Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer

By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer

By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer

Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal staff writer

Political and election coverage in the Akron Beacon Journal and on Ohio.com this weekend

For Saturday
John Green, of the Bliss Institute at the University of Akron, is one of the foremost experts in political analysis and a coveted source for the media nationwide at this time of year.

By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer
The owner of a chain of McDonald's restaurants in Stark County has issued an apology after sending a letter with his employees' paychecks encouraging them to vote for three Republicans.

Businessman Paul Siegfried sent out the apology Friday after area Democrats and Canton attorney Allen Schulman threatened to file lawsuits.

Politico, which consults several political analysts for projections on key Congressional races, shows that four analysts believe incumbent Democrat Betty Sutton will defeat Tom Ganley for the 13 Congressional District, which includes western Summit County and parts of Medina and Lorain.

The race between Republican Jim Renacci and incumbent John Boccieri in the 16th, representing Stark, Wayne, southern Medina and Ashland, is closer. Two say the race is still a toss-up, while two say the race may be tilting Republican.

Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer

Video interviews of candidates Pete Crossland, Jon Poda, Bill Roemer, Amy Schwan and Ilene Shapiro are available on Ohio.com.

     Americans for Prosperity's November Is Coming Bus Tour will roll through the Akron-Canton area Monday, the day before the election.

      The tour will stop at Walnut Avenue Northeast, between Third Street Northeast and Fourth Street Northeast in Canton at 9:30 a.m. and at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse Square at East High Avenue, between First Drive Northeast and Second Street Northeast in New Philadelphia at 11:30 a.m.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer followed Democratic Senate candidate Lee Fisher as he pulled an all-nighter bowling, participating in karaoke and sliding down a fire station brass pole.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that three governors, all potential presidential candidates in 2012, were in Southwest Ohio Thursday campaigning for Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich.

Govs. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Chris Christie of New Jersey were with Kasich and running mate Mary Taylor of Green at "The New Way for Ohio Rally" in Lebanon, northeast of Cincinnati.

The New York Times is reporting that President Obama's repeated trips to Ohio are as important to his re-election in 2012 as they are to Gov. Ted Strickland's re-election this year.

BY JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press

TIFFIN Ohio's Democratic governor is making a push to pick up votes in conservative rural areas during the final days of the governor's race.

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) Former President George W. Bush will be in Ohio to speak at a Veterans Day tribute.

Bush will be at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton on Nov. 11. The event comes as he promotes the release of his memoir, "Decision Points."

     Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown plan to stop by local phone banks, including one in Akron, today to meet with campaign volunteers.

     They will visit the phone bank at the Summit County Democratic Party headquarters, 438 Grant. St. in Akron, at 11:30 a.m.

Almost never does a president see his party win seats in Congress in a midterm election.

PBS NewsHour host William Lehrer interviewed two election historians on the importance of midterm elections on his Oct. 27 newscast, and they discussed how Congress tends to swing with the presidential elections, then in the opposite direction in off years.

Candidates for Summit County Council sat down for interviews with Rick Armon and Steve Hoffman of the Akron Beacon Journal and Ed Esposito of WAKR. The interviews with Jon Poda and Ilene Shapiro are a collaborative effort of the Beacon Journal/Ohio.com, WAKR/Akronnewsnow.com and Time-Warner Cable.

Jon Poda (D)

By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer

Winning statewide offices in Ohio this year will be huge for Republicans as the state undergoes its next round of redrawing Congressional and state legislative district boundaries.

Politico senior Congressional writer Richard Cohen explores the reapportionment idea today.

Dan Sewell
Associated Press

Marilyn Miller and John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writers

A new New York Times/CBS News poll shows that Republicans are solidifying the electorate, winning over groups that put Obama into office.

One of the most dramatic changes occurs in a once reliable Democratic voting base: women.

Ohio's neighbors are experiencing tough elections that include lots of money, attack ads and polling that shows rapidly changing dynamics. Polling shows Republicans to be gaining the upper hand.

In Pennsylvania
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Candidates for Summit County Council sat down for interviews with Steve Hoffman of the Akron Beacon Journal and Ed Esposito of WAKR. The interviews with Pete Crossland and Amy Schwan are a collaborative effort of the Beacon Journal/Ohio.com, WAKR/Akronnewsnow.com and Time-Warner Cable.

