Blackwell was a good man in a bad cause. There was no way to win in this cycle after Taft and Dewine had poisoned the well.

My apologies for garbling your name (and you were referring to the Olentangy river, non? ).

Not to show too bad a case of regimental pride, but the history department at OU has done some very good work for a long time, so not every part of OU is quite as dicey as it might seem, especially from the very well heeled regions around the state capital, though academic quality is getting harder to maintain at OU that for a variety of reasons that I think best to chat about another day (foremost among them being I’m one year out from tenure and I’m already tempting fate uncloaking to the degree that I already have).

As to the Republican Party in this state, the only consolation is knowing that when the Democrats were trying to run for Senate an election or so back, they seriously considered putting Jerry Springer up to oppose Voinovitch. Still, it is worth remembering that the Dems only have the governorship and, how to put this delicately – with a governor who was not running as or against someone terribly capable. Also there is a Republican legislature, and in many ways this is a fairly conservative state, but, as you say, it will be running uphill to do well in the next election.

In the jump, Lex has you listed at Ohio State vice OU, a natural enough mistake from a boat schooler with too much salt water in his circuitry. I of course am an alum of that august university on the Olantangy.

Trouble in Athens? Don’t tell me they’ve discovered that OU is a diploma mill for the NEA? How else would a democrat get a diploma?

Or perhaps you’re speaking governmentally? I have averted my gaze since Taft decided to prove the he was every bit as stupid as was suspected, and the populi annointed Sherrod Brown a Senator. If Mike Dewine had any self-respect, he’d hang himself in the attic.

This all makes it problematic for the R’s in ’08. Damned hard to carry the state with the D’s in power, for they will use all their might to do what they accuse the R’s of doing.

A cougar, hence if you harbor any wolverine like desire to crunch buckeyes, stay your claws good sir (a Habsburg statesman once said that diplomacy is the art of saying ‘nice doggy’ while reaching for a rock…), and if you have heard of the current kerfluffels going on our way, say a prayer or two for us.