Fisher: Valley residents can expect to see candidates

By David Skolnick

The political conventions will be a ‘distant memory’ when votes are cast for the president.

YOUNGSTOWN — Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher expects the two major political party presidential nominees and their vice presidential running mates to spend a lot of time in the Mahoning Valley and southeast Ohio.

“My advice to Barack Obama and Joe Biden is to buy houses in the Mahoning Valley,” Fisher, a Democrat, told The Vindicator on Friday about his party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates.

The Valley is heavily Democratic, and Fisher said its residents expect to see presidential and vice presidential candidates in the area.

“It’s hard to get the votes by the people here without physically being here,” he said. “Being on ‘Meet the Press’ won’t work.”

Fisher said Obama and John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, both gave strong speeches at their respective conventions. Admitting his bias, Fisher said Obama did a better job than McCain.

But he criticized Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, for delivering a “negative speech.”

The conventions are on the minds of voters now, but will be a “distant memory” when they vote, Fisher said.

“I don’t think voters will base their votes on the conventions,” he said.

While the election isn’t until Nov. 4, voters in Ohio can cast absentee ballots beginning at the end of the month.

Fisher agrees with political experts Ohio will be a key state in the presidential election.

“All four candidates will spend a great deal of time in Ohio,” he said. “I don’t think ’08 is fundamentally different than ’04 or 2000. The Midwest will be where a candidate wins or loses the race, and Ohio is the most important state in that area.”

Polls show a statistical dead-heat in Ohio between Obama and McCain.

When asked if the scandal at the attorney general’s office that led to the May 14 resignation of Marc Dann, a Democrat, would be used by the Republicans as an issue in the presidential race, Fisher said, “I don’t think so. We responded quickly to that. I don’t think there will be negative after-effects of that unfortunate incident.”

skolnick@vindy.com