As I waited this weekend with baited breath for the latest Columbus Disgrace poll to be released showing Ted Strickland supposedly beating Ken Blackwell by three touchdowns, I remembered something. It seemed to me a year ago at this time this very newspaper and others were showing similarly lop-sided polls in favor of all four Reform Ohio Now amendments. In the midst of a nineteen point Strickland spread, a five point Brown spread, and an article in today’s Disgrace proclaiming perennial loser Richard Cordray “far ahead” of Sandra O’Brien in the Treasurer’s race, one has to wonder how reliable these polls really are given how wrong they were a year ago.

So let’s backtrack to last year. 2005 was an off-year election in the State of Ohio with conditions which seemed to favor the Democrats: a relatively unpopular President, a very unpopular Governor, perceived corruption in Columbus, and a host of Democratic mayors up for re-election in the major cities. Ohio, thought an alienated group of leftists, seemed ripe for reform with everything seeming to go their way. The polls reflected this with many predicting all four amendments would pass by wide margins up until Election Day. Not only did they all fail, they didn’t have a chance. Eighty-seven of Ohio’s 88 counties rejected all four resoundingly with no-fault absentee balloting carrying (barely) in Athens County. Remember, this was an election in which Republicans weren’t supposed to show up.

It would seem prudent then to read such articles and polls proclaiming the gubernatorial race (and others, for that matter) over with salt shaker in hand. True I’ve only been here for three years, but Ohio can’t have changed that much politically in the last two. This is an important election which will determine whether the Democratic Party still matters. There are important elections on all levels this year. Senator DeWine needs our help to keep confirming judges who don’t hallucinate when they read the Constitution. Congresswoman Deborah Pryce and eleven other Republicans need your help so that San Fran Nan doesn’t become Speakerette. Here at home, this is our one chance to save the State of Ohio or watch it wither away in to oblivion as a million Ohioans become Floridians, Arizonans, or perhaps worst of all, Californians. Ohioans know what’s at stake this year, and you can bet Republicans those papers didn’t bother to survey will show up. In light of their history of bafflingly inaccurate polls, perhaps the Columbus Disgrace and not Ohio itself is “leaning Democrat.”

It seemed to be just another early morning that for reasons I couldn’t figure out started earlier than normal. My alarm usually woke me up at a quarter to seven before class started at my high school in suburban Portland, Oregon. For some reason, today was different as my mother woke me up a half hour early, telling me to come downstairs. “A plane hit the World Trade Center,” she told me. I tried to piece together what she told me as I was getting dressed and shaking out the cobwebs still in my head. This had to be some sort of accident. Of course, when I came downstairs I soon realized that wasn’t the case. The news station kept replaying the footage of the billowing smoke and the second plane attack merely moments ago.

I had just finished eating breakfast when the third plane hit the Pentagon. Another one, another attack. I rushed to get ready for school in light of the chaotic events bombarding me. “Be safe,” she said as I left for the bus, walkman in hand. There I stood waiting, alone, listening. The first tower collapsed and I literally cried out in terror, immediately thinking that thousands must now have died. “Good morning,” the driver greeted me. I looked at him and shook my head. ‘No,’ I thought, ‘it is not.’ Surrounding me were kids just as frightened and confused as I was, wondering if they should even be here. As we arrived, there was another one. Another plane, this time in Pennsylvania, of all places.

Classes did not go as planned that day. There was a television in every classroom, tuned to whichever channel got the best reception. Conversation and discussion was not on chemistry or theatre or pre-calculus, but on what was happening, who could have done this, and what we should do about it. This was not a normal day at Lake Oswego High School, and extra-curriculars were canceled. Back at home, emotions ran the full circle that day. Shock and horror turned to grief and sorrow and that night, anger and resolve. “Do it to them,” I said, remembering how survivors of the blitz recalled their feelings some sixty years ago. Life would go on. Things would eventually go back to some sense of normalcy, and our nation would respond. This shameful deed would not go unnoticed or unpunished.

This is my 9/11 story. Seeing images of that terrible day still bring back memories and feelings that I’m sure I won’t forget. I hope I never do forget how I felt because to do so would diminish its importance. This was the most important event of our generation, our Pearl Harbor, our Kennedy Assassination. There are some people, of course, that would prefer we do, in fact, forget that day, urging us to move on with our lives, forget about events overseas, and mind our own business. We can’t. We owe it to the thousands who perished to never forget that day: the horror of the attacks, the panic of ordinary citizens, and the heroism of the police, the fire department, and the passengers on United 93. Instead of just forgetting about it, let’s remember what happened five years ago today, let’s recall what we felt and experienced on that dreadful day, and above all, let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again.

You are looking live at the studios of WFMJ in Youngstown, Ohio! Media personnel from all over the Mahoning Valley have gathered here for today’s match-up. It’s Ken Blackwell versus Ted Strickland, squaring off for all the buckeyes! Hello everybody, with my pardner Bob Davie, I’m Brent Musburger, and folks, were in for a dandy! Teddy Strickland is favored by two touchdowns in this one, with plenty of issues that go both ways. Watch for him to try to run up the middle early to set up rollouts to the left. The captains have shook hands and we’re ready for kickoff!

We’re now just underway here in Youngstown and we’ve seen the opening drives from both candidates. If you’re just joining us, folks, well it was some very predictable play-calling from Teddy Strickland with two quick runs to his upbringing. On third and long he was forced in to a deep pass to his plan to turn around Ohio, which our sideline reporter learned is called the Turn Around Ohio Plan. One thing is certain, folks, Blackwell’s defense is looking solid with Strickland unable to respond to his blitz that Teddy will raise taxes.

All right, we’re back and folks, Ken Blackwell is driving. He’s sticking to his game plan of straight-forward running with tax cuts to improve Ohio’s business climate mixed with short passes to privatize the Ohio Turnpike to raise revenue for services without being forced into send it and spend it. You’re seeing, folks, that Blackwell’s record has even stood up to the relentless pressure from Strickland that Ken is tied to the Taft administration that fumbled away Ohio jobs and couldn’t lead Ohio to daylight.

We’re in the fourth quarter here in Youngstown, Ohio and we’re witnessing an upset in the making! Teddy Strickland’s uninspired offense has been kept out of the end zone by a tough Blackwell defense. And now we’re seeing what we thought we’d see from Strickland- deep passes to the left side of the field. Strickland fires high with an obscure remark to Blackwell’s investment strategy. He rolls to the left and throws out of bounds to an Iraq War protester, and that brings up third and long. And well folks, there’s that 2004 election again. Strickland throws wildly- intercepted! Blackwell picks it off! Now remember folks, in the State of Ohio elections are overseen by the elected Secretary of State, not an appointed commission. Ohioans resoundingly defeated a motion to change that last year.

So Kenny Blackwell out of Cincinnati is about to pull of a huge upset! We expect he’ll take a knee by thanking his fellow Ohioans for watching and reminding us of the stark contrast between him and Strickland. Ted will raise our taxes and has a long record in Congress of doing just that. Teddy is strongly supported by NARAL and Planned Parenthood and relies heavily on the unions that have driven jobs out of the state. And Teddy wants to cut and run from Iraq with tail between our legs and says the 2004 election was stolen by his opponent. We hope you enjoyed today’s debate. I’m Brent Musburger. So long, everybody!