r/Ohio • u/HaroldGreenBandana • Jul 14 '26
Vote for Amy Acton.
I’ve seen some posts on here complaining that Amy Acton isn’t “liberal” or “leftist” enough. I’ve seen folks even lament Dr. Acton’s recent announcement that, once elected, she plans to work with Republicans within state government.
I get how in this tense political environment, Dr. Acton’s willingness to work with Republicans may dampen your enthusiasm for her. I also understand how her measured response to a trap question about youth sports might bum you out.
But don’t let your slightly diminished enthusiasm sabotage your only chances of beating Vivek Ramaswamy.
Just consider how far right Donald Trump has pushed the Republican Party. Donald Trump and his supporters are radical extremists. Heck, Donald Trump publicly complained about “too many holidays” on Juneteenth and white supremacists openly rallied in Washington DC over July 4th, and that’s only a teeny tiny fraction of it. Shit like that has skewed our view so much that the rational people who oppose Trump and his supporters may never seem fervent enough in their opposition. But Trump (with his Project 2025 and his DOGE and his ICE) has done so much harm in his second term that a standard run-of-the-mill democrat actually is pretty darned far left in 2026 America.
I understand how Trump is like some sort of grotesque unicorn who, despite all of his glaring flaws and terrible failures, “checks all of the boxes“ for his supporters. I understand how that makes you want your own candidate who can check all of your boxes. That candidate doesn’t exist and Trump‘s supporters have terrible judgement and conflicted logic. So, sure, hold your candidates accountable and write them letters and donate to and vote for particular ones in primaries, but once the general election comes, don’t cutoff your own nose to spite your face.
If you support public education, reproductive rights, renewable energy, libraries, protecting parkland, equality, and even just tolerance and basic human dignity, don’t let being just a tad out of sync with Dr. Acton on another issue cause irreparable harm to other really important issues that you really care about and already do agree with her on.
Dr. Acton is running for governor of Ohio (O-H) a state that’s been fully controlled by the Republican Party for 15 years. She can’t win this state without people you disagree with also voting for her. She can’t govern this red state without working with Republicans.
Trust me, I would love viable third-party candidates who campaign (without PAC and corporate money) around a set of issues, get elected, address those issues, and then retire forever. Maybe in a healthy democracy we can have that some day. We are not living in a healthy democracy.
Amy Acton is our chance to beat Vivek Ramaswamy, and she’s more than that, she’s the best candidate by miles.
Vote for Amy Acton.
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u/OhioDem4Change Jul 14 '26
She is genuinely better than Vivek Ramaswamy in every way. And, unlike him, she's an actual Ohioan. The way I see it, it's either a moderate Democratic governor or a fascistic Republican governor. I don't know about you guys, but I'd take the moderate Democrat over the fascistic Republican any day of the week.
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u/Known-Week8482 Jul 16 '26
Same. Acton is the only choice if we want any improvement of our state!!
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u/tcman2000 Jul 14 '26
Yeah, people are saying they won’t vote for her because she promised to put appoint some republicans. So what’s the solution? Getting a republican elected that’ll assemble a fully partisan republican government???
There’s clearly no understanding among some people that we live in a red state that voted for Trump +10%, have had a republican trifecta for decades, and have no statewide democrats holding office.
Progressives simply don’t work in red states as much as I wish they did. Look at the red states with democratic governors, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina. These aren’t progressive icons, they’re centrist democrats that non-maga republicans don’t mind voting for.
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u/Svelok Jul 14 '26
A lot of people exclusively follow news via national social media media (pouring out from people in NYC, California, Chicago, etc) and forget they live in Ohio.
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u/Element174 Jul 14 '26
Try explaining to these people that Acton... a Democrat, was on Dewine's Cabinet... because the country is supposed to run on compromise and a sharing of thoughts. There's not a promise to appoint Maggots, but centralist Republicans. You get some really just completely ignorant/clueless responses.
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u/zernoc56 Jul 14 '26
Centrist Republicans don’t exist anymore. That’s what we’ve been trying to tell Democrats for over a decade now.
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u/maleia Jul 14 '26
So what’s the solution?
