Democrats begin anti-McCain ads in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It may be April, but both Democrats and Republicans are already mining for general election votes in Ohio, a must-win state in the November presidential election.

Today, Republican John McCain heads to heavily Democratic Youngstown to woo the "Reagan Democrats" who helped carry the state twice for both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. McCain last week put up a TV ad in the Youngstown area.

Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton still are battling for their party's nomination next door in Pennsylvania in today's primary, leaving it to the Ohio Democratic Party to begin tying McCain to the unpopular Bush with a radio attack ad.

It's the first such ad by a state Democratic party since McCain clinched the GOP nomination, Doug Kelly, executive director of the Ohio Democratic Party said.

In addition, Progressive Media USA and Progress Ohio, independent liberal advocacy groups, today plan to air a TV ad in the Youngstown area focusing on McCain, Bush and the economy, said Brian Rothenberg, Progress Ohio executive director.

The stakes are high for Democrats and Republicans seeking Ohio's electoral votes in November.

No Republican has won the White House without carrying Ohio and in the twentieth century only two Democrats — Franklin Roosevelt in 1944 and John Kennedy in 1960 — won the presidency while losing Ohio.

Jo Ann Davidson, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and a former speaker of the Ohio House, said Republicans are "excited" as McCain unites the party and begins to attract independents and Democrats to his side.

Davidson said it doesn't matter who wins the Democratic nomination.

"Basically they believe in the same thing," said Davidson. "They believe in raising taxes. They believe in more government. They believe in more

spending."

Without naming Bush, the Ohio Democratic party ad "More of the Same" aims to link McCain to the president in a state that has lost 188,200 jobs since Bush entered the White House. It is airing in 11 counties in the Youngstown area and southeast Ohio, including on country and Christian stations.

"After 25 years in Washington, these are John McCain's big ideas: more homes foreclosed on; more American jobs shipped overseas; more tax giveaways to millionaires. Nothing for the middle class," the ad says.

"I just want to reiterate. It will be the third term of George W. McCain in the United States of America,²" said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who represents the Youngstown area, in a call previewing the ad.

William Hershey writes for the Dayton Daily News. E-mail: whershey AT daytondailynews.com