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Elections analyst Henry Olsen shares his thoughts on the GOP presidential candidate race

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“There are four factions of the Republican Party,” Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) shared with our class, “you have your moderates or establishment candidates, the evangelical voters, very conservative seculars and then your somewhat conservatives.” According to Mr. Olsen, it is the movement and allegiances of these four factions that dictate the outcome of Republican Primaries. The 2016 Primary fits this model, with one exception.

A self-described “political junkie,” Mr. Olsen analyzes elections for the EPPC and blogs for the center as well as the National Review.

“Trump doesn’t quite fit. He is attracting people on a class base, not ideological,” Mr. Olsen said. “Senator Rubio appeals to ‘somewhat conservatives’ – whereas Kasich appeals to ‘moderates.’” Not surprisingly, Gov. Kasich did well in New Hampshire, a state Mr. Olsen described to the Campaign Battlegrounds class as 45 to 49 percent moderate and the most moderate of early voting states.

Throughout our conversation, Mr. Olsen shared his insights on many recent events, including the Iowa Caucuses. Mr. Olsen noted that the polls were largely accurate. However, the voters’ capacity to change their minds was underestimated, resulting in a surprise win for Senator Ted Cruz.

On Governor Bush’s campaign, Mr. Olsen referred to a blog post he had written comparing Jeb to Rip Van Winkle, suggesting Governor Bush had taken a twenty-year nap, entering the 2016 campaign prepared to run in 1996. Clearly, the Jeb Van Winkle problem was real, contributing to the governor’s suspension of his campaign following the South Carolina caucus.

In our discussion, Mr. Olsen also cautioned against stereotyping Southern Republican primary voters as exclusively Evangelicals.

“John McCain beat Mike Huckabee in Texas in 2008,” Mr. Olsen reminded the class. Suggesting those Southern states are not necessarily committed to the most religious candidate.

As for the current state of the GOP race, Mr. Olsen noted “three candidates are still viable.” Updates to Mr. Olsen’s interpretation of the current primary process can be found on his blog for the National Review.

 

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State Representative Mike Curtin discusses marijuana legalization legislation, the 2016 presidential race and Citizens United

mike curtin“It’s been said your number one priority is family, and your number three priority is politics, so why don’t you tell them what your number two priority is?” Jerry Austin asked State Representative Mike Curtin (D) of Ohio’s 17th District during our class on January 26.

“I umpire baseball and fast-pitch baseball,” the Rep. Curtin replied. “Baseball is my love.”

Certainly, that is not the only unorthodox aspect of Rep. Curtin’s venture into politics. Born in Columbus in 1951, Rep. Curtin attending The Ohio State University where he majored in journalism and wrote for The Lantern.

“It was a tumultuous time on our campuses in Ohio and across the country,” Rep. Curtin told the class. “I got a great education in journalism because the times were so turbulent. We were covering riots, escalations with police….It was a great time to be thrown into the pool. To learn journalism by doing it.”

After college, Rep. Curtin joined the Columbus Dispatch. He spent the next 31 years there, eventually becoming the paper’s Chief Operating Officer. Rep. Curtin spent most of his time with the paper covering state and local politics. Rep. Curtin is also a published author. He co-wrote The Ohio Politics Almanac with Julia Barry Bell in 2006.

Following state-wide redistricting in 2010, Rep. Curtin ran for a newly created seat on the Westside of Columbus in 2012. Rep. Curtin has been active on a number of issues including redistricting reform, constitutional reform to block state-sanctioned monopolies and opposing monopolistic marijuana legalization – an issue he notes, “Willie Nelson was with us on.” Rep. Curtin further suggested similar tactics were impending with possible legislation for a Green Energy monopoly.

In our discussion, Rep. Curtin also discussed Citizens United, which allows for unlimited campaign contributions from corporations and unions to politically-motivated non-profited.

“Citizens United changed everything,” Rep. Curtin noted. This anonymous money can be used to mobilize canvassers, issue direct mailers, and purchase television and radio ads.

When asked about the 2016 Presidential race, Rep. Curtin said, “Twenty years ago, [U.S. Senator] Rob Portman would have been the strongest presidential candidate.” However, Rep. Curtin noted, “John Kasich has a good ground game.”

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Ethics and Public Policy Senior Fellow Henry Olsen to discuss Election Returns and Polling on Feb. 2

Henry Olsen will speak to Campaign Battleground on February 2, 2016. Mr. Olsen is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center as well an elections analyst and political essayist, studying conservative politics in America and abroad. His writings have been published in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and The Washington Post, among other prominent publications.