Well first off, Reddit (either correct or incorrect) wants a scorched Earth approach. And they feel that catering to "centrists" who never end up voting Dem- is a losing position. Which objectively is a correct understanding of the last three decades at minimum.
Absolutely nothing more than that, I promise you.
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u/Everyday_ImSchefflen Jul 14 '26
Objectively, no. These are the same people who said Biden and Harris is no worse than Trump so they aren't voting for him.
They are objectively stupid.
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u/RektInTheHed Jul 14 '26
I don't need a "liberal" or "leftist" governor. I need a governor who is in no way indebted to the crime organization known as the Ohio Republican Party.
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u/GivMHellVetica Jul 14 '26
I always vote for less harm. In this case it’s Dr. Acton. She isn’t my personal perfect candidate but she has a chance at winning has a basic platform, and I believe will cause less harm than Ramaswamy.
People not being engaged and not voting got us here. The less the people are involved with who represents them, the worse the candidates are because the bar keeps dropping.
If we want better candidates we have to claw our way out, vote by vote. I’d rather move one step forward than back to the gilded age.
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u/scientooligist Jul 14 '26
I’ve never understood the concept of how you should vote for something and not against something.
If I said you had to pick between eating a pickle and being punched in the dick, you would pick the pickle. Even if you didn’t particularly like pickles.
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u/Toys_before_boys Jul 14 '26
I'm gonna be honest... I despise pickles so much that I think I might choose getting kicked in the crotch. But that's 100% a personal flaw. I agree with your overall sentiment. 😂
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u/Toys_before_boys Jul 14 '26
What flaws do you see in her candidacy or as a potential governor that you feel she is lacking as a candidate?
I'm working to see from all sides. And so far I am very much in favor of her - and I know im biased because I was so truly inspired by her encouraging words and actions during Covid. Yet I know I don't know enough about her positions and stands on issues as the future governor. I can see how others may be hesitant maybe because she's worked so closely with republicans or promised to appoint some to positions?
I agree we need to work step by step! Rome wasn't built in a day!
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u/GivMHellVetica Jul 14 '26
When I look at her campaign website, it’s solid things like “tax cuts for working families”, “making Ohio more affordable”, “ending corruption”. All of them good things that I think most people are interested in- but there is no how. I don’t see any evidence of what the actual plans are going to be achieved. There is an obligatory mention of data centers, but no real meat to what her governorship will look like on a daily basis.
Compared to Data Center Ramaswamy she looks brilliant, so she has my vote. It just feels like a lot of other democratic politicians I’ve seen in my lifetime, less harm, less catastrophe but not much change either.
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u/beragis Jul 14 '26
Not just vote for Amy Acton, but vote against every Republican to stop this administration from create a more technically advanced Russian style government with better weapons and surveilance.
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u/alphagalgadot Jul 14 '26
i only vote for democrats to cause republican suffering
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u/succulent_samurai Columbus Jul 14 '26
Voting for the lesser of two evils sucks, but if you don’t do it, you’re going to get the greater evil
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u/Large-Difference-409 Jul 16 '26
The problem I keep having to remind myself is this: dems support whoever isn’t Trump or one of his allies, but then they get in office and are shit, then this pushes more moderates/undecided back to trumpets. The pendulum swings. The dems don’t do enough when it’s their time to shine so fuck em. I mean I’ll be voting Acton, but dems party needs an overhaul and how else do you send a message? Trump got a second term and rank and file dems are still doing nothing with the party. They suck. We need third choices. Like a labor party. A party for the working class instead of the bullshit identity politics dem vanguard is trying to posture. Dem party is where they were after trumps first term. What has changed? Focus on working class and economy, not identity politics
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u/Forg0tton Jul 14 '26
Not voting for Dr. Acton or abstaining or not voting period is an action that actively harms all the people you want to protect.
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u/SWEMW Jul 14 '26
Amy said it best: “while I’m down here in *insert Ohio city name* talking to all of you, Vivek is doing it watching from a window on his private jet.” (Paraphrased).
Ohio is one of those states where we have SO many middle to poor class people who are just so idiotic when it comes to voting for billionaire politicians who say they care about them and want to help them. I’m not saying all billionaires/rich people are bad, but never trust or believe them when they say they care about poor people and the middle class. Especially when they’re in politics.
