Obama Officially Nominated, Ohio Does the Honors

Submitted by Anastasia Pantsios on Wed, 09/05/2012 - 11:38pm.

I've been amused by national political convention roll calls since I was a little kid, with their litany of self-praise, a mixed bag of the important and the trivial. "Minnesota, home of the female basketball Lynxes," "Maryland, where violent crime is down 30%," "Montana is proud to have eight tribal nations within its borders," "Nebraska, the only state with a red legislature that beat back an oppressive voter ID law," "New Mexico, home of the best chili in the world." "We're proud to be home of America's poet, Woody Guthrie." "Oregon, where anyone eligible to vote is actually allowed to vote."

Following Bill Clinton's galvanizing speech, the convention got down to the business of casting its votes for its one and only nominee for President and its only nominee for Vice President.

"Alabama .....!"

Halfway through the roll call, Mississippi deferred its turn to Ohio, and it soon became obvious why. Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern, flanked by such noted Ohio Democrats as Frances Strickland and future 3rd district congresswoman Joyce Beatty, stepped up to the mic to praise Ohio "from Put in Bay to Portsmouth, Ohio, the battleground state, Ohio, home of American heroes and American icons, home of Neil Armstrong and John Glenn, home of Senator Sherrod Brown and Governor Ted Strickland, Ohio, in spite of Mitt Romney's efforts, home of the Chevy Cruze and the Chrysler Jeep ..." and to cast its 191 votes to officially make Obama his party's nominee.

When the count returned to Mississippi (despite the preordained result, every state got its opportunity to boast about its assets and/or its historical significance), the delegation's leader said, "Ohio, you're now charged with making sure that Barack Obama carries your state."

You got that right. And let's not forget it. Hang a picture of Jon Husted on your wall for inspiration, and keep thinking about foiling all his nasty tricks on November 6.

I do miss those white plastic boaters everybody used to wear back in the ’60s though.