August 8, 2023 the gerrymandered Republican super-majority in the Ohio Statehouse decided to waste about $20M of the taxpayers money to hold a single issue referendum. Not a damn one of them will be held liable for this boondoggle.
Issue 1, was an attempt to make it impossible for citizens to initiate a referendum or to change the State Constitution on their own. It was being pushed in August to try to subvert the November referendum to add abortion rights into the Ohio Constitution. Issue 1, had it passed, would have required a 60% win to pass a constitutional change- and upped the requirement for signatures from 5% of 44 counties to 5% of 87 of 88 counties- and eliminate the 10 day period to cure bad signatures.
What’s even worse, was they pushed another $30M or so of political spending from both sides to basically, just piss off everyone. There is no question that this issue was divisive- and is just a clear indication of the Republican strategy to divide our nation over every damn thing. The urban counties came out against changing the constitution and the rural counties were all for it.
With $50M wasted, nothing has changed- except we all now know how divided our state is- and how, the gerrymandering has the majority of Ohioan’s underrepresented in the State House.
While we voted both in 2015 and 2018 to end gerrymandering, as of the last Congressional and Statehouse races, zero progress has been made. What’s worse, is the Ohio Democratic Party has been totally ineffective in coordinating campaigns and backing candidates. It’s not that the Republican party doesn’t have it’s own problems (Larry Householder), it’s that the Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council [1](ALEC) directed changes back in the late 90’s that are difficult to undo.
Supposedly, before the 2024 congressional primary, the redistricting is supposed to happen. Considering the Ohio Supreme Court is now solidly Republican (since Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, a free thinking R, was aged out), the likely hood of implementation is still iffy.
However, looking at OH-10, for which I was the Dem Candidate in 2022, the Counties of Greene and Clark were 50-50 splits on Issue 1 and Montgomery County was decisively progressive with an unofficial 60.84% against.
This should be a good building block for the Dems to try to take back the House of Representatives, but, thanks to the Montgomery County Dem party- they will undermine the choice of the people if the candidate isn’t one of their friends and family plan members.
The amount of money that was spent on Issue 1 last week, will be upped to new levels on the abortion issue in November. Also look for record turnout in an off-year election. If the Democratic party had adult leadership, they’d take the pro-choice message to the streets- and use it to build an up to date database of voters who’ve had enough of the Republican dog-whistle issue baiting.
There are plenty of things a properly organized Dem party could be pushing, like universal health care, ending Citizens United, affordable higher education, anti-usury laws that protect the people not the banks and Wall Street, simplified tax codes, responsible gun ownership, living wages, ranked choice voting, doing away with the electoral college, age limits on public office- including judges the list goes on.
And just remember, just because issue 1 failed, there’s nothing stopping the R’s from trying this again, and again, and again. Remember- they want to “make America great again” as if we can’t do something better in the future?
Issue 1 if passed would’ve made it harder to push through crap like trans bathrooms, late term abortion, and other demonic Democrat agendas. And if you think Make America Great Again is BAD ? You’re anti American and should pack your shit & move out !
Golly, Tim Hart, you’re not grounded in reality, are you?
I’ve been in gender-neutral bathrooms. In Montana, a state I suspect you admire. Male, female, trans, cross-dresser, whatever–you shut yourself in a stall, did your business, came out and washed hands. No issues.
Late term abortion? Never happens unless the fetus is not viable or the mother’s health is severely at risk. Anyone telling you different is lying to you.
Ah, but what should I expect from someone who wants to post anonymously. Why are you afraid?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/young-girl-is-raped-in-school-bathroom-by-transgender-peer. They need to stay out of opposites gender bathrooms and opposite sports PERIOD ! It is a mental illness. Abortions are murder and should only be used in rape & medical emergencies NOT for Lazy asses to use in place of contraceptives.
