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Why did Democrats switch?
On the side
Chairman’s dinner: The Mahoning County Democratic Party has finalized the date of its chairman’s dinner — Aug. 12 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, will be the keynote speaker.
Tickets for the dinner are $500. A private meet-and-greet with Frank before the dinner is also $500 a ticket.
Mahoning Democratic Chairman David Betras had said tickets would be cheaper, but he kept the prices the same as last year’s dinner and private get-together.
The party should make about $200,000 from Frank’s visit, Betras said.
Grand opening: The Green Party of Mahoning County is holding a grand opening reception 4:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at its office, the Pig Iron Press Building at 26 N. Phelps St. in Youngstown.
The Mahoning Valley Greens, the party’s political action committee, next meets at 7:30 p.m. July 12 in the meeting room of the Casa Ramirez Mexican Restaurant, 1578 Mahoning Ave. in Youngstown.
The numbers are interesting, but do they mean anything?
During the May 4 primary, 1,290 registered Democrats in Mahoning County changed parties and voted Republican last month. In comparison, only 212 registered Republicans switched parties and voted in the Democratic primary.
In Trumbull County, 1,301 registered Democrats changed parties last month compared to 200 going the other way.
In Columbiana County, 916 registered Democrats voted in the GOP primary with 119 Republicans switching party allegiance.
It was like that all over the state with significantly more Democrats changing political parties compared to Republicans.
But why?
It certainly wasn’t because of any hot Republican statewide races last month. The only compelling statewide race was the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in which Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher defeated Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
There is dissatisfaction with Democrats who control the White House and Congress.
National polls show the approval rating of President Barack Obama, a Democrat, is low.
After the Democrats made tremendous gains in the 2006 and 2008 elections, this year is shaping up to be a bad one for the majority party as of today.
A lot can and will change between now and the November election. But even Democrats acknowledge they will lose seats in the House and the Senate.
It’s a matter of how many.
Polls also show that those who identify themselves as Republicans are more likely to vote in November, and are more enthusiastic about voting for their party’s candidates than Democrats.
With tight races expected at the top of the ticket in Ohio — governor and U.S. senator — this is likely causing concern among Democratic leaders in the state.
But there are other explanations for the party switch of voters in Ohio.
The criticism Democrats are receiving now is comparable to what voters felt about Republicans in 2008, after eight years of George W. Bush’s presidency.
Moderates who left the Republican Party to vote in the 2008 Democratic primary are now displeased with Democrats and switched again.
Another theory is conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh’s “Operation Chaos” swelled the number of Democrats voting in that party’s 2008 primary. Limbaugh urged his listeners to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primary to create chaos in that party with Obama on his way to being the Democratic nominee.
Those who followed Limbaugh’s advice returned home to the Republican Party last month, some say.
Regardless of the reasons, both parties need to convince voters that their candidates are worth of being elected.