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Tags: mike dewine | ohio | governor | republican | blue cities | red rural | voters
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Trump's Success in Ohio Depends on 'Super Gov.' DeWine

mike dewine speaks during a news conference
Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine (Joshua A. Bickel/AP)

John Gizzi By Monday, 29 June 2020 04:47 PM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

Following the recent — and much-discussed — Fox News and Quinnipiac Polls showing Joe Biden edging President Donald Trump in Ohio, observers in the Buckeye State are beginning to ask whether Republican Gov. Mike DeWine will use his record-high popularity to put the president over the top in the Buckeye State this fall.

But whether DeWine — whose early leadership in dealing with COVID-19 has been praised nationwide – will go all-out for a president with whom he is in no way close to is questionable.

"There is no love lost for Trump among establishment Republicans, thanks in large part to former Gov. [and 2106 Republican presidential hopeful] John Kasich," a former high ranking state official and political operative told Newsmax.

"Gov. DeWine will do what is minimally necessary to appease the Trump base. This won't be enough to overcome a potential tidal wave of negative reaction to Trump in areas that a typical Republican should win in Ohio."

The same source (who requested anonymity) explained, "Trump will not be able to be competitive in the suburbs of the 'Three C's' [Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati]. His strength in the rural areas and Northeast Ohio blue collar counties [Youngstown, Akron, and Toledo] will not be enough to overcome this gap."

Also portending rough sailing for Trump, the same souirce told us, "is the turnout in urban areas will be much larger in 2020 than in 2016 when African Americans in the urban centers did not turn out in the same numbers they did in the past. Turnout will be high in Ohio."

A just-completed Ipsos Poll showed DeWine — 71, a past state senator, congressman, lieutenant governor, U.S. Senator, and state attorney general — with a record-high approval rating of 86% statewide.

Since the start of the 20th Century, Ohio has gone for every winner in presidential elections except once (1960, when it went narrowly for Richard Nixon over John Kennedy).

Four years ago, Trump won the state's 18 electoral votes by carrying it with a healthy 52-44% for Hillary Clinton.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

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John-Gizzi
Observers in the Buckeye State are beginning to ask whether Republican Gov. Mike DeWine will use his record-high popularity to put President Donald Trump over the top in the Buckeye State this fall, Newsmax's John Gizzi reports.
mike dewine, ohio, governor, republican, blue cities, red rural, voters
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2020-47-29
Monday, 29 June 2020 04:47 PM
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