In his work, Mr. Olsen studies election returns and poll data to understand why people are voting in certain ways. He also analyzes how conservative politicians can best promote their ideas.

Mr. Olsen’s book, coauthored with University of New Hampshire professor Dante Scala, Four Faces of the Republican Party: The Fight for the 2016 Presidential Nomination is expected to be published this fall. Mr. Olsen is currently writing a second book, which focuses on President Reagan’s legacy for the conservatives.

During our discussion, the Campaign Battleground and Mr. Olsen will talk about his career, the Ethics and Public Policy Center and perhaps, the Iowa Caucus results and the upcoming New Hampshire Primary.

Olson

Source: Ethics & Public Policy Center

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Spring 2016 Class Welcome

Battlegrounders,

Welcome back for another exciting semester of National Battleground with Dr. John Green and Campaign Consultant Jerry Austin. With such an unprecedented race for the Presidency unfolding, we are thrilled to have you following the campaigns along with us in real-time. Will the unorthodox Donald Trump assume the Republican Party’s nomination in Cleveland? Can Secretary Clinton fend off the insurgent Senator Bernie Sanders? Perhaps we will know the answers to these questions at the cessation of class, perhaps not!

We are looking forward to sharing our discussions with you. In National Battleground, we hope to bring in speakers in and around to political and policy processes for in-depth interviews with the class. We strive to delve deeper than the traditional stump speech, asking our participants about the background, motivation and, occasionally, some “inside baseball.” Our line-up could include journalists, pollsters, elected officials and party leaders from the local, state and national levels.

We also hope to share our Week In Review presentations. It is a tradition of National Battleground to have one or two students recap the previous week’s news and events, with special emphasis on the campaigns. Doing so allows our class to stay well versed in the happenings of the world and lets our students dig a little deeper into the headlines. We’re sure you’ll enjoy their work.

Looking forward to having you along for the ride, and be sure to buckle-up as this particular nomination process could be a bumpy one!

-Alex Pavloff

National Battleground TA

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Clerk of Council Bob Keith discusses Akron City Council, his life in public service, and the future of Akron’s legislative body

On Tuesday, December 1, Clerk of Akron City Council Bob Keith joined Battleground for a discussion on local government and public service.

Mr. Keith began his career in the private sector, running a local restaurant and then a tailoring business. During that time, Mr. Keith was elected to City Council representing Akron’s Eighth Ward, encompassing the West Side of Akron. The Eighth Ward is the only Republican-leaning ward in the city. Mr. Keith suggested he strove for bi-partisan support and consensus in governing, saying, “I could not have been elected without the Republicans.”

Mr. Keith was not afraid to discuss some of the more contentious aspects of the legislative body, noting factionalism and the city’s precarious financial situation. Though Mr. Keith likes to joke, telling young people to “stay off the Third Floor of City Hall,” where the council offices are located he was optimistic about the future of the city. He noted the coming election of a new council president as well as the gradual incorporation of millennials into local politics as bright spots for the city’s future.

Watch the full conversation below or by visiting the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics YouTube channel.

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Dave Yost, Auditor of the State of Ohio, – discusses functions of the Auditor’s Office, campaigning for public office – and his unique campaign commercials

On Tuesday, November 24, Dave Yost, Auditor of the State of Ohio, joined Battleground for a candid and enlightening discussion.

Auditor Yost began his career as a journalist, writing for the Columbus Citizen-Journal. Answering the call to serve his community and state, Mr. Yost entered public service through the administrations of Columbus Mayor Buck Rinehart and Governor George Voinovich.

After earning his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School, Mr. Yost spent several years in private practice. He later returned to public service and was elected Delaware County auditor in 1999, prosecutor in 2003, and Auditor of the State of Ohio in 2011.

Mr. Yost shared the background of his “Yo Yost!” campaign commercials, revealing his wife originated the idea. The discussion then turned to functions of the Auditor’s office, an often overlooked yet critically important office tasked with ensuring fiscal responsibility among municipal governments, functions of state government and institutions receiving state support. Auditor Yost also answered questions about the difference among the various regions of Ohio, which he described as one of the state’s great strengths.

Watch the full conversation below or by visiting the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics YouTube channel.

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National Battleground class travels to New Hampshire

 

National Battleground—a combined section, selected topic course in political science, taught by Dr. John Green and Gerald Austin—examines contemporary campaigning and electioneering going on across the United States. The class overall is a hands on, first look approach to campaigns and elections.

Offered each fall and spring semester, National Battleground takes a class trip to follow and engage in politics of the moment—such as Mayoral, Governor, and Presidential races. Past class trips have included Louisville, New York City, and Washington D.C.

