With the recent launch of their training campaign titled “So, You Want to Run? Running for Office 101“, Ohio democrats are taking the next election cycle seriously. However, this also shows that some offices are having trouble getting people to run and take a seat – something the Republican party doesn’t seem to be dealing with.
While attending the meeting itself I was underwhelmed to say the least. The platform seems to aim for people who have no idea what they are doing and who can’t do simple research online. Their advice was incredibly basic and the meeting leaders were eager to dodge most of my questions with vague, unsure responses. We got a few success stories from local democrats who already had run for office. They offered little beyond obvious information.
When asked if Republicans were doing the same thing (running training meetings), the meeting leaders responded in saying that republicans seem to rely more on throwing money at candidates to help them with their campaigns – something democrats seem unable to do for most local offices. This is probably why Republicans easily swept the last election cycle in Ohio. Long story short – unless you are willing to go door-to-door yourself and make cold calls the old fashioned way, you don’t have much of a chance getting the signatures you need to make it into office.
I also got a strong impression that despite the modern world we live in with convenient virtual meetings and safer digital signatures, Ohio dems seem stuck in the past and still do many things on paper in tedious meetings face-to-face. This seems to cater to older folks while ignoring young pioneers who desire a more secure, technological based approach.
This also leaves these old fashioned democrats open to attack against their opponents who constantly cry foul when it comes to alleged election fraud. Claims of fake signatures are rampant these days, and securing them digitally where the code can be clearly viewed if need be is a much more practical and convenient approach. However the ancient laws demanding paper signatures be used look like they will remain unchanged for decades since both parties defend them.
In short, I found myself less interested in running for office than I did before the training meeting. Sorry dems! It seems republicans will hold onto Ohio for the next few years unless things change.
The American Centrist 
