Exclusive: Incumbent Strickland Trying to Run a Challenger’s Campaign, says Kasich Camp

Ted Strickland’s campaign, dominated by the theme of class warfare, has been calibrated to appeal to Ohio’s union-dominated Democratic base. But can it work with independents and non-base voters? Sources close to the Kasich campaign told Battle ‘10 that the evidence says no:

“They took their best two shots at NAFTA and Wall St all summer long and their numbers went down,” said one source. “I think they’re running an attack-of-the-week style campaign because they’re hoping nothing sticks to the wall. Their two best shots that they had failed miserably.”

This same person also said that Kasich and Strickland are facing an unusual political role-reversal when it comes to gubernatorial elections, with the incumbent going negative, and the challenger running on positive ideas. According to the source, “The Kasich campaign seems like an incumbent campaign and the Strickland campaign seems like a challenger campaign. Strickland’s running completely negative trying to bait the other guy and Kasich’s been on message, and that’s been reversed.”

This analysis comes as Strickland has recently been campaigning in Canton, blasting Kasich for being overly favorable towards the wealthy. Cantonrep.com reports:

Gov. Ted Strickland told area union members Friday afternoon that his opponent this November — Republican John Kasich — favors the wealthy and doesn’t understand regular Ohioans. “

He was a Wall Street congressman. He had Wall Street values before he ever went to Wall Street,” Strickland told the 30 people who met in the training center for Iron Workers Local 550. Strickland hit the campaign trail on Friday and stopped in Mansfield as well as Canton. The governor’s campaign said he wanted to meet with displaced workers and discuss his record of supporting businesses and workers. Strickland contends Kasich has supported outsourcing and unfair trade policies that have sent jobs overseas.