Despite the big money flowing into psycho Robin's coffers, despite the bitter primary with rather stupid tactics on both sides, the Ohio Fifth Congressional District remains Red, that is, Republican. Bob Latta won! Here is the statement from the ORP Overdue for Retirement Chair Bob Bennett:
"Bob Latta won this race despite all the firepower state and national Democrats could provide. He held back the 20-to-one fundraising advantage of majority Democrats, the vast resources of Big Labor and the personal appeals of Barack Obama, John Edwards and Nancy Pelosi.
"The outcome is a clear rejection of a popular governor who spent enormous political capital on this race, and it's a sign that voters are tired of the worn-out rhetoric from a party that has nothing more to offer than a sad fixation on yesterday's news.
"This is still a race we could have lost. Our candidate came out of a nasty primary wounded and broke. He was dramatically weakened by a vicious primary battle that angered voters, embarrassed the party and disgraced the honorable legacy of Paul Gillmor. Republicans cannot allow those nuclear primary tactics to continue if we expect to win future elections."
At least he got the part right about the bad tactics. However, Bobbie will use this as an excuse for trying to eliminate primaries again, which is wrong.
Deputy Chair Kevin "I should be running the show" DeWine had this to say:
Ted, Ted, Ted. This looks like a whole Latta votes against the governor and his so-called popularity.
"This is a humiliating defeat for Ted Strickland. He dumped his political capital on the Democrat candidate, and she lost by a greater margin than her 2006 race. It turns out the governor's popularity is a mile wide and an inch deep. Strickland carried this district himself a year ago, but he clearly couldn't deliver it for Robin Weirauch.
"Democrats talked a big game on this one and even called it a bellwether for 2008. Looks like they might be eating those words right now. They gave this race everything they had, from the deep pockets of Big Labor to the star power of Barack Obama and John Edwards, and they failed miserably.
"They'll try to spin this as a victory because they supposedly forced us to spend resources we didn't have. Actually, we planned on spending those extra resources because special elections are notoriously unpredictable and no seat is safe in a mid-December turnout effort.
"This is an encouraging win that shows our party is strong and energized heading into an important presidential election year."
Ted, Ted Ted. Keep on supporting losers, and doing nothing. When voters are ready, they will throw your stupid arse out.
However, we can rest easy. The seat of the dearly departed Paul Gillmor stays where it belongs.
