Josh Mandel by pushing him to run for the U.S. Senate. It’s becoming painfully obvious that Mandel is totally unprepared for a rough and tumble fight with Sherrod Brown.”  The idea is, “If Mandel is beaten up enough by Brown, that will weaken another potential rival to the Husted 2018 dream.”

According to this conservative writer, “John Husted need to get his bell rung. It’s likely that only Kasich can make that happen by removing DeWine from the chairmanship of the Ohio Republican Party.”

The League of Women Voters of Ohio wants HB 194 to be repealed and is supporting the effort to collect sufficient signatures to put a referendum on the ballot for November 2012. The League testified against measures in the law when it was in committee, but their concerns were ignored and the bill was passed without any Democratic votes.

The League is seeking repeal of HB 194 because, according to a statement released by the League, HB 194,  “could significantly increase lines on Election Day, force many more voters to vote provisionally and result in more votes being disqualified.” The League says their position on HB 194 is in keeping with their historical work, “to remove obstacles to voting, ensure all eligible voters can vote and ensure all valid votes are counted.” The League objects to these provisions in the bill:

• Shortening early voting from five weeks to three and eliminating most weekend hours.
• Elimination of requirement that poll workers direct voters to the correct precinct. (Failure to vote in the correct precinct means that the vote will not count.)
• Prohibiting boards of elections mailing absentee voter forms to voters or paying the return postage on such forms.
• Establishing a minimum precinct size in cities, which could result in longer lines on Election Day.
• Long lines of voters not be allowed to interfere with nearby businesses.

The Ohio Attorney General rejected the first Referendum Petition because it sought to repeal only part of sections of the law. Accordingly, the new petition drive seeks to repeal HB 194 in its entirety.

Republican State Representative, Anne Gonzales, of Westerville, writing in The Columbus Dispatch defends House Bill 194, saying the bill “would modernize Ohio’s voting laws.”  She writes,

“Currently, Ohio’s election practices are not tailored to the modern, fast-paced world that we live in. Inconsistencies and outdated procedures cause problems during elections, miring them in inefficiencies and letting voter fraud go unchecked. …

Overall, the reforms will streamline the election experience, address incidences of fraud and increase the use of technology in elections. …

House Bill 194 directs much of its attention to revising the use of provisional and absentee ballots. To better organize provisional and absentee voting, the bill would amend the verification process for these ballots and implement statewide standards for absentee voting. Additionally, it would reduce the number of reasons that require an individual to vote provisionally. By clarifying the procedures governing absentee and provisional ballots, we can improve accountability and help Ohioans to feel even better about the election process. …

In terms of technological updates, House Bill 194 would allow voters to change their addresses online, making this task quick and convenient Furthermore, the legislation would approve the development of a top-down voter-registration database. This system would authorize the use and certification of electronic poll books, increase the accuracy of the rolls, pinpoint poll-worker error and ensure uniformity among absentee ballots, locations and time periods.

The measures developed in House Bill 194 would make long-overdue changes to Ohio’s voting laws that are crucial if we are to conduct our elections honestly. Here in the Buckeye state, we have a tradition of fair and effective elections. I would like to see this tradition continue, and with House Bill 194, we can restore the integrity that has long been associated with Ohio’s electoral process.”