The Battle for Secretary of State

Some good news arrived today relating to the campaign of Maryellen O'Shaughnessy for Secretary of State. She won a poll sponsored by the Progressive Democrats of America to pick an "Ohio All-Star" candidate.

http://www.pdamerica.org/

Their e-mail said in part:

“DFA endorsements have always been driven by our members on the ground across the country -- that's what makes Democracy for America the country's only people-powered PAC. But the Ohio All-Star endorsement is different because it's chosen entirely by DFA members in Ohio.

All the votes have been cast and I'm honored to announce DFA's Ohio All-Star -- Maryellen O'Shaughnessy.

It's not difficult to see why Maryellen won this hard-fought endorsement. Just look at how she describes the grassroots campaign she's running:

I entered the race for Ohio Secretary of State just a few short weeks before the filing deadline. In that time, I accumulated over 2,800 signatures from 60 of Ohio's 88 counties. Quite a feat! This only happened because of the hard work of grassroots activists who wanted to see my name appear on the ballot in November.”

Go here and check her out:

http://www.maryellenforohio.com/

She’s one of the most energetic, personable, and well-informed candidates I’ve encountered, someone it’s easy to get enthusiastic about because she’s bristling with ideas to build on what Jennifer Brunner has done as Secretary of State, and she’s working so hard to get out and meet people. (People who know me know what I think about candidates who aren’t campaigning hard).

Over and above being an apportionment board seat, the SOS office is crucially important to the smooth, fair, and open functioning of our elections, as anyone who remembers Jennifer’s predecessor Ken Blackwell knows. But it’s also considered a plum by those of Blackwellian mindset, who see the opportunity to gain electoral advantage by controlling the office. I mean, all you have to do is send WAY too few voting machines to inner-city precincts and — VOILA! A second Bush term. (Not that Blackwell being co-chair of the Ohio Bush-Cheney re-election campaign was a conflict of interest or anything).

That the Republican Party recognizes this is clear in their ridiculous PAC “TAME,” The Truth About Maryellen.

http://truthaboutmaryellen.com/

This so-called “truth” is a bunch of goofy irrelevancies. For instance, it focuses heavily on Maryellen’s alleged position in favor of gun control, claims that her stance on the right to bear arms is why Democrats were dissatisfied with previous SOS candidate Jennifer Garrison (uh ….no — Democrats aren’t as obsessed with guns as you Republicans), and claims bizarrely that someone who doesn’t support unlimited gun owners’ rights can’t be trusted to administer the right to vote. Whatever.

It also attacks her for being a ‘”career politician” who has been on the ballot eight times and clearly is angling for higher office. As the Columbus dispatch pointed out in dismantling their ludicrous charges, Maryellen’s opponent Jon Husted has been on the ballot six times and is 18 years younger than Maryellen — and is clearly angling for higher office. (Every SOS since Ted Brown left office in 1980 has run for either governor or senator).

http://blog.dispatch.com/dailybriefing/2010/08/new_pac_aims_guns_at_osha...

It also makes this vapid charge: “Maryellen was also part of what The Columbus Dispatch called ”Team Coleman.” This means she was helped by the liberal Democrat Mike Coleman’s backroom deals and campaign cash.”

So what? Husted has been helped by infinite amounts of far-right “backroom deals” (whatever they are) and cash. And anyway, what's so scary about Columbus mayor Michael Coleman? Oh right — he supports gun control laws. “Union Bosses Love Maryellen,” it proclaims. Well, powerful corporate interests have amply demonstrated their love for Jon Husted.

On and on it goes, lobbing lopsided softballs that have little to do with the campaign.

The problem for the GOP is that there’s little about Maryellen to attack. While she hasn’t had direct election experience, she has run a business and an office (Franklin County Clerk of Courts) larger than the SOS office. And she’s been working to get up to speed on elections law and procedures. An insider told me several months ago that she is the only candidate of all the ones who have thrown their hat in the ring for this office at any time during this cycle to ask to come in and observe how the office is run and asked questions.

Husted has raised a LOT more money than Maryellen but it’s clear the Republicans are doubling down. They see the opportunity to seize control of our elections and quite possibly do in 2012 what they did in 2004. We’ve got a great candidate, and you could do worse than sending her a few dollars or volunteering for her campaign, if you’re looking for a reason to get excited and motivated again.