9/14/00 12:30 p.m.
Buckeye Bonanza
Ohio is “swing state” country.

By Kevin Holtsberry, freelance writer based in Ohio

hio journalists could not be happier. Ohio is important "battleground" territory in a high-stakes presidential election — and the candidates are bringing juicy media time to this crucial midwestern state. A quick glance at the candidate's schedules makes it clear that Ohio is "swing state" country.

Both Bush and Gore were in the state last week and Gore, Lieberman, and Dick Cheney will all make stops in the Buckeye State this week. The question on everyone's mind: who is best positioned to capture this 21-electoral-vote prize; and can that success be replicated in other crucial swing states?

At the start of the post-Labor Day sprint to November, Bush has the edge — but he would be foolish to take anything for granted.

In a poll commissioned by the Columbus Dispatch released over Labor Day weekend, Bush has a six-point lead (49 to 43, +/- 2%) in the state. Gore has so far been unable to reap the full benefits of the booming economy and voters are still questioning his leadership ability.

The battle has clearly begun in earnest, however, as the candidates seek to set the agenda. Gore has been hitting the airwaves with ads on health care while laying out his economic agenda in often mind-numbing and incongruous details. Gore unveiled the specifics, in Cleveland last week, with the release of a twelve-chapter "book" on the subject.

Moving on to an issue that is central to Ohio and national politics — education — Gore and Lieberman have toured the state in yellow school buses touting plans for 100,000 new teachers and modernized school buildings. It remains to be seen how much "traction" Gore can get with these issues.

Bush, who had been emphasizing education, tax cuts and healthcare, hit Dayton last week with foreign policy bigwigs Collin Powell and Norman Schwartskopf to emphasize military readiness. Bush visited a touchstone of Ohio politics, Wright Patterson Air Force base. He subtly (or not so) reminded voters, in a state with a high percentage of veterans and an economy searching for high tech jobs, that a strong military has a local component.

Being on stage with Collin Powell and "Stormin' Norman" can't hurt either.

Bush has the added benefit of a slate of popular Republican-elected officials sharing his stage while he travels the state: Senator (and former governor) George Voinovich, Congressman John Kaisch, Governor Taft, and a host of state and local officials. By contrast, Gore had former Senator John Glenn at his meeting in Columbus last week and booked HUD secretary Andrew Cuomo to speak on his behalf in Akron this week.

So far the candidates have been attempting to out policy each other. Healthcare, education, and the economy have been the weapons in this war of wonk, but the subtle, and sometimes not too subtle, background will be the elusive issue of character. Can Bush continue to undermine Gore's credibility without sounding unduly negative? Can Gore overcome people's doubts about his character with hardheaded talk of issues and policy?

For the next sixty days Ohioans will get a front row seat.