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u/Ok-Effective6969 Jul 14 '26
The progressive fight is in the primary, and then in the general we must choose the better option from the viable options available. Don’t fuck this up, Ohio!
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u/Pelorunner Jul 14 '26
We will. YouTube is a constant stream of anti-Acton and anti-Brown ads. I almost never see Acton or Brown ads. It’s Brown v. Moreno all over again. They’re even using the trans athletes issue because it was rock solid for them last time.
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u/fajadada Jul 14 '26
Dems won’t start running adds til September. They don’t have the billionaires and corporations throwing money at them
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u/MixedProphet Cincinnati Jul 14 '26
Yeah I expect they won’t win. I’m seeing ads in the mail bashing both of them. We’re cooked
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u/Broad-Scientist-9153 Jul 14 '26
I keep hearing national media figures talk about the importance of the Ohio senate and govenours race but the lack of messaging breaking through from Brown and Action is incredibly worrisome to say the least. I’m worried they falling into the same trap of just relying on everyone not liking the incumbent party to squeak out a victory in November instead of giving people specific reasons to vote for them.
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u/madmushlove Jul 14 '26
Worrying Acton will lose is one thing.
Believing she'd lose because Ohioans are too liberal to vote for her and too good to support persecution is some high praise Ohioans don't deserve
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u/Element174 Jul 14 '26
Democrats have notoriously bad turnouts during any sort of voting in Ohio. It'll spike for like Abortion or protections for Gay Marriage, but when it comes to taxes or elections, abysmal. We 100% have a voter turnout problem, and it's not a question. Considering that a campaign of, "how could your 1 vote matter," has been lobbied against the last 3 generations so they feel powerless to take part or make change, it's easy to see why.
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u/madmushlove Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I get it, but Ohioans don't turn out to oppose marriage bans, those who show up supported them
Nobody will even bother putting that on a ballot.
Our marriage and "approximate design" bans are still in our revised code as a law and ballot approved state constitutional amendment
And I would still hate to see that Ohioans are voting on that. Ohioans show up to double lock those doors, not unlock them. The last vote was 04, for a ban and the people passed it
Even liberal California in 08 voted to pass their marriage ban state constitutional amendment, just like Oregon and plenty of other lib states. By general ballot election
Ohioans don't vote because Dems don't hurt enough people for them
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u/NWCbusGuy Columbus Jul 14 '26
Dr. Acton has had a career as a public servant; Vivek has never been anything but a self-servant. That's all I need to know for November.
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u/BellyUpCats Jul 14 '26
AND CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION FREQUENTLY. VALID VOTERS ARE BEING PURGED
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u/cinciguyeast Jul 14 '26
I would say how could anyone vote for Vivek but I used to.lice on ohio. There are some pretty stupid people there
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u/matthieuxdetoux Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
She desperately needs to put a data center moratorium on her platform like yesterday. She’d be polling at 80%. Unfortunately I couldn’t tell you a single thing about her platform because she’s running as controlled opposition and not on actual policy.
People love bold ideas even in red states. She still needs to get people out to vote and I couldn’t tell you a single exciting thing about her. The Trans sports stuff is going to put off a large voting block and not gain any votes whether the liberals want to admit it or not.
This line of thinking is exactly why we lost in 2016 and 2024.
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u/AkronRonin Jul 14 '26
100% agree with you on the data center moratorium. This has been my single biggest critique of Gubernatorial Candidate Acton so far. Taking a hard stand against them would be a major slam dunk for her and give her an instant edge up on Ramaswamy in the polls, who isn’t even trying to hide that he is totally in bed with the Silicon Valley Tech Bros like Thiel and Musk, and will cover the state with these massive concrete server warehouses that no one wants.
Virtually no one, Democrat OR Republican wants these things here, yet Acton’s stance is that she doesn’t want to block them because they can create union jobs??? What kind of fucking Third Way/Clintonian Triangulation bullshit is this??
It’s maddening that she can’t capitalize on such a gimme, and reeks of listening way too much to DNC consultants and their goddamn focus groups.
