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Why Bill O'Neill Can Win OH-14
- Filed under: LaTourette / O'Neill
- Date: Sep 4,2008
People are always looking for bell weather indicators of how Ohio is going to go this cycle. Last weekend, I went to Wickliffe interview Congressional Candidate Bill O'Neill who is running in Ohio's 14th Congressional District. The district is the northeast corner of Ohio from Cleveland to Conneaut. Though the district changed during redistricting, that part of the state has been represented by Republican Steve LaTourette since Newt Gingrich lead the Republican surge in 1994.
In this short interview, Bill O'Neill lays out the numbers that help support his case why he can win his district. He points out that the contested Democratic Primary in Ohio resulted in more Democrats registering to vote than Republicans, which is a first for the district. Watch this short clip for more details.
OH-14 isn't a top tier race yet because so many districts in Ohio are in play and O'Neill is being substantially out raised by LaTourette. With a little help from the DCCC or ODP, O'Neill can at minimum force the Republicans to spend a lot of money to hold the seat and just might win turning this red district blue and helping deliver Ohio for Obama. Thanks to Bill O'Neill for getting together. I'll post a few more clips from our interview this weekend.
10 Responses for "Why Bill O'Neill Can Win OH-14"
First off, good job on the interview. Thanks to Bill O'Neill for sitting down for the site. Anyone who does that gains points with me whether I agree with their political views or not. That goes for someone who will talk to any blog site, not just this one.
Okay. Again with your theory of bottom up helping the top.
"With a little help from the DCCC or ODP, O'Neill can at minimum force the Republicans to spend a lot of money to hold the seat and just might win turning this red district blue and helping deliver Ohio for Obama."
No. It works the other way in presidential years. Obama / McCain has an effect on this race, not the other way around. No one is going to the polls on Nov. 4 saying I am going to vote for O'Neill or LaTourette and by the way I might also vote for President due to this US House race.
Republicans aren't going to spend money here at substantial levels if any at all other than standard GOTV and a couple mailings. If this seat goes Democratic, then you have 60+ Senate seats, around 30 more House seats, and a 40 state, Reverend style Electoral College win.
Ben, I agree that the top down effect is much more powerful, but you'd have to agree that there is some bottom up effect from Congressional races. If Democratic Congressional candidates can increase turnout in their districts, it will help Obama. How much is certainly up for debate. The McCain / Obama race is going to cause record turnout, particularly in swing counties. O'Neill argues that a spike in primary registration has helped make this a swing district.
The thing is Bill O'Neill has raised $400,000!! But he blew it all, and only has 46k left in the bank. If O'Neill wouldn't have blown his money he might have 200-250k in the bank, and then give LaTourette some competition. But he didn't, and therefore the DNC or the DCCC won't give him a dime. This race is over.
He also needs to learn how to tell the truth on press releases too.
http://www.naugblog.com/2008/06/27/bill-oneill-is-a-liar/
I just got this story about the OH-14 race in from Gongwer. It's good stuff.
Ron Burgundy: Let’s go to Brian Fantana who’s live on the scene with a Channel 4 News exclusive. Brian?
Brian Fantana: PandER Watch. The mood is tense; I have been on some serious, serious reports but nothing quite like this. I uh… Ching… King is inside right now. I tried to get an interview with him, but they said no, you can’t do that he’s a live bear, he will literally rip your face off. [to the Panda]
Brian Fantana: Hey, you’re making me look stupid. Get out of here, PandER Jerk.
Ron Burgundy: Great story. Compelling, and rich.
Greg,
Hilarious, except O'Neill isn't rich since he threw away his money. In fact, in 2003 he made the top 20 tax deliqent list in Geauga County! It's funny since I don't see that award listed anywhere on his website.
Appellate court judge is tax deadbeat Geauga jurist owes more than $23,000 in property taxes
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - December 18, 2003
Author: John Horton, Plain Dealer Reporter
Chardon — Appellate Court Judge William O’Neill owes more than $23,000 in back taxes for his South Russell home , making him one of Geauga County’s most delinquent taxpayers, according to county records.
