Ohio phone calls and Polls

Apparently, someone in the state of Ohio is making calls against Jean Schmidt (OH-2-R), Pat Tiberi (OH-12-R), and Bob Ney (OH-18-R). Schmidt is fighting mad and she is blaming Democrats. Schmidt, who accepted contributions from the indicted former House majority leader, said she will not return the money.http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/10/05/schmidt_delay.html

In a poll conducted by The Columbus Dispatch, J. Kenneth Blackwell, current Ohio Secretary of State, has an early lead for governor (Heaven Help Us!). However, 40% of the registered Ohio voters polled are undecided. http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/10/09/20051009-A1-04.html&chck=t

Here are some excerpts from today's Dispatch:
Seven months before Ohio’s 2006 primary election, Blackwell has dashed to the head of the pack in the first Dispatch Poll for a campaign expected to draw national attention. He has opened a 14-point lead over Attorney General Jim Petro, who in turn tops Auditor Betty D. Montgomery by 2 points among Republican poll respondents.

U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland holds a 3-point margin over Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman among the Democrats polled. Former state Rep. Bryan Flannery is far behind.

The mail survey’s margin of error for both intraparty matchups is 4.5 percentage points.

Blackwell also holds a narrow lead when voters of all stripes are asked to choose among the six major candidates. However, the top five finishers all fall within 5 points of one another — and the total for each is dwarfed by the 40 percent of poll participants who say they are undecided.

The margin of error for the overall poll , conducted Sept. 22 through Wednesday, is 2.6 percentage points.

Blackwell does especially well among Republican men and voters 34 and younger. In the six-way matchup, Montgomery and Strickland hold a tiny lead among independent voters, who are often the key to victory.