Lessons - 2008

There is more than one lesson here:
GOP Tries to Avoid Unpleasant Surprise in Ohio

The reliably Republican nature of Ohio's 5th district would seem to make it an unlikely target for Democrats, but a target it is in Tuesday's special election.

And while political operatives from both parties scramble to downplay expectations, there is more than enough evidence to conclude that the race to fill the seat of the late Rep. Paul Gillmor (R) is going down to the wire.

Republican Bob Latta, who should, under normal circumstances, win the race rather easily, finds himself in an uncomfortably competitive race against Democrat Robin Weirauch, who already has lost two bids for Congress in the district.

The lesson here is for the Republicans - it's going to be a tough election cycle.

A nasty Republican primary, during which the Club for Growth ran TV ads attacking Latta, combined with the political environment in the Buckeye State that one GOP political observer described as "very toxic," has some Republicans privately expressing the fear that their party could lose a seat that it should not be forced to worry about.

The lesson here is for both parties - a nasty vicious primary contest can hurt your chances in the general election.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, which has little money has been forced to put money into a race it didn't want to. If there are many more of these "safe seats" in jeopardy the NRCC will find itself broke real quick.