Description
When Ohio Was Blue is a book about politics for people who aren’t steeped in it and who may not even like politics very much. Far more than simply a memoir, this book provides readers with a behind-the-scenes account of what it was like to work at the highest level of Ohio politics during the 1980s and ’90s, when Democrats like the late US Senators John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum dominated the political landscape in the Buckeye State.
Dale Butland—who was both personally and professionally close with Glenn, Metzenbaum, and the other political figures who take center-stage in these pages—peppers his account with hilarious stories and poignant anecdotes to give readers a true sense of who these men were, what made them tick, and why they enjoyed such enormous success. Along the way, Butland highlights how Glenn and Metzenbaum navigated many of that era’s most controversial political issues, illuminating the critical but unsung role talented staff members can play in the process.
When Ohio Was Blue isn’t just a nostalgic look at past politics, rather it is an insightful analysis of the unpredictable and quirky business of politics and Butland’s attentive examination of how and why America’s politics have become so thoroughly polarized in recent years, along with a few suggestions for how to fix our badly broken economic and political systems.
For those who crave a funny, unvarnished, and thoroughly entertaining look at what politics once was—and perhaps can be again—When Ohio Was Blue is just the book.
About the author
Dale Butland has forty-six years of experience in government and political communications. For nearly two decades, he worked for the late US Senator and astronaut John Glenn, serving as his press secretary, Ohio chief of staff, and reelection campaign director. He’s also worked for numerous other Ohio politicians, including US Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum and talk show host Jerry Springer. He regularly appears on several politics and public affairs television shows and is a frequent op-ed contributor to many Ohio and national newspapers, including a poignant remembrance of Senator Glenn, “John Glenn: The Last American Hero?” published by The New York Times.
Praise for When Ohio Was Blue
Butland pulls back the curtain to give us a new understanding of the hero we needed in the state we thought would always matter. This personal take on Ohio’s political evolution, from a man who stood at the side of John Glenn, makes us long for a time when character and diplomacy still mattered. It’s an American tale told with the honesty and humor that can only come from someone who lived it.
—Colleen Marshall, Anchor, NBC4, WCMH-TV, Columbus
As someone who campaigned alongside John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum, I can vouch for the accuracy of Butland’s intimate insights. What a treat to see these two dedicated public servants up close and personal, in the fresh, crisp prose of a real pro. Dale Butland does much more than remind us of when Ohio epitomized a swing state; he takes us along for a remarkable ride with two of Ohio’s finest US Senators. If you want a taste of what politics can be at its best (and, occasionally, not so best) Butland offers you a feast!
—Richard F. Celeste, Governor of Ohio, 1982–1990
A gifted storyteller, Dale Butland writes with clarity, concision, and humor to explain how Ohio became and remained a mostly blue state in the 1970s and ’80s. His behind-the-scenes accounts are unmatched for understanding Ohio politics and its leading figures for nearly a quarter-century.
—Mike Curtin, coauthor, The Ohio Politics Almanac; Former Editor, The Columbus Dispatch
The definitive account of how John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum dominated the Ohio political landscape for two decades. Butland was by their side at crucial moments and writes in an entertaining and candid style, offering astute insights into how campaigns were won and lost. I learned a lot I didn’t know. A timely reminder of how politics was conducted in a more civil and constructive era.
—Bob Taft, Governor of Ohio, 1999–2007
Butland’s book not only enhances John Glenn’s deserved reputation as an American hero, it rewards readers with an insightful, nostalgic, and anecdote-rich return to a time when Ohio still mattered on the national stage, a time when Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum were two of the most consequential political figures Ohioans ever sent to the United States Senate.
—Brent Larkin, Columnist and retired Editorial Page Editor, Cleveland Plain Dealer
