{"id":6466,"date":"2026-01-09T15:32:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/?post_type=product&p=6466"},"modified":"2026-04-17T16:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T20:28:19","slug":"when-ohio-was-blue","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/product\/when-ohio-was-blue\/","title":{"rendered":"When Ohio Was Blue"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Ohio Was Blue<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is a book about politics for people who\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0steeped 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 \u201990s, when Democrats like the late US Senators John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum dominated the political landscape in the Buckeye State.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dale Butland\u2014who was both personally and professionally close with Glenn, Metzenbaum, and the other political figures who take center-stage in these pages\u2014peppers 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,\u00a0Butland highlights\u00a0how Glenn and Metzenbaum navigated many of that era\u2019s most controversial political issues, illuminating the critical but unsung role talented staff members can play in the process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Ohio Was Blue<\/span><\/i>\u00a0isn\u2019t just a nostalgic look at past politics, rather it is an insightful analysis of the unpredictable and quirky business of politics and Butland\u2019s attentive examination of how and why America\u2019s 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For those who crave a funny, unvarnished, and thoroughly entertaining look at what politics once was\u2014and\u00a0perhaps can\u00a0be again\u2014<\/span>When Ohio Was Blue<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is just the book.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About the author<\/h2>\n

Dale Butland has forty-six years of experience in government and political communications. For\u00a0<\/span>nearly two<\/span>\u00a0decades, he worked for the late US Senator and astronaut John Glenn, serving as his press secretary, Ohio chief of staff, and reelection campaign director.\u00a0<\/span>He\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0also worked for\u00a0<\/span>numerous<\/span>\u00a0other Ohio politicians, including US Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum and talk show host Jerry Springer. He regularly appears on several politics and public affairs\u00a0<\/span>television\u00a0<\/span>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\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The New York Times<\/span><\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Praise for When Ohio Was Blue<\/em><\/h2>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span>It’s<\/span>\u00a0an American tale told with the honesty and humor that can only come from someone who lived it.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Colleen Marshall, Anchor, NBC4, WCMH-TV, Columbus<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As someone who campaigned alongside John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum, I can vouch for the accuracy of Butland\u2019s 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\u2019s finest US Senators. If you want a taste of what politics can be at its best (and, occasionally, not so best)<\/span>\u00a0Butland<\/span>\u00a0offers you a feast!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Richard F. Celeste, Governor of Ohio<\/span>, 1<\/span>982\u20131990<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A gifted storyteller, Dale Butland writes with clarity, concision, and humor to explain how Ohio became and\u00a0<\/span>remained<\/span>\u00a0a mostly blue state in the 1970s and \u201980s. His behind-the-scenes accounts are unmatched for understanding Ohio politics and its leading figures for\u00a0<\/span>nearly a<\/span>\u00a0quarter-century.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Mike Curtin, coauthor,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Ohio Politics Almanac<\/span><\/span><\/em>; Former Editor,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Columbus Dispatch<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>didn’t<\/span>\u00a0know.\u00a0<\/span>A timely<\/span>\u00a0reminder of how politics was conducted in a more civil and constructive era.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Bob Taft, Governor of Ohio<\/span>, 1<\/span>999\u20132007<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Butland\u2019s book not only enhances John Glenn\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Brent Larkin, Columnist and retired Editorial Page Editor,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Cleveland Plain Dealer<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Media<\/h2>\n

Dale Butland on All Sides with Amy Juravich<\/a>, WOSU Public Media<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Butland packs the book with delicious stories. He\u2019s the insider behind the curtain, sharing details flattering and not so much. What emerges is the portrait of athrowback. Glenn serves as a measure of how steeply the current debate has declined. He reflects a certain seriousness missing today.” \u2014Michael Douglas, Akron Beacon Journal<\/a><\/p>\n

“Ohio\u2019s influ\u00adence as a swing state is gone and it\u2019s los\u00ading pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion, but But\u00adland\u2019s account of how Glenn and Met\u00adzen\u00adbaum com\u00admanded the state\u2019s polit\u00adical struc\u00adture dur\u00ading the 1980s and 1990s is enter\u00adtain\u00ading and per\u00adsonal.”\u2014Barbara McIntyre, Akron Beacon Journal<\/a><\/p>\n

Interview<\/a> with Mike Thompson at Columbus on The Record.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Twenty-Year Journey with John Glenn<\/span><\/h2>\n

Dale Butland<\/h3>\n

Size: 6 x 9<\/p>\n

Page count: 221<\/p>\n

Images: Nearly two dozen B&W<\/p>\n

Pre-order now and get 30% off a copy of When Ohio Was Blue<\/em> with the code POLITICS30.<\/p>\n

Note: Discount code does not work on mobile devices.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6468,"template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[84107,80523],"product_tag":[98669,98670,98672,98666,98671,98665,98667,98664,98668],"class_list":{"0":"post-6466","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-bliss-institute","7":"product_cat-recent-releases","8":"product_tag-1980s-politics","9":"product_tag-1990s-politics","10":"product_tag-democrats-in-ohio","11":"product_tag-howard-metzenbaum","12":"product_tag-inside-politics","13":"product_tag-john-glenn","14":"product_tag-ohio-democractic-party","15":"product_tag-ohio-politics","16":"product_tag-political-reform","18":"first","19":"instock","20":"shipping-taxable","21":"product-type-simple"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/6466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=6466"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=6466"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/uapress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=6466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}