Ford thinks Redfern needs to come to Toledo to “fix the mess”
This week’s Sojourner’s Truth our former Mayor is back with his My View column. Ford offers the following commentary directed at the Lucas County Democratic Party:
It seems to me that the Democratic Party has a real problem in Lucas County. A cosmetic makeover will not clean this mess up. If I am Gov. Ted Strickland, I would call Chris Redfern, state party chairman, and tell him to go to Toledo and fix the mess. And I would start with Douthitt not Bell. Bell is not going to compromise his principles but Douthitt might be willing to work within the party structure … if things can be worked out.
It’s not going to shock anyone, but I don’t agree with Ford on most of what he wrote, the Democratic Party in Lucas County does not have a “real problem” that’s new. The reality is we had what has become a classic B versus A team scenario, the only difference this time is that one candidate used the word “independent” rather than “unendorsed Democrat” — which worked for Bell.
Bell is a Democrat, even the Governor of Ohio stated that, the Ohio and the Lucas County Democratic Party and Bell will work it out, especially with the importance of the 2010 elections on the Apportionment Board (Fox Rant & Rave on that topic). Of course they’ll pretend for a while, but Bell will be welcomed back into the Democratic fold and I don’t see him turning his back on Strickland, who those savvy in politics will note, while the ODP picked sides in the Mayoral, the Governor did not.
It was the A team B team split that impacted this past election as far as the slate card, those supporting Bell for the most part did not help the downticket candidates, hence the democratic base did not turnout in the numbers needed. Logical for the Bell camp since pushing the Democratic slate card could have helped Wilkowski but the end result was the Central City that helped elect Bell? Also gave us Larry Sykes…Weldon Douthitt did what he does best, he got people out to vote, the difference this time was he wasn’t helping the Democratic slate and I’d also point out, not as any disrespect to Douthitt but there are other candidates in the Central City area that have a similar machine when it comes to voter outreach, Michael Ashford. While those Ashford supported in his district did not all win? (Bob Vasquez, Steve Steel, Phil Copeland, Ian English, Aji Green,and Polly Taylor Gerken) Ashford’s slate got three out of six, Hungry4Change saw two out of four (Joe McNamara, Adam Martinez, Green and English) which is 50%, which is the same success rate the larger Lucas County Democratic party slate had in Toledo. Throw in Bell and Sykes, who are both Democrats and Democrats won 8 seats, local Republicans won 3 in Toledo. Had the local party not been cowards and not endorsed 7 candidates for the six slots on Council, they would have had a higher percentage. And…let’s not forget that Mark Davis, he either kept English from winning or kept Connelly from having a larger win, some have suggested he cost English the win.
Redfern didn’t “fix” the party the last time, there’s been a great pretense at unity, but the petty infighting has continued and will continue. The only way that would ever stop is if there was enough of a threat from the Lucas County Republican Party that the A team and B team needed to unite. That’s not very likely…So, the A and B teams will continue to exist and both sides will rally around the Governor in a wonderful show of unity and Democratic love, at least until the election is over. It’s what parties do and the Democratic party in Lucas County has that down to an art form, anyone who doesn’t believe me only has to think back to what happened here after Obama won the party nomination.
Why? Because they will have to, we have a partisan primary and after that? Then the ramped up unity message will hit because they have to inspire the larger number of voters who are not affiliated with a party to vote for their candidates. If they can’t rely on the democratic base to come out, that makes it harder. Charisma matters to voters, especially here in Lucas County and especially to those not loyal to a party. Will one or two candidates running in 2010 awaken the charisma factor enough to counter voter apathy?
That remains to be seen…Yet it’s really disingenuous to state that the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party needs to come up here to fix problems that those like our Former Mayor not only helped cause, but continues to keep alive. Ford now being concerned about the local party falls flat…This means my suggestion would not be that we need Redfern, if Ford is truly concerned about the state of the Lucas County Democratic Party? Maybe he should help fix what he helped mess up, we know he can do it, he joined John Irish to get Bell elected…
I generally agree with this, except for a few items.
