Biden revs up Dems in Ohio

September 7, 2010 at 12:10a.m.

Associated Press

TOLEDO

Democrats facing plenty of anger over the nation’s economic hard times along with troubling poll numbers called in Vice President Joe Biden to energize party loyalists at a Labor Day parade Monday.

Biden spent the holiday in this prized swing-voting state with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who is facing an uphill re-election bid just two years after Democrats here helped elect President Barack Obama and seemed positioned to lock up political control.

The vice president dashed along the downtown parade route, shaking hands and hugging supporters, many of them wearing shirts with the names of local candidates.

He seemed to energize the crowd, smiling most of the way.

“Beautiful dog,” he shouted to a man sitting with a yellow Labrador.

Biden didn’t make any public remarks during his hour-long appearance before flying home to spend time with his family.

Democrats hope he delivered some much needed enthusiasm. Strickland acknowledged they face a challenging climate.

A poll released Sunday by The Columbus Dispatch said Republican candidates have double-digit leads in the races for governor and U.S. Senate.

“I think I’m down,” Strickland said. “I don’t think I’m down by 12 points.”

Still, he said he’s confident he’ll win with his campaign strategy to get out early voters and frequent visits from Biden and Obama. The president will be in Cleveland Wednesday to talk about research and development tax credits for businesses.

“I hope both of them come back often,” Strickland said, denying any suggestion that wavering support for the president could hurt his campaign.

He said he expects Biden to be back in the state at least three times before the November election. He was just in Toledo two weeks ago, telling workers at a Jeep assembly plant that the Obama administration’s bailout of the U.S. auto industry had saved thousands of jobs.

Republican Rich Iott, a businessman who is challenging longtime U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Toledo, blamed the Democrats for slowing the economy.

“Those who run big and small businesses are not hiring because they are uncertain about what Washington is going to do next to either tax or regulate their business or industry,” he said.

Dennis Duffer, a member of the local bricklayers union who marched in Monday’s parade, said there seems to be less interest in the election this time around compared with two years ago when Obama was on his way to become the nation’s first black president.

“This is just not as dramatic,” he said, adding that anyone in office is in trouble this year.

“People are looking for someone who turn the country around. They just want someone with a plan.”