The county will file papers within weeks to foreclose on the judge’s Waverly Lane property, Geauga Treasurer Chris Hitchcock said. O’Neill , who recently announced his candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court, is four years behind on payments. The unpaid $23,747.13 bill includes property taxes, assessments, penal ties and interest.
O’Neill said he’s in the process of getting a home equity loan to erase the debt.
“I’m not trying to sidestep it,” said O’Neill , 56. “I’m an honest man; it’s just a stupid mistake on my part.”
Voters in 2002 elected O’Neill to a second six-year term on the state’s 11th District Court of Appeals, which is based in Warren. He is paid $117,000 a year to hear criminal and civil appeals from Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Portage and Trumbull counties.
The Democrat filed papers this week to run for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court. He’s seeking to fill the unexpired term of former Justice Deborah Cook, who was appointed to a federal bench.
The judge said his tax problem started with a miscommunication with his mortgage holder, Fahey Banking Co. of Marion. O’Neill said his mortgage application requested that the bank withhold money from his paycheck to make the tax payment. Mortgage papers filed with Geauga’s Recorder’s Office, however, show Fahey left O’Neill responsible for paying the county.
O’Neill signed the recorded mortgage papers on June 11, 1999. Asked yesterday whether he read the legal document before signing, O’Neill replied: “Absolutely not.”
The judge also said he was unaware of the county’s plan to foreclose. A Nov. 21 letter that the Geauga Prosecutor’s Office sent to O’Neill ’s home warned that foreclosure proceedings would begin unless payment arrangements were made by last Friday. O’Neill said he didn’t remember reading the letter.
Hitchcock, the county treasurer, said the county delayed foreclosure for a year after being told the situation would be corrected. O’Neill paid $5,351.75 to the county treasury this year, which wasn’t enough to cover current taxes, much less address the debt.
“He’s been extended far more courtesy than I’m comfortable with,” Hitchcock said.
The judge is among the Top 20 delinquent taxpayers in the county, Hitchcock said. No other taxpayer in South Russell owes more than O’Neill , who also has the oldest unpaid bill
O’Neill paid $250,000 to buy his 2,800-square-foot home in 1999. The county values the property at $277,500.
O'neill won't finish within 8 percentage points of LaTourette. Even though he is too liberal for most of the district's Republicans, LaTourette has delivered for the district and O'Neill has run a lackluster and discredited campaign. This one is over, and the DCCC would be better advised not to throw money away on a lost cause.
The surge in democrat registrations were Operation Chaos Operatives and they won't like Bill.
I just found this post through O'Neill's website. I was considering voting for him, but I definitely have to do some research on the tax story that's listed above. If it's true, I'll either have to vote for LaTourette or sit this one out.
The last thing we need is another tax deadbeat in Congress.
Hey Bill,
You ran in 2006 when Democrats won everything, and yet you didn't even carry a county in this Congressional District. How could you even imagine winning this race? Boom!
OKAY LET ME GATHER MY THOUGHTS I HAVE TO RECONSIDER MY VOTE FOR S/L OR B/O….AFTER YRS IN CONGRESS AMERICANS HAVE TO BAIL OUT CAPTILIST 700BILLION DOLLARS AND YOU REALLY THINK BILL ONEIL IS CAUSING A PROB. FOR THAT!!!!I REALLY DONT THINK SO!!23.0000 PERSONAL PROB.HAS BEEN RESOLVED!!!!ASK EASTLAKE OHIO S/L. PROMISED BY S/L 4MILL. DOLLARS AND NEVER DELIVERED CAUSING CITY TO BE TURNED OVER TO THE STATE AND A LOT OF HUMAN BEINGS LOST THERE JOBS THAT I CALL JUST ONE OF MANY EXAMPLE OF TOTAL INCOMPETENCE S/L HAS CAUSED I WOULD NOT TRY SLANDER AS A DIFFENITION OF B/O THERE IS ENOUGH GAF ON S/L. IF YOU WANT TO MUD SLING……GEORGE
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