Pete Crossland (D)

     Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, an U.S. Senate candidate, plans to campaign for 27 hours straight, including stops in Kent, Barberton and Copley Township.

     Fisher will begin his ``Ohio Never Sleeps'' tour at 6:15 p.m. today, with several stops in Columbus, including doing karoke and bowling. His early Thursday stops will include a Ford plant, a bus stop and an elementary school, all in the Cleveland area.

    The location for a Saturday rally featuring former President Bill Clinton atin support of Gov. Ted Strickland athas been changed again.

     The event will be held at noon at Tozzi's, a restaurant and banquet hall at 4210 12^th St. N.W. in Canton, instead of two other Stark County locations that previously were identified.

By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer

When a member of MoveOn.org showed up at the Kentucky Senatorial debate in Lexington Monday to mock Republican candidate Rand Paul, she was tackled and a Paul supporter used his foot to pound her head to the concrete.

The video can be seen at the Lexington Herald-Leader Web site.

Ohio's eight largest newspapers, among them the Akron Beacon Journal, sponsored the latest political poll conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati.

The poll showed John Kasich and Ted Strickland in a statistical dead heat for governor.

     The statewide Republican candidates, including former Congressman John Kasich, the GOP gubernatorial contender, will conclude a three-day bus tour Wednesday with visits to Medina and Summit County.

     The tour will stop at 1 p.m. at Santo Susso's Italian restaurant, 3725 Medina Road in Medina. State Rep. Bill Batchelder, a Republican from Medina and the House minority leader, will attend.

     Former President Bill Clinton will attend three rallies, including one in Stark County's Perry Township, Saturday to support Gov. Ted Strickland.

      The Perry Township event will be at noon at Paul Pfeiffer Middle School, 4315 13^th St. S.W. Additional information isn't yet available.

      U.S. Rep. John Boehner will attend a rally to support Jim Renacci, the Republican candidate for the 16^th Congressional District, Saturday afternoon.

     The event will be at 2 p.m. outside Renacci's campaign headquarters at 2729 Fulton Dr. N.W. in Canton.

      A rally for Republican candidates in Stark County will be held at 5 p.m. today.

      The event will be in the great court at the cultural center, 1001 Market Ave. N. in Canton.

     U.S. Rep. John Boccieri is bringing out the big guns today in the battle to keep his seat.

      Boccieri will take part in a mid-morning trap shoot, after getting the National Rifle Association's endorsement, according to his campaign.

By Tom Troy
Toledo Blade politics writer

Associated Press

More report heightened interest in vote as governor's race narrows. 58% favor Republican for Senate

Published on Sunday, Oct 24, 2010

By Tom Troy
Toledo Blade politics writer

The Washington Post conducted an extensive canvass of Tea Party organizations around the country and found them to vary widely in size, level of organization and mission, defining it "not so much a movement as a disparate band of vaguely connected gatherings that do surprisingly little to engage in the political process."

Fox and MSNBC, with their clear political agendas in news commentary, are motivating their bases, according to a New York Times story.

As Colorado makes headlines as the site of some of the most contentious and expensive campaigns, the New York Times visited with Colorado citizens to discuss personal emotions.

Uncertainty was a prevailing sentiment.

As school districts go to the polls in Northeast Ohio, they're beginning to experience organized opposition that has been common in southwest Ohio.

In the Revere district in Summit County, the opposition is taking aim at teacher salaries.

The non-partisan 10Questions program, which allowed citizens to pose questions to candidates, has received responses from Tom Ganley, who is running against incumbent Betty Sutton in the 13th Congressional District, and Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat against former Congressman Rob Portman.

Citizens posted question on the Web site, voted on the questions they liked best, and then candidates were asked to respond on the 10Questions Web site.

The news Web site Talking Points Memo identified Ohio among several states in which close elections may force a recount. In Ohio's case, the gubernatorial race is identified as perhaps one of the tightest.

Politics and elections Web site Politico is reporting that a one-day record for spending by independent groups was broken again this election season.

In Colorado on one day, $3.6 million was spent to influence one race.

