Politico's David Catanese says if you look at where Sarah Palin is putting her PAC money, she has Ohio on her mind:
Four of the 17 candidates Palin contributed to hail from Ohio — the state where she held by far the most presidential campaign events in 2008, according to The Washington Post’s candidate tracker.Catanese quotes a GOP source who says that Gov. Palin believes there is a real chance to make a difference in Ohio.
The former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee gave $5,000 to former GOP Rep. John Kasich, who’s running for Ohio governor; $3,500 to former Rep. Rob Portman, who’s running for the state’s open Senate seat; $1,000 to Rep. Jean Schmidt; and $1,000 to state auditor Mary Taylor, whom Kasich recently tapped to be his running mate.
Another source, Hamilton County GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou said:
"It makes sense to me that she may be looking to a future where Ohio matters to her, and if she’s building support, I think it’s great. We’ve got an incumbent governor in Ted Strickland who is very vulnerable, so perhaps she sees where her dollars can make a difference."A poll taken last month by Wenzel Strategies showed Kasich with a 10-point lead over Gov. Ted Strickland. Portman was leading both potential opponents (Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner) by six points. Fritz Wenzel says his findings are similar to a Rasmussen Reports poll taken just a week prior to when his survey was conducted.
- JP
