In the 248 years of America's existence, there have been tumultuous years — 1860 and 1864, when Abraham Lincoln ran and won as the nation approached and fought a Civil War, and 1968, which featured the sudden withdrawal of the incumbent president and the assassination of a leading candidate.
But 2024 is going to be right up there. The former president and convicted felon who inspired an insurrection three years earlier sailed to the GOP nomination. An 81-year-old, visibly frail incumbent decided to run for re-election and stayed in the race until a dismal debate performance forced him out. His VP scrambled to put together a campaign. Donald Trump was shot at and targeted again in two assassination attempts. And in the end, Trump won a decisive victory.
Here in Ohio, voters tossed out an 18-year incumbent senator, rejected an amendment aimed at fixing gerrymandering in the state, and lawmaking at the statehouse was basically paralyzed because of a rivalry between the House Speaker and the Senate President - who are in the same party.
Joining the show to relive all of these memories is long-time Statehouse reporter Darrel Rowland, formerly of The Columbus Dispatch and most recently with WSYX television in Columbus.
Snollygoster of the Year Award for 2024
The obvious choice would be President-elect Trump, who has secured one of the biggest comebacks in American political history. But we try to focus on Ohio.
And if you look at Ohio, you have to give it to the folks who defeated the Redistricting Amendment. Their campaign was the picture of shrewdness.
Public opinion polls show Ohioans overwhelmingly support fixing our current system, which has led to gerrymandered maps. But opponents to the plan to put the system in the hands of an independent commission successfully won - and won fairly easily - by putting loaded, but technically accurate language on the ballot. They claimed, with a smidgen of accuracy, that voting "yes" would lead to gerrymandering. And they got former President Trump to support their cause.
The strategy of sowing confusion and doubt, and riding Trump's coattails, was effective.
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