Chess Versus Checkers: Will Taking Out the “Blue 22” Make a Difference to Main Street Ohioans or to What Actually Gets Done?
In checkers, you make the obvious move. In chess, you think four moves ahead.
After the backroom scheme that involved twenty-two Republicans joining hands with Democrats in the Ohio House to thwart conservative Derek Merrin’s bid to become Speaker of the House by replacing him with the more moderate Jason Stephens, many Republicans fumed at the betrayal and vowed to take out the “Blue 22.” The Blue 22 include: Cindy Abrams, Monica Blasdel, Sara Carruthers, Jon Cross, Al Cutrona, Jay Edwards, Haraz Ghanbari, Brett Hillier, Don Jones, Jeff LaRe, Mike Loychik, Kevin Miller, Scott Oelslager, Tom Patton, Gail Pavliga, Bob Peterson, Tracy Richardson, Jean Schmidt, Bill Seitz, Jason Stephens, D.J. Swearingen, and Bob Young. Most believe Edwards served as the leader of the scheme. Though they deny involvement like they did for the massive energy bailout in House Bill 6, it strains believability that neither Mike DeWine nor Jon Husted knew about what was being cooked up given the impact having a moderate versus conservative speaker would have on their agenda, especially with Husted’s prior experience as Speaker.
I know lots of donors and activists are in the process of recruiting primary challengers, with the intent to provide funding to them. Personally, I’ve donated to at least one candidate so far looking to take out one of the Blue 22 (my former Heritage Foundation colleague, Sally Culling, in Wood County). Notwithstanding the below, it is important to hold the Blue 22 accountable for their betrayal even if it doesn’t result in any measurable difference in legislative outcomes for Ohio.
As this drama begins to play out in the coming months, it is fair to ask the question: will taking out the Blue 22 make a difference to Main Street Ohioans or to what actually gets done? While I think those who want to engage in that activity should, as cutting a deal with the Left to undermine the power of conservatives should be punished, I think the obvious answer to the question is: “Not at all.” Let me explain why.
For years, Ohio has had Republican supermajorities in the Ohio House and Ohio Senate. At the same time, since 2011, it has had Republican governors. In those twelve years, here are major conservative policies that have NOT been enacted:
Right-to-work;
Elimination of the state income tax;
State spending freezes or reductions without deficit pressure;
True universal school choice in which 100% of state funds follow students wherever they go;
Government reform of any kind—they’ve actually added government entities;
Local government reform to alleviate the tax burden on Ohioans from 3,500+ local taxing entities;
Any prohibitions on keeping woke ideology like critical race theory, 1619 Project, or transradicalism out of the classroom;
Any protections of parental rights vis-a-vis their kids;
Protection for girls/women in the bathroom and on the sports pitch from biological boys/men;
Medical protections for minors to keep them safe from puberty blockers and transradical surgeries; and
Protections for Ohio coal and natural gas resources (some lame resolution that natural gas is green doesn’t cut it).
At the same time, here are a few policies that DID get enacted or were not stopped via a veto override:
Expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare (with another expansion in the last budget);
Corporate cronyism via JobsOhio;
Medical mandates during the pandemic shutdown;
Shutdown of our businesses, schools, and houses of worship; and
Double digit spending increases.
It would be easy to blame these acts and omissions on governors who vetoed such measures, but the simple fact is the Ohio General Assembly either didn’t pass these policies or did with help from the governor.
Personally, I don’t believe much will change if every Blue 22 legislator is replaced. If Ohioans want Ohio to look more like Florida, Tennessee, Texas, or Utah, they need to focus on the one elected official who can lead on those issues. Specifically, Ohioans need to elect a governor who will lead by pushing bold color policies aggressively. Just like in Washington, D.C., having control of one or both chambers in Congress is good for stopping policies or investigating the other side, but if you want real, fundamental change, you need to control the Executive Branch. While it would be ideal to control the presidency with the Congress, as the last three presidents have shown, there is a lot you can do with just the power of the pen via the presidency.
If you think I’m overstating things, name me the Speaker of the House for Florida or Texas. Now, name the governors. We all know who the latter politicians are and have no idea who the former are because leaders occupy the governor’s offices where they lead their legislatures by aggressively pushing for bold color policies. If you have pale pastel, tepid leaders like we do in Ohio, you get pale pastel, tepid policies.
There was literally nothing in DeWine’s very, very long political career to indicate he would govern as anything other than a moderate on all issues perhaps except the life and gun issues. Everyone knew he was a moderate (hello, he was part of the Gang of 14 that stopped President George W. Bush from putting conservatives on the Supreme and Appellate Courts), yet Republican leaders at all levels of government got behind him and did so enthusiastically. The same goes for Husted. As Speaker, he didn’t push any of the bold color policies listed above. Not one. As Secretary of State, he literally ran to the media to contradict Donald Trump every time Trump questioned the integrity of elections in the Fall of 2016 (see here or here). Husted did that because he believed Trump was going to lose, so didn’t worry about contradicting the next president. How do I know that? I was in the room with Husted on October 24, 2016, when he was asked by European journalists if he thought Trump would win and he laughed out loud at the question and said, “No.”
Now, as you know, I tried to build the movement with a bold color agenda to get Ohio moving, but Republicans just weren’t interested. It seems unless you already have a big title, have millions to throw at a race, or can get yourself on Fox News frequently, you just can’t break through the noise of Trump (or the countless other items vying for our attention). By all means, take out every one of the Blue 22, but don’t think you’ll get much from it other than the satisfaction of making them pay, as Governor Husted will spend his eight years either laying the groundwork to run for the presidency as Kasich did or, given his greed as evidenced by the Heartland Bank scheme, setting up a lucrative post-politician gig to strike it rich. It is a near certainty what he won’t do is push for bold color policies.
In checkers, you make the obvious move. In chess, you think four moves ahead. For too long, Ohio Republican voters have been playing checkers. Perhaps a switch to chess is called for to get the change they all say they want.