Damn!

Preliminary final counts from Ohio have Jean Schmidt winning over Paul Hackett by 52 percent to 48 percent. Of course, as this is Ohio I would be remiss if I did not point out that the votes from Schmidt's home county, Clearmont, came in late and reports were that the humidity made counting the votes a problem. Uh oh, anyone think that the GOP did some last minute shenanigans to make sure that the Republican person would win the seat that Rob Portman vacated would remain with the GOPpers? Important to avoid an embarrassment, eh?

Probably not, but it is still strange. And as someone who has been a poll worker in Ohio, this is a bit strange to say that humidity kept them from counting the votes. I will keep you all informed on this story as it unfolds.

However, it is important to acknowledge that in a very conservative area, a fighting viable Democrat did very well. We have learned that a confrontational strategy led by a viable candidate who did not let his opponent define who he was, what he stood for, and what his candidacy meant can work quite well. Are you listening John Kerry?
Are you listening Democrats?