What does the budget deal mean?

My first take is that the Senate didn’t have the votes or the stomach – or both – to fight for cuts and savings instead of gambling.  This was always about Strickland seeking to avoid the opinion of voters and force the legislature to sign on to his last minute flip-flop. In a sense, they won by getting him to go the executive order route.  Strickland owns the slots idea now. But the voters, and Ohio, lose.

But as Matt worries, doesn’t this set up things badly for the Republicans?  Yes and no.  Yes, it means that the budget trouble is still down the road thanks to lots of one time money, etc.

But Republicans were not in a good position to fight on these issues this cycle.  If they are smart politically they will use it to better position themselves in the future.

And I think they can do this in at least a couple of ways:

1. It seems clear to me that Strickland has been damaged by this process.  Editorial boards around the state hammered him.  He looked like a dear caught in the headlights and was mocked openly nationally.  And he may have gotten a deal, but only by breaking his promise and tying himself to a policy that is bound to under perform.
2. Republicans need to hammer home the point that when given the chance the first thing the Democrats in the Ohio House did was increase spending!  The Democrats were given a chance to lead and they failed miserably. If the business community can’t see reality they need to be hit with a two-by-four.
3. Strickland may want to campaign on his leadership but the economy is not going to cooperate.  This budget doesn’t solve any of Ohio’s underlying problems and the Democratic leadership in Washington is going to make it worse by attempting to add another stimulus, Cap and Trade and government run health care to the damage already done.

John Kasich and the rest of the party can still run on a platform to fundamentally change the economic landscape of Ohio.

I guess where I disagree a little bit with Matt, is whether a “budget crisis” is the best place to hammer out these positions.  I think the situations was difficult as the public could just as easily have blamed the GOP for continuing the stalemate and thus the havoc that was causing.  I think they needed to pass a budget.

I guess we will see in the coming months if the Ohio GOP is going to build on this and carry it forward.