IN MY SHOES: I Must Have Been The Most Conflicted Voter In Ohio On Election Day
By Cynthia Ruccia
I became politically active in my teens, working my heart out on Eugene McCarthy’s quixotic bid for the Democratic nomination for President because I admired his bravery in opposing the Viet Nam war. At Columbia University in the early ‘70s, I became passionately involved in the Women's Movement, and decided I would devote my life to helping women get ahead. I had the moxie to speak truth to power when others remained silent, and I wanted to put it to good use to advance the cause of women's empowerment and parity.
But, I married a great guy – we’re still a couple 38 years later - and his career as an engineer forced us to move to a new city every year or so for the next dozen years. It was difficult to set down political roots anywhere. All of that came to an end when we settled down in Columbus in 1984. I bore two sons, and started a business that set women up in their own businesses and taught them how to make money on their own terms. Eventually, I decided to get into the political arena.
John Kasich, the governor-elect of OH, was my political rival in 1994 and 1996 when we ran against each other to represent our district in the House of Representatives – him, as an incumbent Republican and me, as a change-agent Democrat.
Of course I didn't win the first time, because I was a political unknown. So, I ran against Kasich again.
Kasich just burned me up with what I perceived as his way-out-there sense of entitlement, his brash arrogance, and his overall rude demeanor. I was at the end of my rope with the idea that he could never be beaten – which also meant I was sick-and-tired of folks here in Columbus thinking he could walk on water. I was really good at raising money - around $750,000 between my two attempts, which was a lot of money for this kind of race back then - and forced Kasich to spend money on his race against me instead of giving it out to other candidates nationwide.
I admit it: I just couldn't stand the guy. And he earned my everlasting enmity twice, both incidents involving my children.
Kasich and I were on separate floats in the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival parade. My older son, who was then 12-years old, said he wanted to meet my opponent so I took him to the other end of the parade to Kasich's float to introduce them. When my son stuck out his hand to shake the Congressman's hand, Kasich just looked at him, grumbled something and turned his back on him.
Not too long after that incident, Kasich’s staff scheduled an appearance at my younger son’s elementary school the day after the election. There are hundreds of elementary schools in the district, and I'm guessing that Kasich chose my son’s school for the sole purpose of rubbing the loss in my face. But even if I am wrong and his intent was not malevolent, it was tactless.
Well, fast forward to the just-ended midterms. If you read this blog with some regularity, you know that I have left the Democratic party and have become an Independent. I was one of many people who left the party – by one estimate, more than a million people with lifelong connections to the party left, and are not looking back.
My dilemma: Kasich was running against incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland, who I struck up a friendship with during my own run against Kasich and consider as nice a man as Kasich is nasty.
As I am beholden to no party, I decided the Democrats needed to be punished for all of the sexism that they turned a blind eye to during Hillary Clinton’s primary battle against Barack Obama in 2008. On the other hand, this particular Democrat had put his entire reputation on the line for Hillary Clinton when she ran for president.
Still, my ire at the Democrats kept intensifying throughout the Kasich-Strickland campaign - I HATED seeing Democrat officials in OH fawn over Obama during his many, many, many trips he made here. None of these officials ever protested the anti-Hillary sexism that was endemic to the Obama campaign. Women were the first group Obama threw under the bus, we've gotten a lot of company since then.
So, did I have the courage of my convictions?
Well, there's a little more back story you need to know before I divulge how I voted. Disgusted with the way the Obama campaign and the party establishment was treating Hillary, I joined a group of Ohioans who were planning to hold a press conference toward the end of May, 2008 to announce we were prepared to quit the party and vote for John McCain if the sexism didn’t stop – something no organized group had done before.
At the time, Kasich had a show on FOX on Saturday nights, and often subbed for Bill O'Reilly. We decided to give Kasich, a fellow Ohioan, the scoop. Since I was the designated spokesperson of our group, I called his office to see if he wanted the story. As soon as his aide heard it was me, he told me that I wasn't getting near Kasich and he hung up the phone! Well, with my famous moxie, I called back and told the little twerp that I had a very hot story and not to hang up on me, cause I was giving them an exclusive. He listened to it all and then hung up on me again. Ten minutes later I got a call from Bill O'Reilly! He must have a better nose for news than Kasich, because he got the exclusive interview.
OK, so what happened in the voting booth? I am making a public confession that my anger at the Democrats won out, and I voted against my good friend. Fortunately Strickland lost by over 100,000 votes, so my betrayal of him – or to put it another way, my fidelity to my core values - didn't affect the outcome of the election.
I live in the neighborhood where the Governor's Mansion is located and jog past it regularly. From time to time I've seen Strickland or his wife, Frances, when I ran by. Now, I may see Kasich as I run by. That will be interesting!
Kasich is still brash and still obnoxious, as far as I’m concerned. But since OH is $8 billion in the hole and our budget MUST be balanced this year, it might just take a guy like him to do the painful things that must be done. If so, I won’t regret my vote.
Great article! My election day went just about the same except with a lot less baggage against the Republicans I voted for. Isn't it great being an Indy now? The Dem party decided they didn't owe us anything - well guess what? I don't owe them anything either!
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