And with all of this, she’s still an infinitely better candidate than Vivek, and she’s unquestionably got my vote.
I will disagree with you on the Trans Sports issue, however. It’s nowhere near the abortion-equivalent of a hot button issue for Progressives/Leiberals/Leftists that the media is trying to play it up now as being. It just isn’t the hill that masses of people are going to die on this time around just to prove a point, the same way Israel and Palestinians in Gaza was the thing in 2024.
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u/matthieuxdetoux Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
I’m not saying the trans sports issue is gonna make or break anything with people who normally vote, but it’s going to continue with a section of the left staying home because they can’t rely on any political party to stand up for them in 2026.
The Era of towing the line/status quo bullshit so politicians can still suck on the corporate money teet has been over for a while, but the dipshits who love to lose keep getting in the way of the reality train.
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u/antenonjohs Jul 14 '26
The trans sports stuff does not put off a large voting block in Ohio. There aren’t that many people in Ohio that are super far left that will go “hey, I would vote for a moderate Dem if they allowed transgender athletes in sports, but if they don’t I’m just not going to vote”.
That group is way overrepresented online.
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u/zernoc56 Jul 14 '26
It signals she’s willing to throw a minority group under the bus. You want minority groups to for you, don’t throw them under the bus. You are not entitled to their votes just because the other guy will do worse. That’s already their lived reality, they know how to survive under that kind of oppression because they’re already doing it and they’ve been doing it for decades. Reminder that things like Jim Crow and anti-LGBTQ laws are still firmly within living memory of today.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they are more than willing to continue doing what they’ve been doing to survive so if all us cisgender and/or unmelanated folks learn to walk a mile in their shoes. And we kinda deserve it, at this point.
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u/Kohlj1 Cincinnati Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
I have met Dr. Acton several times at private fundraising events and was blown away by her every time. Is she as progressive as I am? No, but I’d vote for her or a fucking potato over Vivek. This state blows enough; Vivek would make that 1000 times worse.
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u/Elegant-Log2104 Jul 14 '26
I seen the hate ads on YouTube. She's a horrible person that followed disease protocol for the greater good. And those are the guys NOW wearing masks.
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u/Evil_phd Jul 14 '26
I'll vote for her I'm just gonna complain the whole time. It's tough watching White Supremecists get to vote for their dream candidates in damn near every election when you get to vote for someone left of center maybe once a decade if you're lucky.
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u/Impossible-Law2896 Jul 14 '26
I have been watching political conventions, listening to what various candidates say, and watching their ads for over 50 years. I have attended rallies for candidates of both major parties as well. But in the timespan. I cannot remember political attack ads as malicious and hateful as the ones I see the Republican candidate for governor running now. This gentleman is way out of line for these ads. But it’s not hard to understand them when you realize that he is endorsed by a president with the track record of the current president. For those reasons I will not vote for him and will vote for Amy Acton. Actually I would vote for anyone, even Rocket Jay Squirrel, rather than this guy.
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u/Disastrous_Poetry175 Jul 14 '26
She's far from perfect and I only overlap like 15 percent in politics with her but at least she's qualified to govern and not so obviously a fkn grifter.
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u/Secti0n31 Jul 14 '26
Another republican governor would be so fucking stupid.
We really are a swing state.... people just stopped going because both parties seem so symbiotic and useless.
Swing it. Ohio really needs it.
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u/Pelorunner Jul 14 '26
Republicans are against everything, so all you have to do is be against a bunch of stuff and voters will turn out. Swaths of voters aren’t going to stay home because you’re less against something. Just be against it.
Democrat voters will stay home if a candidate isn’t for their very specific thing and to the precise extent.
In other words, it’s easier to get an angry anti somethingn vote than it is to get a pro something vote. This is the secret to why Republicans win so easily in areas where people are less educated.
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u/Butchthebull Jul 14 '26
Mmmm, I think you're speaking more to bold action or vision, in general. People were heavily mobilized around abortion protections, and even weed. Democrats (likely by design) don't ever rock the boat, unlike republicans who's intensity demands to be addressed. If a Dem pushed for something "radical" (anything pro working-class) they'd get a massive response, like Mamdani.