How exactly did Ford “help cause” the A/B split? True, he may not have done much to mend the rift, but the split dates back to his council days, if not before.
Also, Hungry4Change had the sense not to incude English. See http://hungry4change.net/?page_id=9
So Hungry was 2 out of 3, not 3 out of four. See what happens when you run true Democrats? You win.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:37 pmHungry4Change had four candidates, McNamara, Martinez, Biel and Green – two of the four were elected.
Maybe you don’t remember when the party split to the point where there was a separate Lucas County Democratic party for the A team, that involved Ford’s mayoral run.
Ford also endorsed Bell, ran unendorsed himself and endorsed Darlene Fisher, just as a few examples of him believing that it’s okay for him to not follow party unity but to expect it from others. You can’t have it both ways…
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 pmYou nailed that one. He talks out of both sides of his mouth.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 pm*gasp* you agree with me? I haven’t totally lost you.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:50 pmI have heard a lot about the A/B split since we moved to Toledo, but no one I talk to can really explain the origin of the split.
Part of the problem may be that this area is so heavily Democratic, there has been no need to heel the rift. If the Republican Party was competitive, there would be more incentive for the Democrats to unite.
There doesn’t seem to be much of a chance that the LCRP will become competitive anytime soon, so this A/B rift will likely continue.
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:10 amJenny, one of the most linked “history” pieces that’s fairly accurate is this one written by Fritz Wenzel when he used to blog.
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 amSo it looks like, based on the lists on the Wenzel blog, that the A teamers are the far left Progressive/socialist types and the B teamers are the more moderate lefties.
Thanks Lisa.
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:55 amIt’s also been described that the B teamers would be republicans in other areas (some have been) and the A teamers would be the democrats.
Part of it is the political philosophical differences, part of it is driven by petty personality issues and vendettas.
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 amKonop is definitely an A teamer, in my opinion. He is about as far left as it gets. He must be in limbo land because of the “petty personality issues and vendettas”.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:05 amKonop is a good example of the splits even within the “teams” — I don’t think Konop is as far left as it gets. Steel as an example was originally a Green Party member.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:08 amLisa, can you direct one to any more links on the “history” of the local party’s (there’s not really more than one) turmoil similar to the Wenzel piece above?
Very interesting info, but not sure where else it is documented.
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:38 pmBravo Lisa for calling out Jack Ford’s duplicitous behavior. During his tenure as mayor, he let things get way out of hand. In fact, throughout his elected life, he has pursued a “take no prisoners” approach that only makes the schism within the party wider and deeper.
In what may be one of the great modern political ironies, Mike Bell with his great charisma and desire to unite folks might just bring everyone together across the chasm.
We can certainly hope . . .
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:18 pmThe Sojourner’s Truth Oct. 31, 2007 page 6
“WHY WOULDN’T I DO THIS”
“The first question we put to Jack Ford is the same one he gets all over town as he purses his quest to return to public life after what has already been a life time of public service. Why run for the school board? “His answer was “Why wouldn’t I do this?”
And with that Ford [was] off and running having already conducted more campaigns than all of his six opponents combined. But this will undoubtedly not be the last such race.
He has promised to not only serve out his full four years…if he wins, but also to run again in 2011 for another four year term. Why wouldn’t he do that?”
This should put an end to the rumor that he will seek the 48th district seat next year!
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:25 pmI don’t think his health issues would allow him to run for the 48th, if people are talking about him running? It’s not happening by those currently involved in the House or Senate.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:36 pmGlady’s Knight had a great tune. “I Heard it through the grapevine.”
November 24th, 2009 at 12:03 amMarvin’s is my favorite. Gladys for you….
November 24th, 2009 at 12:07 amLisa (#2) – So, as I said, Jack exacerbated the A/B split, but he didn’t cause it. I agree with you that he hasn’t helped mend anything.
November 24th, 2009 at 12:36 amI disagree as to his level of responsibility, especially in the most recent history and the past history as to the level of division.
November 24th, 2009 at 12:41 am