At This Rate I May Not Get My DSL Until After Paddy, Damn It!

Hi folks. My name is Cliff Schecter. You may remember me from such television shows as Cleta Mitchell is a moron and Rush Limbaugh likes Oxycontin.

Ok, non-Simpsons fans, we'll move onto the post. First of all, I am here, albeit briefily, as I sit in a Panera drinking chai latte (you can take the guy off the East Coast...). I was told I was getting my DSL today. What that means is they "delivered it" today, and it is not turned on until tomorrow. That would be anytime between 8AM and 8PM. I love moving.

So sorry for my extended absence. But with the excellent job the bloggers have been doing around here, I am not sure my presence here is relevant any longer. And don't take that the wrong way, I am very pleased. They are awesome.

One thing I will say quickly, is you may remember that BC wrote a post a few days back about how the Republicans are very worried about Ohio. I would link but I don't have the time in this 20 minute visit to Panera. But it was probably on Monday. Well, in any case, the GOP should be worried.

You hear a lot about states like New Mexico and Colorado, where more liberal voters from California or New York or Massachusetts are settling down. Ohio is supposed to be a place from which people are fleeing. And some of the older industrial towns do tell that sad story. But Columbus is a diferent story. In growing suburbs like the one I live in, which you could compare to relatively well-off suburbs of Chicago, New York or DC, the residents have all moved in the last year (new development) and where they are from is a who's who of blue states. One couple from Rockville, MD, another from Seattle, Washington and still another from Rochester, NY (etc. and so forth).

The GOP brand is dirt here, and many former Republicans I am meeting are proudly calling themselves Democrats or Independents. So you do the math. A huge GOP scandal (coingate), Bob Ney off to prison, huge election victories by the Dems in 2006, a dying manufacturing base due to corporatist GOP policies (sadly with some Dems going along for the ride) and newer more liberal folks moving into the Columbus area. Who vote.

No wonder Chris Van Hollen, who is heading up the DCCC effort in 2008, recently said that they will be targeting SIX seats in Ohio, half of which are in the Columbus area. If the Democrats play this right, 2008 could be a bloodbath for the GOP here.

Now off to pray to the DSL Gods (I guess I have also maintained that famous East Coast lack of monotheism.)