Today's Washington Post focuses on top Ohio races

The Washington Post today ran a lengthy story about the factors in the gubernatorial and Senate races in Ohio.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/17/AR201008...

It's surprisingly accurate and even-handed, something I've come to no longer expect from major daily papers.

It focuses on whether the Democrats will be able to make Portman's trade stance and Kasich's Wall Street connections — hot-button issues with voters — stick, or whether Portman and Kasich will be able to blame Democrats for everything.

Both try to deflect blame.

""I suppose it's relevant to some people," Portman said when asked whether what happened when Republicans were in power should be a leading issue in this campaign. But he said the Obama administration's policies in combating the recession are more pertinent for voters. "The question is, was the stimulus a good idea? Has it worked?" he said. "Is the health-care bill a good idea? Has it worked?""

(To answer the first, yes, it is. To answer the second, it really hasn't taken effect yet, but there are some good elements we're better off for).

And from Kasich:

"Asked whether the government should have bailed out Lehman Brothers, he said: "That's yesterday's news and all that. But look, the whole thing was a mess and they went down and it's over, and it hurt a lot of people, including me, and that's the end of the story.""

Kasich really is unbelievable, and Ohio will be in deep, deep trouble if he is elected. HE was hurt by Lehman's collapse? I'll bet a lot of people who lost money in that collapse (tell THEM "it's over" and the "end of the story," clown) would LOVE to have the half-million dollar bonus he got as the company was going down. Boy, I'll bet that hurt a LOT.

Finally, the WaPo wraps up with this assessment:
"For Fisher, the question is whether he will have the resources to air enough commercials to make the argument about Portman's Bush administration role loudly enough to affect the race. Portman holds a sizable fundraising advantage at this point, and Democrats are worried.
Democrats privately express more confidence about holding the governor's mansion. Republicans are confident they can win both, so long as they keep the race focused on the economy, Obama and the Democrats."

It's probably pretty accurate to say that we have a strong chance of holding onto the governorship, but probably not so much at winning the Senate seat. Ohioans, take a good look at John Kasich, because this man is offering you NOTHING. He's sending clear signals this race is about himself and his buddies, his ambition and their enrichment.

For Fisher, the question is whether he will have the resources to air enough commercials to make the argument about Portman's Bush administration role loudly enough to affect the race. Portman holds a sizable fundraising advantage at this point, and Democrats are worried.

Democrats privately express more confidence about holding the governor's mansion. Republicans are confident they can win both, so long as they keep the race focused on the economy, Obama and the Democrats.