After a narrow victory in 2010 and a polarizing first year in office, Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich was one of Democrats’ top gubernatorial targets. But now, some Democrats acknowledge an uptick in the Republican’s job approval numbers, and Kasich barely cracks the list of top five vulnerable Republican governors. Democrats have coalesced behind Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and believe he can run up the margins in Democratic-rich Northeast Ohio. But the party may have President Barack Obama to blame for their difficulties. The president spent tens of millions of dollars in last year’s presidential contest talking about economic rebound in Ohio. Now Kasich stands to benefit from that optimism. (more…)