LaTourette and O'Neill focus on failing economy

Published on Sunday, Oct 24, 2010

Published on Sunday, Oct 24, 2010

The following is a recap of recommendations made by the Beacon Journal editorial board in recent weeks for the Nov. 2 election. Usually, we publish this summary on the Sunday before Election Day. We still plan to do so. In light of early voting, we also have opted to run the recap today. Remember, voters will find races and issues on the ballot in which the editorial board did not make a recommendation.

Beacon Journal staff

Ann Sanner
Associated Press

 Gov. Ted Strickland will visit an Akron business this afternoon as part of a three-stop tour of companies in different cities.

    Strickland and Yvette McGee Brown, his running mate, will visit Akron Polymer Systems, 2990 Gilchrist Road, at 12:30 p.m. The also will stop by businesses in Oberlin and Mansfield.

By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal

Republicans gamble $50 million on 65 races
Politico is reporting that the Republican Congressional campaign committee is so sure of Republican victories that spending has been withdrawn from Republican incumbents and directed at races where the incumbent is a Democrat.

The Hudson Hub Times looks at the two city residents who are vying for the District 42 State House seat - incumbent Mike Moran (D) and current council member Kristina Daley Roegner (R).

The paper also covered the Oct. 13 Hudson League of Women Voters' candidates forum with Moran and Roegner, and a handful of other state office seekers.

By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer

By David Knox
Beacon Journal staff writer

Politico
Obama draws 35,000 in Ohio

Politico's congressional correspondent James Hohmann says that the concensus among analysts and pundits over the weekend is that money and polls are moving in the direction of a Republican rout.

By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer

The national political Web site Politico has zoomed in on the 16th Congressional District which includes Stark, Wayne and part of Medina counties.

Former Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal reporter David Rogers, now writing for Politico, says that all the numbers indicate John Boccieri should be out of the race, particularly in a longtime Republican district, but this one is a close race against Republican Jim Renacci.

The Ohio poll, conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the
University of Cincinnati, released new numbers Friday showing Republican John Kasich with an 8-point lead over incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland.

The numbers are among the most optimistic for the Kasich campaign of several polls in recent weeks.

The New York Times is profiling Ohio Republican Congressman John Boehner as he hopes to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Boehner is banking on enough Republican victories Nov. 2 to gain control of the House.

By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer

An Ohio State University study by two communications professors found that persons who were more likely to believe false information about a proposed mosque near Ground Zero were also more likely to oppose a mosque in their own neighborhood and also were more likely to frequent the Fox News channel or Web site.

The purpose of the study, they said, was "to focus on how differences in exposure and belief in rumors and support for the proposed New York mosque were associated with media use." The research was funded by the OSU School of Communication.

The politics and government Web site Talking Points Memo has posted this headline on a story:

Illinois Candidate's Name Misspelled As 'Rich Whitey' On Electronic-Voting Machines

The New York Times is reporting that Democrats are beginning to concede some Congressional races in the election that is now less than three weeks away.

However, the Times says, it's last-minute surprises like those in Ohio that have the potential to change the dynamics.

President Barack Obama will appear at a fundraiser Sunday in Cleveland then go to Columbus for a rally with his wife at The Ohio State University. They also will attend a Columbus fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.

The Dayton Daily News said the public event on the Oval at OSU begins at 6:15 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m.

Rasmussen Reports released new polling data Wednesday showing that the race between incumbent Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and former Congressman and Fox contributor John Kasich has tightened.

By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer

Candidates for the 27th Ohio Senate District that includes Cuyahoga Falls and much of western and northern Summit County sat down for interviews with Steve Hoffman of the Akron Beacon Journal and Ed Esposito of WAKR. The interviews with Frank LaRose and Frank Comunale are a collaborative effort of the Beacon Journal/Ohio.com, WAKR/Akronnewsnow.com and Time-Warner Cable.

Frank Comunale

Hudson League of Women Voters hosting candidate's forum tonight for 14th Congressional District, 27th District State Senate race, and 42nd State Representative race. Free and open to the public. Details in the Hudson Hub Times.

By Mark Niquette and Joe Hallett
Columbus Dispatch

By Kathy Antoniotti
Beacon Journal staff writer

 John Kasich, the Republican candidate for governor, made an impromptu stop this afternoon at the Summit County GOP headquarters in downtown Akron.

