BuckeyeBlog

Much will be made of Strickland/Fisher “leadership” in convincing the SEIU to pull the sick leave mandate measure off the ballot.

The real reason SEIU pulled the measure is that the Sam’s Club demographic targeted for turnout motivation by it is now far too McCain-Palin friendly.  Can you image the kitchen table conversations in Reynoldsburg, Ohio?  “Honey, who would most likely share our values? A war hero and hockey mom, or, two Washington-loving, blowhard Senators? By the way, don’t forget to write your sister in Iraq and I’ll get Jimmie and Susy from soccer tonight…”  Even Keith Oberman could figure out how this choice will play out.

For the uninitiated, SIEU’s ponderous, anti-entreprenurial ballot proposal for a new paid absence benefit mandate on business would have further estranged Ohio’s limp economy from the dynamism of American free enterprise. It would have benefited no one but SEIU bosses and cost Ohioans jobs, income and prosperity.

Its demise is an early benefit to Ohio of the McCain-Palin ticket.

Once SEIU saw its plan backfiring, threatening to turn out voters intent on voting for real change in Washington, it had no choice but to pull the plug on the proposal.  SEIU was no more pushed into this than Marc Dann was pushed out by Strickland (remember, it took the GOP General Assembly raising the spectre of Inspector General engagement to pry Dann out of office — he wasn’t going anywhere until Husted and Harris played this card).

Contrary to the spin that will be put out, this was, and is, all about Democrat/Union political gaming.