DOWN -- BUT NOT OUT
| By David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens - Nov 24th, 2008 at 12:41 pm EST |
| Also listed in: Interfaith Peace Coalition | Licking County Pro-Active Citizens (www.licopac.org) | Ohio 12th Congressional District |
Dave Robinson got his first taste of politics this year -- and evidently liked it.
Even though Robinson, a Columbus businessman and environmentalist, lost in his bid to oust four-term Congressman Pat Tiberi, the Democratic newbie sounded Sunday like he'll be coming back for a second helping in 2010 and/or 2012.
"My core motivation remains undiminished," Robinson told supporters at a post-election reception in Westerville. His father, Jerry, was even more specific. "This is only the beginning, the first step," said Robinson Sr., pointing out that many of today's Democratic heavyweights, including Gov. Ted Strickland, lost in their initial bid for office.
Robinson and his key staffers said they feel they ran a respectable campaign, given Tiberi's 10-1 financial advantage and much greater name recognition in the 12th Congressional District. Robinson got 42 percent of the vote in Franklin County but was hammered in Licking (30 percent) and Delaware counties (28 percent). That shows the power of the 2000 gerrymandering of congressional districts by the then Republican-controlled General Assembly.
Democrats are more confident they'll control the map-making when new state legislative and congressional districts are drawn following the 2010 census. If that's the case, it would be advantage-Democrats beginning in 2012.
Which leaves Robinson a number of options if he chooses to pursue them. Rather than go up against Tiberi again in 2010 in the same GOP weighted district, Robinson appears to be leaning towards a local race in Franklin County in 2010 to gain experience and much-needed visibility. If successful, that could leave him in a better position to seek a Congressional seat in 2012 or thereafter.
Meanwhile, Robinson said he intends to continue to work for the Al Gore "global warming" initiative as a guest speaker on environmental and energy topics. His archived web site remains up at www.robinson2008.com
We at LICOPAC hope Robinson stays active in area politics. All too often, Democrats have tried to launch their political careers by running for Congress instead of working their way up the political ladder as Republicans have been prone to do. Hopefully, this time, we have a candidate who's ready to engage for the long haul.
Even though Robinson, a Columbus businessman and environmentalist, lost in his bid to oust four-term Congressman Pat Tiberi, the Democratic newbie sounded Sunday like he'll be coming back for a second helping in 2010 and/or 2012.
"My core motivation remains undiminished," Robinson told supporters at a post-election reception in Westerville. His father, Jerry, was even more specific. "This is only the beginning, the first step," said Robinson Sr., pointing out that many of today's Democratic heavyweights, including Gov. Ted Strickland, lost in their initial bid for office.
Robinson and his key staffers said they feel they ran a respectable campaign, given Tiberi's 10-1 financial advantage and much greater name recognition in the 12th Congressional District. Robinson got 42 percent of the vote in Franklin County but was hammered in Licking (30 percent) and Delaware counties (28 percent). That shows the power of the 2000 gerrymandering of congressional districts by the then Republican-controlled General Assembly.
Democrats are more confident they'll control the map-making when new state legislative and congressional districts are drawn following the 2010 census. If that's the case, it would be advantage-Democrats beginning in 2012.
Which leaves Robinson a number of options if he chooses to pursue them. Rather than go up against Tiberi again in 2010 in the same GOP weighted district, Robinson appears to be leaning towards a local race in Franklin County in 2010 to gain experience and much-needed visibility. If successful, that could leave him in a better position to seek a Congressional seat in 2012 or thereafter.
Meanwhile, Robinson said he intends to continue to work for the Al Gore "global warming" initiative as a guest speaker on environmental and energy topics. His archived web site remains up at www.robinson2008.com
We at LICOPAC hope Robinson stays active in area politics. All too often, Democrats have tried to launch their political careers by running for Congress instead of working their way up the political ladder as Republicans have been prone to do. Hopefully, this time, we have a candidate who's ready to engage for the long haul.
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