Bush Promises Better Days for Slumping Ohio

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5033909

MAUMEE, Ohio (Reuters) - President Bush's campaign road show rolled into the crucial battleground state of Ohio on Tuesday, where Bush promised better days were ahead for the state's struggling economy.

"The economy is strong, and it's getting better," he said on the last day of a two-day bus tour to Michigan and Ohio that kicked off the active part of his campaign for re-election in November.

"The people of Ohio are going to feel the economic vitality that is occurring across the country," Bush promised at a pancake breakfast in the Democratic-leaning suburbs of Toledo.

Bush planned to spend the day in the crucial state of Ohio, which he narrowly carried 50 percent to 46 percent in his 2000 race against Democrat Al Gore. Most polls show the state is a toss-up this time around.

<snip>

The Bush campaign considers Ohio a must-win state this year. No Republican has been elected president without winning Ohio, and the state's 20 electoral votes would be a crucial pick-up for Kerry.

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The original Man Without A Plan. Does anyone really believe that jerk anymore?

I predict same, right after Kerry boots him out.

seems to be his message. three years on now, when exactly are they supposed to kick in and jump start the economy? guess *'s Harvard-bought MBA has taught him to do nothing but enrich his own pockets and those of his friends while waiting for a cyclical economy to rebound on its own.....

When talking about Bob Taft as Governor, he said "If you hired somebody you couldn't fire for four years, and he screwed up monumentally, and he comes back at the end of the four years and says 'keep me on and I'll fix the stuff that I screwed up', would you believe him?"

(Something to that effect, not the exact wording).

Unfortunately, Triv couldn't see his logic being applied to Bush. I guess that all that Clear Channel stock he had back when they were trying to become the next .com/.gov/.net concept (.cc) paid off. Especially when they were trying to convince you that registering "lottery.cc" would practically guarantee you thousands of dollars if someone wanted to actually put that to use. The cyber-squatting ruling fixed that concept, but the money went to Clear Channel. And into Triv's pocket.

in my neck of the woods (Northeast PA) it's UP to 6% and doesn't look like it will be getting better by Selection '04 time

...in my little corner of ohio (Toledo) it is 9% statewide it is around 6%.

In my opinion, Ohio should be the battleground state in 2004. Florida is too risky with Diebold and Brother Bush. I think Ohio is where the battle will/needs to be fought.

So how's it looking? Anyone on the ground in Ohio? Are there any protests around George Jr.'s bus stops? How's fundraising?

david

I'm working for ACT Ohio. Our county is looking good. We are going to have to deal with electronic machines here unless our board of elections can be convinced otherwise.

I'm already there...

Great. I think that we should all get involved with what's going on in Ohio to the best of our ability. Maybe Kerry should run adverts in California asking us to donate to Ohio oragnizations...

We feel kinda stupid out here trying to change the world by convincing our neighbors, when the state will almost certainly go Kerry in November. We need clever ways to convince the folks in Ohio and Tennessee and West Virginia...

david

And I'm not sure, with Diebold on the job, that Bush hasn't already "won" Ohio.

that Ohioans will greet him with flowers and candy next time he rolls through Ohio.

Wayne Gellman, AAR's morning newsman, offered "* did not specify what that plan.. and vision... are."

See post