NATE LIVINGSTON
Monday, November 22, 2004
 
What's Our Issue 1?

Jene Galvin and Jerry Springer

I want to thank Jene Galvin for pushing me to write about ballot initiatives. I've been meaning to do this for quite some time but never got around to it. Saturday, Jene, who runs Jerry Springer's JerryForOhio.com and MakeOhioBlue.com websites asked "What's Our Issue 1?":

Republicans are smart. They know that a candidate who sponsors a ballot initiative that catches on with voters is almost guaranteed a win because he sets the agenda (everyone is debating his/her proposal), they get plenty of free face time to discuss their issue, they get the benefit of organizing the petition drive (somebody has to collect all of those signatures), and if the initiative is popular it helps mobilize the base who, of course, vote for the genius who put the initiative on the ballot. Think back -- Jim Tarbell, Phil Heimlich, and Charlie Winburn all used ballot initiatives to help them get elected to City Council. And that's one reason Ken Blackwell is pushing his tax reform ballot initiative.

Now for those of you who don't know, Jene Galvin is to Jerry Springer what Karl Rove is to George Bush. (Well, not exaclty ... but close.) So, Springer wants to be Ohio's next Governor and Jene wants to know what he can do to help. (Again, not exactly ... but close.) I know! What about a ballot initiative??? But... what's the issue?

Jene Galvin wrote this:

I'll gladly give Karl Rove props for conjuring a ballot issue that drove out the necessary evangelical votes to win close elections in battleground states. In Ohio, that was Issue 1, which said marriage is only between a man and woman.

Rove sought an emotional question that would pull out some people that research said had been soft in recent presidential elections. And the issue had to be one that would slide some votes over to Bush as well. He picked a winner, and it was part of his victory in Ohio.

So, with 2006 being an opportunity for Democrats to shove Ohio's hot mess down Republicans' throats in state elections, is there a ballot issue that could spike one of our natural constituencies? On Nov. 2, our inner city voters performed at about the 60% level while suburban, mostly Republican voters, came out in the high 70s.

So would an Ohio minimum wage proposal do it? Or a demand that schools be funded equitably?

Or is there a ballot issue that would draw out huge numbers of college students, one, say, dealing with rising tuition costs?

What would you propose?

Like I said, Galvin doesn't come right out and ask what ballot initiative Jerry Springer should back but we know the deal. And, I don't mind offering my suggestions.

But before I do, I've got to get this off my chest. Karl Rove and George W. Bush did more than just put initiatives on the ballot. For years, Republicans had ignored, or in some cases fought with, Christian conservatives. These people didn't feel appreciated by the Party and stayed out of politics. Rove/Bush reached out to their base, listened to their concerns, and became advocates for their causes. Those Evangelical Christians are now a solid and reliable block in the Republican Party's base.

Contrast that with the Democratic Party where African Americans are, if not the most loyal, certainly one of the most loyal base constituents the Party has ever had. For years, African Americans have been complaining about how they are treated by the Democratic Party. But there has never been an effort made by the Democratic Party to address these problems. They just take Black people and our votes for granted. When is the last time the Hamilton County or Ohio Democratic Party reached out and listened to our concerns? When's the last time Tim Burke or Denny White had a town hall meeting to listen to us? Democrats don't do anything to recruit new people into the Party. Even worse, I can tell you true stories of African Americans in Cincinnati who have tried to get involved in the Democratic Party but found themselves being turned away. One of them is Councilman Sam Malone. And, unfortunately, the Jene Galvins and Jerry Springers of the world -- who are respected in the Party, have the leaderships ear and could talks some sense into them -- haven't said or done anything to change this. Then the Party wonders why turnout among city voters and African Americans isn't as high as the folks in the suburbs. So, ballot initiatives are a good idea but they won't solve the problem which is systematic exclusion of all but a few well-connected folks in the Party. That ends my lecture for the day. Now let me give a few suggestions on ballot initiatives.

These aren't in any particular order of importance.

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