Truddick- I-70 aka Tim Hart is a Jan 6 insurrectionist from Huber Heights where he owns a paintball facility. He’s a frequent commentor on my Livestreams. Sorry, he’d slipped by my rule and stopped using his real name- and I corrected it- you are only allowed 1 nom de guerre on Esrati.com
As a former Democratic Party paid staffer from 2008-2022, and now a moderate Republican who voted yes on Issue 1, I have an opinion. Issue 1 was too extreme for Ohio as presented to the voters. The Ohio Democratic Party, ACLU and others have a 60-66 percent vote threshold to change their constitutions. It should not be easy to change a state constitution. 50 percent plus 1 is too low a threshold to change a state constitution. This is what could get the Issue over the top in Ohio: 60 percent of the vote with signatures from 60 percent of Ohio Counties and leave the 10 day cure period alone. Every Ohioan should be able to have their ballot cured and counted. 100 percent of Ohio Counties signatures are too extreme as is no cure period. I was surprised to see how many Republicans voted no with the democrats.
Countries in Europe have had non-gendered bathrooms for DECADES. What does it matter? And we have had LGBTQ folks for DECADES too…including babies born Intersex. Live your life as you choose, but give us EACH the right to live ours.
Wow Herb, You are an interesting cat. You really left a sane party and jumped ship for the insurrectionist fascists. Were you a Dem only to get paid?
Had McConnell held to the 60 vote threshold to confirm SCOTUS appointments, then Issue 1 would not have happened as none of the religious zealots picked by DJT would have been confirmed. Dobbs was the dumbest decision and it just goes to show how mediocre republicans are when it comes to our Constitutional rights.
Looking forward to voting against pro life in November.
Greg Hunter.. I’ve told David about some of the things that have occurred as a paid staffer for the Democrats and the same thing also has happened to David.. the Ohio Democratic Party doesn’t hire staffers in field over 40 and most Democratic state parties don’t either. I couldn’t move up into campaign management. I’ve been mistreated as a staffer, cycle after cycle. You have no idea what I’ve been through. Staffers half my age are my bosses and abuse their authority. They 20 something’s lie and make up things to remove you from a campaign. I did not get through the 2021 and 2022 election cycles. I may be writing a book on this. The same Ohio Dems did not support David Esrati and let him flounder because of past actions in running for congress in 2022. The Ohio Dems and democrats at the national level have become the behavior police. They sit in judgment. The democrats tell the voters, we are for equality and don’t discriminate but actually do, behind closed doors. Age discrimination. They don’t want that getting out. My mistake was making a career out of it and now I have to start over again at 57.. I know what David has gone though. Why did Tulsi Gabbard leave the party? The democrats don’t stand for what they say they stand for and so I left the Democratic Party. Hope that explains it. Oh and I have lots of proof..
“Why did Tulsi Gabbard leave the party?”
If you admire Tulsi Gabbard, you were as much of a Democrat as she was, which is to say, not at all! Tell us next how you admire Robert Kennedy Jr.
Herb I get the generational and frankly the gender bias in the Democratic Party, which I find ignorant and hypocritical. When I watch Nancy Pelosi gleefully admit she did not include any men in a meeting when discussing some policy, I just laugh and shake my head. I have watched males my age get abused by the Peyton Place antics of the Democrats as well as the rise of the special generation that came of age during helicopter parenting. This generation has never been wrong and see Boomers like myself as the enemy even as I am a Democrat. It would be far more successful for me to be a hater as a member of the Republican Party.
I really think the Russian influence on our elections as they were exceptionally successful at dividing the British Voters which lead to Brexit as well as dividing the Democrats over Hilary and Bernie, not to mention elevating Trump over the rest of the GOP electorate. The divisions created continue as we never had a real discussion about any of these divides and how they were created.
I have watched many Bernie Democrats that are now saying the Parties are equally bad and I find that incredulous despite the idiocy of the current Democratic Leadership. So when you embrace Issue 1 and Tulsi as your excuse to equalize the Parties I think you have lost the plot, no matter the stupidity of the Dayton or National Democratic Leadership.
Maybe because I rolled in Republican circles for so long I see them as being terrible and have used Corporate money to ruin Dayton and America but amass power. That no show job the Chamber gave to Jon Husted when he graduated from University of Dayton has paid great dividends in the terms of power but has eroded America. Just the tip of the Republican power grab in Ohio and America, but Chuck and Nancy are clueless coasters when it comes to long term issues impacting America.