Most recently, National Battleground traveled to New Hampshire, where students both learned about the historical nature of New Hampshire primary politics and were given a crash course in all things New Hampshire.

New Hampshire is a litmus test for Presidential candidates. The first in the nation to hold a primary, New Hampshire serves as an early indicator of the political winds of the entire country. This being said, New Hampshire voters take great pride in this and therefore do not take this lightly. In fact, the average voter there doesn’t make up their mind on a candidate until about four or five times of being polled and canvassed. Moreover, it is not uncommon for Presidential candidates to visit homes and have a one on one conversation with a voter—as this is a traditional expectation of candidates traveling through the state. Overall, it can be said that candidates who do not fare well there will not win the White House.

Over the course of the trip, students met with various experts in all things New Hampshire politics, including both the Democratic and Republican chairman’s, an alumnus of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics MAP program who consults currently in the state, and a professor of political science at Saint Anselm College. Additionally, students were able to canvass and contribute to campaign efforts with the campaign of their liking.

This upcoming spring semester National Battleground is taking a class trip to South Carolina to observe the primary. For more information on upcoming trips students are advised to contact Janet Bolois at the Ray C. Bliss Institute, located in Olin Hall 325.

NH Anselm College New Hampshire Democratic Headquarters Concord NH

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DCIM102GOPRO

Hillary Clinton Canvassing Concord NH Democratic Chairman Concord NH

 

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Ohio Republican Party Field Organizer David Warren discusses field organizing in anticipation of the 2016 Presidential Election

On November 17, Campaign Battleground welcomed Ohio Republican Party Field Organizer David Warren to our class.

Mr. Warren discussed his unconventional entry into politics, having previously embarked on a career in financial planning and banking. Mr. Warren began as a volunteer for a State Legislative Race in Maryland, where he is originally from. From there Mr. Warren helped his friend, elected to the legislature, pass three different bills in the Statehouse. Mr. Warren then worked on a congressional election in Maryland, before taking up politics full-time and becoming a field organizer for the RNC in the Youngstown Area during the 2012 Cycle. Mr. Warren had considerable success there, garnering coverage on several national media outlets. Following that election, Mr. Warren returned to Maryland, working towards a winning effort in the Governor’s election in 2014.

Mr. Warren has returned to Northeast Ohio in anticipation of the 2016 Presidential Election. He discussed methods of organizing, finding roles for volunteers that best fit their talents, and how his role has changed over the course of several campaign cycles. Mr. Warren also highlighted similarities and differences between campaigning in Ohio and his home state of Maryland.

Watch the full conversation below or by visiting the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics YouTube channel.

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Ohio Democratic Party Field Organizer Tony Stratis discusses organizing in anticipation of the 2016 Election

On November 10, Campaign Battleground welcomed Ohio Democratic Party Field Organizer Tony Stratis to our class.

Tony is a double graduate of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Political Science, earning his undergraduate degree and Masters in Applied Politics. As a field organizer in the Akron area, Mr. Stratis is charged with identifying and recruiting volunteers for the upcoming election.

Mr. Stratis discussed the process and challenges of field organizing, specific methods he utilizes, and the political climate of Northeast Ohio heading into the 2016 Presidential Election.

Mr. Stratis touched on specific policies, such as raising the minimum wage and special education funding. Mr. Stratis noted the latter policy and its importance to his family, sharing their struggles with his sister, a young woman living with autism. Mr. Stratis also discussed the Ohio Democratic Party’s decision to endorse Former Governor Ted Strickland in the Democratic Primary for United States Senate over Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld.

Watch the full conversation below or by visiting the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics YouTube channel.

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State Representative Kirk Schuring discusses Ballot Issues 1 through 3

On November 10, Campaign Battleground welcomed State Representative Kirk Schuring to our class.

Rep. Schuring represents Ohio’s 48th District, encompassing parts of northern Stark County. His career in public service began in 1993, when he was appointed to a vacant house seat. He was elected to four terms in the Ohio House and two terms in the Ohio Senate before returning to the House in 2011. Rep. Schuring was the Republican nominee for the Ohio 16th congressional district in 2008.

Rep. Schuring joined us to discuss his career, including his time in the state legislature. He touched on a number of current issues, such as redistricting reform, energy efficiency and pension reform. He discussed the nature of campaigning for a state legislative seat, including the fundraising required. He also talked about the 2016 presidential election, giving us valuable insight from the perspective of a member of the state legislature.

Watch the full conversation below or by visiting the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics YouTube channel.