Last Saturday, a CNN political consultant and Democratic political strategist was in town to pump John Boccieri for Congress.
This sitting U.S. congressman is in the fight of his political life.
His predecessor, Republican Ralph Regula, had a similar experience early in his longtime congressional career. Democrat Virgil Musser of Massillon nearly beat Regula early in the Regula congressional career.
If Boccieri can withstand Wadsworth businessman and former Mayor Jim Renacci's 2010 challenge, perhaps, he will go on to a long and distinguished career like Regula.
It appears that local Democrats think they can win the Boccieri/Renacci match up with a gigantic "get out the vote" (GOTV) effort. So in that endeavor, the Dems brought the "rabble-rousing" Paul Begala into Canton last week to the Golden Lodge union hall on Harrison to do just that: "excite" the Democratic base to get sure Democratic voters off their duffs and to the polls.
Begala is known to be a Democratic firebrand, who, along with another rabid Democrat James Carville help engineer Bill Clinton's defeat of George Herbert Walker Bush in 1992. The two had a hand in putting together a campaign based in large part on the expression "it's the economy stupid!"
Begala is known for his "over the top" style of political oratory and has been - in that vein - the subject of Saturday Night Live presentations.
In an ironic twist, the object of Begala's help (Boccieri) is being attacked by opponent Renacci for having done nothing in two years to stem the loss of 400,000 Ohio jobs.
Undoubtedly, thought was given in the high Democratic strategy councils to bring President Obama to Stark. But given Renacci's linking of Boccieri to Obama ("Obamacare" - Boccieri voted once against the president, but for him on final passage) and to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the strategists thought better of that and opted to go with Democratic base "exciters" coming in to whip up enthusiasm with the many urban voters who would vote Boccieri if they get to the polls.
The grand finale for Boccieri on the GOTV is the appearance of former president Bill Clinton at Tozzi's (formerly Four Winds) which sits next to the Stark Democratic Party headquarters in Canton. Clinton will make his appearance at noon today.
Not far away at Stark Republican headquarters, challenger Renacci will have John Boehner (the likely new Speaker of the House after Tuesday's election) speaking for him at 1:00 p.m.
Here is a video of Begala comment to the Stark County Political Report about Boccieri's chances.
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