Kasich, a former congressman who has been leading Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland in most polls, cheered on volunteers who have been making phone calls and helping in other ways to get out the vote for the Nov. 2 election.

By John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writer

Associated Press

The New York Times is reporting that Republican and conservative interests, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are pumping new money into two Ohio Congressional districts in southeast Ohio, including the seat once occupied by Gov. Ted Strickland.

Democratic incumbents who are the targets of the new effort are Zack Space of the 18th District and Charlie Wilson of the 6th.

Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer

The League of Women Votes of the Akron Area has completed its guide for the Nov. 2 election.

 The guide is accessible at http://www.lwvaa.org or in a printed version at Akron libraries and Acme stores.

A nasty race for state treasurer between two candidates with questionable qualifications -- Republican Josh Mandel and Democratic incumbent Kevin Boyce -- resulted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer endorsing a 28-year-old Libertarian candidate, the newspaper said Sunday.

A story in the Atlantic about a Toledo area congressional candidate re-enacting Nazi military battles against Russia has stirred national attention.

The Atlantic published photos of Republican Rich Iott in a Nazi uniform posing with friends and his son. Iott defended his activity, which occurred years ago, as historical, an activity he did with his son, and hoped it would not be taken out of context.

The Columbus Dispatch and Akron Beacon Journal on Sunday (Oct. 10) endorsed John Kasich and Ted Strickland respectively for governor in the tight race.

The Dispatch spoke of its disappointment with the incumbent Democratic governor. The newspaper said that "with hard times likely to persist, [Strickland's] performance does not inspire confidence."

By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer

Democrat Frank Comunale and Republican Frank LaRose, candidates for the Ohio Senate 27th district, will debate at noon Oct. 14 at Greystone Hall, 103 South High Street, in Akron.

The Greater Akron Chamber, Kiwanis Club of Akron and the League of Women
Voters of the Akron Area are sponsors of the event.

By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer

The Center for Public Intergity has conducted an investigation of political action committees, or PACs, and found that some are more likely to spend political contributions on vendors, the CEO and staff rather than pass money along to help favored candidates.

The Politico politics and government news Web site is reporting that News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch said in an interview that the company's $1 million gift to the Republican Governors Association was prompted by his friendship with former Fox News commentator and Ohio gubernatorial candidate John Kasich. News Corp. owns Fox News.

Politico's On Media blog said:

Here is a summary of endorsements by editorial writers at Ohio's eight largest newspapers, linked to each editorial board's discussion of the race. Listed are statewide races and Congressional races in the Akron-Canton area. At the bottom is the link to each newspaper's compilation of endorsements, if available, or general opinion page, where discussion of other local issues can be found.

For Governor
John Kasich (R): Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, Canton Repository
Ted Strickland (D): Dayton Daily News, Akron Beacon Journal, Toledo Blade, Youngstown Vindicator

After a lengthy disagreement about the terms of the matchup, U.S. Rep. John Boccieri and Jim Renacci, his Republican challenger, have agreed to a second debate.

The one-on-one event will be from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18 in the auditorium of GlenOak High School, 1801 Schneider St. N.E. in Stark County's Plain Township.

Local Democratic watch parties are planned for the second and final gubernatorial debate, which will be at 8 p.m. tonight.

Voluneers are invited to help with phone banks and then watch the debate between Gov. Ted Strickland and former Congresman John Kasich, which will be streamed live online on Toledo's WTOL.

The Caucus, a New York Times politics and government blog, is reporting that the nation's teachers unions are joining the political frey with millions for television.

One of the next beneficiaries will be the Akron area's Betty Sutton, the incumbent Democrat in the 13th Congressional district, who is in a tight race with Northeast Ohio businessman Tom Ganley.

The New York Times, reporting on a new report from the National League of Cities, said that the downward spiral in revenues for urban governments isn't likely to abate soon.
The story, by Times reporter Michael Cooper, says:

     U.S. Rep. John Boccieri, D-Alliance, highlights his military experience and voting record in a new television ad that began running today.

     He also criticizes Jim Renacci, his Republican opponent for supporting ``tax breaks that ship jobs overseas.''

    Scott Glisson has withdrawn as a write-in candidate for Tallmadge mayor, leaving Council President Jack Sarver as the lone Republican in the race.

