A public interest group that is attempting to bring civility to a hotly contested political campaign is using pointy horns to make its point.
A billboard on state Route 18 near the Summit-Medina county line went up more than a week ago showing devil’s horns on actors posing as candidates and shouting “My Opponent is a Liar.”
Late last week, the sign was modified to ask the question: “Lost faith in Democracy? Reclaim November, Ohio. Get involved JeffersonAction.org.”
“It was really meant to be an attention getter,” said Jacqueline Kelo, spokeswoman for Jefferson Action, a nonpartisan group from Minnesota. “It was sort of an ‘aha!’ moment trying to grab people’s attention and to spark conversation.”
Jefferson Action is interested in Ohio’s 16th Congressional District race because it creates a rare situation in the country. As a result of redistricting, two incumbents, U.S. Reps. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, and Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, are running against each other in a politically divided area.
At the end of September, the group will begin an “intensive, seven-day exercise in learning and discussion focused on economic issues” involving 24 citizens. That will finish with a Citizens Election Forum on Oct. 6 in which the candidates will answer questions from the group.
The organization explains the effort in a YouTube video that goes by the name: “My opponent is a liar.”
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