Buckeye Hardball

MSNBC's Hardball is offering an Ohio-specific show tonight about the race for governor. The show is set to be broadcast from Columbus. From the promotional spot I saw, it wasn't clear if Chris Matthews was doing his usual trick, and going to a university campus (in this case, O.S.U.) with the presumption that the values he finds among college kids represents Red State America.

I expect Ohio has been identified as a national issue because of Republican Ken Blackwell's role in the 2004 elections. According to the black helicopter crowd, Ken conspired to suppress votes, unbeknownst to all of the Democrats who are required by federal election law to observe polling stations and counting procedures on an equal basis with Republicans. (Nevermind the fact that, even had Kerry won Ohio, he would have "lost" by three million votes. As a connoisseur of irony I would have relished that outcome.)

We'll see if this tired subject is rehashed by Matthews. The real issues are budget and the stubborn job market. Perhaps Democrat Mike Coleman, also slated as a guest, will offer up some new ideas.