Demagogue

In a word: very. Ken Blackwell and the state Republican Party are so desperate that, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer:

With Republican Ken Blackwell trailing by double digits in almost every poll, Blackwell's campaign Tuesday tried to link his Democratic opponent to child sex predators — and the state Republican spokesman even raised questions about Ted Strickland's sexuality.

Blackwell and the state GOP say they are only questioning Strickland's integrity and judgment. The Strickland campaign said the GOP ought to be "ashamed."

At Monday night's final televised debate, and again in a press release Tuesday, Blackwell charged that Strickland should have known that a man arrested for exposing himself to children was on his congressional payroll. He also suggested Strickland backed a U.S. House resolution supported by a group supporting pedophilia.

... "It is fair turf because it does call into question Ted Strickland's management ability and his decision-making,'' said John McClelland, spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party.

... "Ted Strickland has not answered the tough questions," McClelland said. Included, McClelland said, is why Strickland went on a post-1998 campaign vacation with the once-convicted aide to Italy.

"Where was Frances?'' McClelland said of the candidate's wife. "Voters should be able to look at it and make their own decision. We're not going to sit here and say whether or not we think Ted Strickland has a certain preference. It's just not our business ..."

If this was truly "fair turf" to raise, then why did the Ohio GOP wait to raise such an "issue" until their candidate was 27 points behind?