ProgressOhio

ProgressOhio's Dave Harding is usually first to post what's in the news but he must be hesitant to toot his own horn and link to a national story that features he and some other prominent Ohio bloggers.

In the second installment of a series on Ohio bloggers, Campaigns & Elections talks about what's hot in Ohio -- and how ProgressOhio is expanding:

One of the state's largest online political communities, ProgressOhio, seeks to organize progressive groups on a local level. Dave Harding, who runs the site's blog, says the non-profit is careful to avoid coordination with the party nowadays.

The site, which Harding says has over a quarter of a million members, is as likely to post items about Ohio health care issues as the presidents' approval ratings. The group provides organizing tools for a myriad of progressive groups. The focus, says Harding, is issue advocacy and becoming part of the day-to-day news cycle.

"I think we're going to see an increase in the number of people who get their news from the blogging community," Harding said. "With the new technology, it's ever-expanding."

The piece also highlights some of the recent reporting down by Buckeye State Blog, which it calls the "starting point for any Democratic political junkie in Ohio.''

BSB is credited with focusing lots of attention on the race for Columbus mayor, which features popular incumbent Michael Coleman against GOP newcomer Bill Todd, a local lawyer who is best known for failing to keep the Ohio Chamber of Commerce from running illegal political ads.

The Chamber's troubles began when it raised money and paid for political ads (it said they were issue-advocacy'' spots) against Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick.

While BSB gently pokes at the mainstream media for not doing more on the mayor's race, there is a non-sinister explanation for it: It's not considered to be much of a race.

To read Campaigns & Elections first installment, click here.