Snollygoster

Last week, former Sen. Sherrod Brown announced the formation of the Dignity of Work Institute. The goal, he says, is to help Democrats and Republicans better understand the lives of American workers. It also keeps him in the spotlight as he considers whether to run for office again.

If you're a politician who wants to get elected, promising tax cuts is a popular strategy. Republican candidates for governor are doing just that, floating the idea to eliminate Ohio's income tax.

The Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, could be coming to Ohio. We discuss what that might look like with a panel of political observers.

Gov. DeWine gave his State of the State address this week and said things are going pretty well. He called for mandatory basic skills lessons in school—things like basic finance and first aid—and wants to make students leave their phones at home. Ohio Public Radio Statehouse Bureau Chief Karen Kasler joins the show.

Vivek Ramaswamy officially launched his run for governor this week with several rallies. The wealthy entrepreneur, who burst on the scene in 2023 with his run for president, now wants to succeed Mike DeWine. Political strategist Terry Casey joins the show.

It's week two of the Jim Tressel era at the Ohio Statehouse and he has not set up a campaign website... yet. Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy has filed preliminary paperwork to run for governor. He'll face Attorney General Dave Yost, who announced his candidacy last month.

Mike DeWine did keep his Lt. Governor pick a secret until he and Jim Tressel walked before cameras on Monday morning. To the surprise of everyone, he announced the former OSU football coach and former Youngstown State University president was his nominee to be his right-hand office holder. Reporter David Skolnick of the Youngstown Vindicator joins the show.

Our roundtable discussion covers President Trump’s immigration round-up, the move to end capital punishment in Ohio, and a proposal to change Ohio’s fairly new voter-approved law legalizing recreational marijuana.

Advocacy groups believe Trump's rescinded federal funding freeze would have disrupted the Ohio budget process and jeopardized critical programs. Hannah Halbert, director of Policy Matters Ohio, joins the show.

After months of speculation, Gov Mike DeWine announced that Jon Husted was his pick to be the next U.S. Senator from Ohio. Of course, Husted is replacing short-timer J.D. Vance, who job-hopped into the Vice Presidency.

This DeWine appointment to the U.S. Senate has become a bit of a soap opera. Joining us to try to help us understand this is long-time Republican strategist Terry Casey.

Former Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton ended speculation and announced this week that she will indeed run for governor next year as a Democrat. Meanwhile, Gov. DeWine still has a big decision to make on who will fill JD Vance's seat in the U.S. Senate.

In the 248 years of America's existence, there have been tumultuous years and 2024 is going to be right up there. Joining the show to relive the memories is long-time Statehouse reporter Darrel Rowland.

The legislative session between Election Day and the end of the legislative term is always a busy one. Maybe lawmakers are just like the rest of us and they procrastinate. Former State Representative Gene Krebs joins the show.

Voters last month soundly rejected a measure that would have appointed an independent, non-political commission to draw legislative and congressional lines. An Ohio lawmaker says there is an alternate solution: expand the size of the legislature. Joining us to discuss this proposal is State Sen. Bill Blessing.

The House Republican caucus voted unanimously to nominate current Senate President Matt Huffman to be the next House Speaker. Joining us to discuss this shrewd move is Sarah Donaldson, Statehouse reporter for Ohio Public Radio.

President-elect Donald Trump continues to build his cabinet. Gov. Mike DeWine continues to take calls from almost every Republican officeholder in the state, saying he or she wants Vice President-elect JD Vance's soon-to-be vacant Senate seat. Republican Strategist Terry Casey, Democratic Strategist Dale Butland, WOSU's talk show and podcast host Anna Staver and USA Today Ohio Network Reporter Lau...

Donald Trump rolled to a swing state sweep. Bernie Moreno rode President Trump's coattails to Washington. Republicans swept all three contested seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. How did Democrats get it so wrong? David Stebenne, professor of Political History at Ohio State University joins the show.

If the polls are to be believed, the candidates for President are tied nationally, and in the seven swing states. Joining the show this week is Anna Staver, host of WOSU's "All Sides with Anna Staver."

Just a dozen days remain, and the candidates for president are done with microtargeting by trying to appeal to narrow groups of voters. They are making their final pitches. Retired Ohio State University political science professor Paul Beck joins the show.

A New York Times/Siena College poll last week showed Harris’s support among Black voters was less than Joe Biden received in 2020. Joining the show to discuss this and other issues is Sam Gresham, a long-time political observer and activist who works with Common Cause Ohio.

National polling firms and out-of-state universities don’t survey Ohio voters as much as they did in the first 15 years of this century. But there are polls out there.

There were some sharp critiques, but a whole lot of passive aggressiveness and a fair amount of substance. Overall, the vice-presidential candidates spent most of their time targeting their opponents’ running mates. WOSU’s Anna Staver, host of the talk show and podcast All Sides with Anna Staver, joins the show.

Experts predict ad spending in Ohio will top $400 million. Nearly a half billion dollars will be spent to get you to vote for a U.S. Senator, decide a constitutional amendment, a member of Congress or a rapid bus line tax. Longtime political strategist Bob Clegg joins the show.

Another week of bomb threats has disturbed Springfield, Ohio. This all follows Sen. JD Vance's and former President Donald Trump's lies that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were stealing residents' pets and eating them. Longtime political reporter Darrel Rowland joins the show.