It’s been a rough campaign season for Retread Ted Strickland. In case you missed it, Cleveland.com’s Jeremy Pelzer lays out why:
Here’s why Ted Strickland is losing Ohio’s U.S. Senate race
Cleveland.com
As Labor Day approaches – the traditional start of the campaign season – Democrat Ted Strickland is losing Ohio’s U.S. Senate race to Republican incumbent Rob Portman.
…
Strickland hasn’t had the money to air any ads in response until recently, and Democratic groups have canceled planned ad buys this month on his behalf.
…
A basic rule in politics is that candidates need to define themselves to voters before their opponents can define them. Strickland has so far largely failed to do that, as his opponents have aired tens of millions worth of ads portraying Strickland as, among other things, a "D.C. insider" and a governor who ran the state’s finances into the ground.
…
As of June 30 (the most recent date for which statistics are available), Portman raised $15.1 million, the most of any vulnerable GOP Senate candidate in the country. Strickland raised less than half that amount: $7.1 million.
…
A prevailing sentiment among Ohio Democrats is that Strickland is deficient in the practices of modern campaigns. He underestimates the impact gaffes play in a faster-moving news cycle and does not like to be handled. As a former governor, he believes he already has reached the pinnacle in professional politics and can be too proud or too stubborn to take advice from less-experienced staff.
…
Age is a factor, too, several Strickland allies acknowledge, saying that the 75-year-old isn’t as sharp as he used to be. His campaign and Democrats close to him, though, strongly deny that Strickland is slowing down.
…