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    Swing Easy: Weed Leads in Ohio

    It’s been a busy couple of weeks here in Columbus. We had a mayoral primary election that might not be over, plus City Council and Board of Education primaries. Needless to say, we didn’t have a lot of time for 2016. So let’s jump back into it, shall we?

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    Ohio is Mandatory

    The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics unveiled 11 maps explaining the likely position of each state in the 2016 Electoral College. All of the 11 maps are fascinating for those interested in political science, but the insight we’ll focus on here is that for the Republican Party to retake the White House, winning Ohio and Florida is more or less mandatory.

    “Practically speaking,” wrote the authors, “the GOP doesn’t have a path to victory without both states.”

    This is not necessarily a new phenomenon; both states carry a significant number of electoral votes and never seem to be a lock for either party. What’s interesting is that while the Center’s analysis finds that the GOP candidate needs both states in order to win, a Democrat could potentially lose both and still be in a solid position.

    A Republican candidate will need to find common ground with conservatives in Florida and Ohio, which might be tricky given the vast differences between both states. Ohio’s needs are very different from Florida’s and its brand of conservatives are very different as well. Ohio is generally moderate, even when conservative, and Florida is very, very Florida. No state, in fact, is more Florida than Florida.

    But both Florida and Ohio have one thing in common

    A poll conducted by Quinnipiac University has found that in both states, the same candidate is leading all of the others. This particular candidate has a long history of suspicious activity and presidents have long advised the American people to “just say no” to her, but public opinion has warmed to her in recent years.

    That’s right, marijuana is more popular than all of the presidential candidates among adults in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania. The competition didn’t even come close; it’s a landslide for weed in those swing states. Pot is not only the most popular candidate, but also the second most popular candidate, with medical marijuana leading and recreational marijuana close behind.

    So if Republicans really want to win the White House, they may have to consider asking for an endorsement from Sen. Mary Jane, especially because after her, Hillary Clinton leads in Ohio and Florida among the human candidates.

    Kasich Needs Cash

    Back in April, when Governor John Kasich was almost-running for president, he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that among the things holding him back from outright declaring his candidacy was the question, “what does the Lord want me to do with my life?” But now we’re in May and Kasich is still almost-running, only instead of waiting for a message from God, he’s waiting for a message from the bank.

    According to Reuters, Kasich said money, and whether he can accumulate enough of it, will determine if he decides to run for president or not.

    Speaking of money, Mitt Romney, two-time presidential candidate and former almost-candidate for 2016, has a lot of it. And in June, when Romney hosts a summit with a group of potential GOP candidates and conservative donors, John Kasich will be among the attendees.

    If Kasich can make an impression at the summit, potentially gathering the resources he needs for a presidential run, it might be safe to assume he’ll receive his message from God shortly thereafter.

    For ongoing national/state political discussion, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.

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    Jesse Bethea
    Jesse Betheahttps://columbusunderground.com
    Jesse Bethea is a freelance features writer at Columbus Underground covering neighborhood issues, economics, science, technology and other topics. He is a graduate from Ohio University, a native of Fairfax, Virginia and a fan of movies, politics and baseball. Jesse is the winner of The Great Novel Contest and the author of Fellow Travellers, available now at all major retailers.
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