10/11/00 1:45 p.m.
Ad Time in Ohio
Candidates are pulling out all the stops.

By Kevin Holtsberry, freelance writer based in Ohio

s the race for control of the House, Senate, and White House goes down to the wire, candidates are pulling out all the stops. Not surprisingly, money and the ad campaigns they buy often make the difference. This is certainly true here in Ohio.

The U.S. Senate race, where Mike DeWine seems poised to coast to a comfortable victory, is a case in point. DeWine's opponent, Ted Celeste (brother of former Governor now Ambassador to India Richard Celeste), hoped to use his name recognition and connections to run a competitive race. Fundraising, among other things, proved his undoing. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, DeWine has raised over $4 million, spent $1.6 million, and has $3.3 million on hand. Celeste, on the other hand, has raised just over $300,000, spent almost $200,000, and has a less than $120,000 left. At this point Celeste would have trouble running in one major media market, let alone statewide!

With a massive fundraising advantage and a sizable lead in the polls, DeWine could be expected to run a soft and fuzzy family ad. Instead he is running a soft and fuzzy issue ad. DeWine promises to "fight for Ohio's families" by strengthening education, attracting more teachers, eliminating drugs and violence in schools, and saving Social Security. For what it is worth, this ad may appeal to moderate suburban women but it leaves a lot of Republicans cold.

On the House side, state Representative Pat Tiberi is likely to replace popular congressman John Kasich in Ohio's twelfth district. His opponent, Columbus City Councilwomen Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, continues to make it interesting with a bevy of campaign and special interest issue ads. Like Bush and Gore they have been sparing over prescription drugs, Medicare, and Social Security, but a recent spat over guns proved more interesting.

It started when a group affiliated with the Million Mom March PAC and Handgun Control, Inc. (KidsSafe.org) ran an attack ad criticizing Tiberi for his opposition to gun safety and his support of concealed carry legislation. The D's (and some R's) think these ads will help O'Shaughnessy with suburban women, especially in Franklin County.

Interestingly, leadership in the Ohio House, of which Tiberi is a part, has worked to prevent concealed-carry legislation from coming up for a vote. Additionally, I have seen little evidence that gun control is a winning issue in Ohio. In fact most voters rate gun control low on their list of priorities; and those that do vote on this issue are pro-gun!

I have long maintained that a candidate that ran on a principled and honest support of second amendment rights combined with a call for rigorous enforcement of current laws, would lose little to suburban moms and would gain with rural and suburban men. The Tiberi campaign did not take my free advice. They did the next best thing — hitting back with a positive testimonial from the most popular politician in the district, John Kasich. In the ad, Kasich touts Tiberi's record and integrity while calling the attacks "the politics of the past." Tiberi has saturated the market with this ad; one can hardly turn on the TV without seeing Kasich praising Tiberi. This tactic seems to have smoothed the waters and Tiberi's numbers remain strong.

The top of the ticket is also hitting the airwaves, with each candidate's ads reflecting the issues that came out of the first debate. Gore, hoping to drive up Bush's negatives and escape the "embellishment issue," is running ads attacking Bush's environmental record in Texas. Bush continues to emphasize "trust" and the "education recession" themes in his ads.

This type of battle favors Bush. As with gun control, there is little indication that an attack on the environment in Texas will sway voters in Ohio (they had little effect during the GOP convention). Gore may raise some doubts, but at the very real risk of seeming negative and harsh. Bush on the other hand can run on themes that win here: local control with federal help, parent- and child-centered education reform, and real tax cuts. As he runs on his issues, Bush continues to be the more genuine and natural candidate.

If the GOP manages to retain Congress and win the presidency, Ohio will likely, and rightly, claim to have played a crucial role in that success.