Obama Supporter Down for the Count in Dayton
All the big-boy coverage of last night's election has been going to New Jersey and Virginia. But something happened last night in Dayton, Ohio that is at least as significant.
Two-term mayor Rhine McLin (D) was defeated by virtually unknown challenger Gary Leitzell, running as an independent.
McLin and her family have a long history in Dayton with a Kennedy-like dynasty. She was also an ardent supporter of President Obama and worked hard to see him elected last year. She had the support of the Montgomery County Democratic machine which began "get out the vote" drives weeks ago. Democratic Party volunteers provided rides to the polls all day.
Leitszell ran as an independent and was supported by a grassroots campaign. He credited a desire for reform for his victory. “Change is coming to Dayton, I promise you,” Leitzell said to supporters late Tuesday night. “We are going to kill the old and outdated methods of governing that consolidates all of the power at the top of City Hall and council chambers while leaving John and Jane Q. Taxpayer out in the cold.”
“Ladies and gentleman, this is your city,” Leitzell said. “You live here, you pay the taxes, you pay the salaries of the people you elect, and you are the ones who say which direction you want the great ship Dayton to go.”
Marketeers and pollsters often point to Ohio as a bellwether for the rest of the country.
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