Gov. Strickland Endorses Clinton As ‘Best Prepared’
By Jim Provance, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio
Nov. 10–COLUMBUS — Saying the “road to the White House goes through Ohio,” presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton yesterday hoped she’d gotten a ride in the express lane by securing the endorsement of Gov. Ted Strickland.
With a University of Cincinnati Ohio Poll released yesterday showing 69 percent of Ohio voters approving of Mr. Strickland’s job performance, the decision of the governor and former congressman to drop his neutrality in the race could send a message well beyond the Buckeye State.
Polls already show Mrs. Clinton leading her Democratic rivals in Ohio, which will hold its primary election March 4.
“I have felt for quite some time that Senator Clinton was the strongest, most experienced, best-prepared person to be the next president,” Mr. Strickland said. “I think that was probably related to the fact that I’ve known her for years, and I’ve admired her commitment to public service.
“She’s concerned about the same kind of issues I felt like I ran on when I ran for governor, the practical, bread-and-butter issues that are important to the quality of life of Ohioans and the people across the country,” he said. “She’s a strong advocate for health care, education, and economic growth.”
With the Iowa caucuses eight weeks away, he said he decided during a recent telephone call with Madeline Albright, who was secretary of state under former President Bill Clinton, that it might be time to take a stand. That led to a follow-up conversation with the New York senator and former first lady.
“This has to be one of the most underwhelming political endorsements this year,” said Rep. Kevin DeWine (R., Fairborn), deputy director of the Ohio Republican Party. “Strickland and Clinton have been cronies ever since they conspired to force the American public to swallow the poison pill of a massive government-funded health care bureaucracy.”
The endorsement is bound to fuel speculation about a possible place for Mr. Strickland on the Clinton ticket in the fall.
“I don’t want to be so presumptuous to even presume I’d be considered for the vice presidency, but I also want to make it absolutely clear that I have no interest at all in that,” he said. “Even if I were asked, I have no interest in doing that. I like being governor, and I intend to remain governor.”
In an earlier conference call with Mr. Strickland and reporters, Mrs. Clinton dismissed a question about a possible place for the governor on her ticket.
“I have the highest admiration for Governor Strickland, but it’s way premature to be talking about running mates,” she said. “I’m not taking anything for granted. I’m working as hard as I can every day to win my party’s nomination, and if I’m fortunate enough to be the nominee, I will then turn my focus on picking a running mate.”
A former Methodist minister and prison psychologist and a gun-rights supporter, Mr. Strickland was repeatedly sent back to Congress from an Appalachian southern Ohio territory not always kind to Democrats.
With a landslide victory last November, he became the first Democratic governor of Ohio in 16 years.
Mrs. Clinton invited Mr. Strickland to attend a key Democratic event tonight in Iowa, further indication that Mrs. Clinton believes the endorsement of the Ohio governor has cache beyond Ohio.
“The more important effects are national,” said Herb Asher, Ohio State University political science professor emeritus. “It looks right now like the Ohio primary on March 4 is not going to be that significant, but the endorsement of a popular governor from a key state sends a signal to the Democratic Party establishment that he thinks she is the best candidate.”
He also said Mr. Strickland’s denials will do little to cool the vice presidential speculation.
“If Ohio is going to be the key state, and when you have an extremely popular governor with substantial Washington, D.C., experience, any Democratic nominee would have to put Governor Strickland at or near the top of a list of potential vice presidential running mates,” Mr. Asher said.
President Bush secured a second term in 2004 by eking out a narrow win in Ohio over U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.). Mr. Strickland said yesterday he believes no Democrat will be elected next year without picking up either Ohio or Florida, which has a popular Republican governor in Charlie Crist.
Ben LaBolt, campaign spokesman for Sen. Barack Obama, noted the governor’s long relationship with the Clintons.
“But we believe that winning Ohio in 2008 will require a nominee who can attract Republicans and independents to vote for them, like Strickland did in 2006 and Barack Obama has done throughout his career in public office,” he said.
There was no immediate comment from former North Carolina senator John Edwards’ campaign.
Contact Jim Provance at: jprovance@theblade.com or 614-221-0496.
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