     The Summit County Board of Elections approved Glisson's request to remove himself from the ballot this week.

By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer

Beacon Journal staff

A Quinnipiac University poll continues to be find the most optimistic numbers for Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich. Polls by the Ohio Newspapers Organization and the New York Times show the race between Kasich and Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland to be much closer.

Here is what Quinnipiac released today:

While State Treasurer candidate Josh Mandel racks up newspaper endorsements and the Plain Dealer raises questions about his opponent's truthfulness, a Mandel television spot has gotten national attention because it has been perceived by some as anti-Islam.

First, the Plain Dealer on Monday reported that Democratic candidate Kevin Boyce's claim that he forced out top staffers because of performance concerns didn't hold up when reporters questioned the people who left Boyce's administration.

By Mark Niquette
Columbus Dispatch

By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal staff writer

U.S. Senate Republican candidate Christine O'Donnell of Delaware is attempting to address some of her controversial comments from the past, including comments on the news-talk/entertainment show hosted by Bill Maher. Maher is using the comments aggressivley.

Her new television advertisement, designed to address a discussion of witchcraft on Maher's show, resulted in an unusual opening to her 30-second spot for a U.S. Senate race.

The Ohio News Network, which is available from many cable services, has released its telecast schedule for these three debates for statewide office:

Secretary of State 60-minute debate among candidates Jon Husted, Maryellen O'Shaughnessy and Charles Earl on Tuesday, October 5 at 10 p.m. and again Saturday, October 30 at 1 p.m.

Stateline, a news-summary organization funded by the Pew Center on the States, is reporting that state pension funds have become a campaign issue in many states. The funds, many of which were hurt by the sharp decline in stock values in 2008, face long-term funding concerns. In Ohio, some of the funds are seeking additional public support to solve their problems.
Stateline says:

By Darrel Rowland
Columbus Dispatch

A New York Times analysis of each Congressional race shows that nothing is a sure thing as voting in many states has already begun.

By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer

The Washington Post is reporting that tens of thousands of people from many unions, environmental groups and liberal organizations gathered at the Lincoln Memorial today as a response to the Tea Party.

John C. Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, will address "The Faith Factor: Religion and Politics in 2010," on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at The College of Wooster. Green, who specializes in the study of religion and politics, political parties, and campaign finance, is a Senior Fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
He is the author of The Faith Factor: How Religion Influences American Elections and co-author of The Bully Pulpit: The Politics of Protestant Clergy; Religion and the Culture Wars: Dispatches From the Front; and The Diminishing Divide: Religion's Changing Role in American Politics. In addition, he is co-editor of The State of the Parties, Multiparty Politics in America, and Financing the 1996 Election.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University St.). Additional information is available by phone (330-263-2306) or e-mail (jegraber@wooster.edu).

Thomas J. Sheeran
Associated Press

The New York Times has authenticated a document outlining plans for funneling money from anonymous large donors to key political fights. The America's Families First Action Fund has been soliciting funds in recent weeks but has yet to place any television advertisements, according to the Times. The organization is similar to others created recently by Republicans that take advantage of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that opened the doors to corporate contributions, the newspaper reports.

The Youngstown Vindicator is reporting that Joe Biden will visit the Mahoning Valley Monday, his first visit to the area since becoming Vice President.

Tentative plans are to visit a diner, a factory and then attend a fundraiser for Gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland.

Monday is the last day to register to vote in Ohio. Applications can be obtained by clicking on this page on the Ohio Secretary of State's Web site. The applications must be delivered no later than Monday.

Early voting already has begun. Information on where to vote and who or what is on your ballot is available online at each county board of elections. Those Web sites are available on the lower right side of this Web page.

Politico is reporting that News Corp., which owns Fox News, gave $1 million to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an organization running aggressive advertisements in support of conservative candidates.
The contribution would be in addition to the $1 million donated by News Corp. to the Republican Governors Association, and again raises the hackles of Democrats who are alleging that Fox and News Corp have become advocates for particular issues and candidates.
Fox, which has built a reputation on conservative viewpoints, includes among its commentators former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, both among the Republicans most often picked as potential 2012 Presidential contenders.

Fox defenders have noted that other major media companies have made political contributions.

Andrew Taylor
Associated Press

Associated Press