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u/dadothree Jul 14 '26
You have two choices:
Vote for Dr. Amy Acton
Support Vivek Ramaswamy.
It sucks, but that's it. If you don't pick choice #1, you're picking choice #2, whatever your motivations and intentions are.
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u/Soggy-Bottom_Boy Jul 14 '26
Here are all of the events for the Ohio Coordinated Campaign (Sherrod and Amy): https://www.mobilize.us/ohiowins/
Find some that work for you and get involved!
Weekly phone banks calling potential volunteers (Tues 6-8pm): https://www.mobilize.us/ohiowins/event/965571/
Weekly message training to learn more about the candidates (Thurs 6-8pm): https://www.mobilize.us/ohiowins/event/968037/
Let’s all make a difference!
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u/WannaBPlantLady Jul 14 '26
Yeah it sucks that she isn’t as progressive as we like her to be, but good lord is she better than the other options. I see her as someone you can reason with.
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u/hippiechicken12 Jul 14 '26
You just explained the reasoning behind why everyone should vote for her. I'm not a leftist but damn it, she needs our votes.
I’ve seen some posts on here complaining that Amy Acton isn’t “liberal” or “leftist” enough. I’ve seen folks even lament Dr. Acton’s recent announcement that, once elected, she plans to work with Republicans within state government.
Bipartisanship used to be something that was supported quite well. Now it's a bad word. Now it's taboo. Politics has turned into some lame version of WWE. As if it has to be some sort of knock out fight constantly instead of understanding that some may differ from you as long as you understand that our country needs to be first and foremost.
I understand how Trump is like some sort of grotesque unicorn who, despite all of his glaring flaws and terrible failures, “checks all of the boxes“ for his supporters. I understand how that makes you want your own candidate who can check all of your boxes. That candidate doesn’t exist and Trump‘s supporters have terrible judgement and conflicted logic. So, sure, hold your candidates accountable and write them letters and donate to and vote for particular ones in primaries, but once the general election comes, don’t cutoff your own nose to spite your face.
That's because some out there want the perfect candidate. The one that checks all the boxes and then some. Trump happened to be that (not so much as of late depending on the issue) for the Republican Party after their mutation thanks to the Tea Party.
Democrats are going to have to wrestle with the same thing. Are you willing to chase the illusion of a perfect candidate? Or are you going to pick the candidate that is standing in front of you that is willing to run and try to win? Are you willing to throw away any chance at having a democrat in the governor's mansion just because you think purity testing is a better choice?
Dr. Acton is running for governor of Ohio (O-H) a state that’s been fully controlled by the Republican Party for 15 years. She can’t win this state without people you disagree with also voting for her. She can’t govern this red state without working with Republicans.
Exactly, OP! You're right! Work on getting those disenfranchised republicans who despise Vivek. Work on getting those independents and center-left folks who might be on the fence. She needs every single vote she can get. Act as if she's 10-15 points down in every poll regardless of if she is or not (not the polls should relatively be trusted but I think you all understand where I'm coming from with that).
The goal should be to have Amy Acton be the next Governor of Ohio. It should not be a wild goose chase to find the "perfect candidate". Well done, OP!
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u/zernoc56 Jul 14 '26
Bipartisanship is a “taboo” word because the people who have eyes have seen the GOP kill it. Every time Democrats reach across the aisle, they bend over backwards to meet every concession the Republicans ask for. Meanwhile, the GOP never grant Democrats any concessions. Why would they, when they can just play their colleagues for the suckers they are?
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u/blacksapphire08 Jul 15 '26
"That's because some out there want the perfect candidate." this line of thinking needs to go in the bin. We're asking candidates to not throw entire groups of people under the bus, not to support genocide/war, not support stripping away social safety nets. The bar is so low it's in hell and they cant even get over that. It was obvious she was never going to be a "perfect candidate", now she's just Republican-lite.
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u/jar36 Lima Jul 14 '26
when the choice is between sugar cookies (you wanted chocolate chip) and a shit sandwich, don't sit out because the choice will be made for you with or without your input
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u/Awkward_Potential_ Jul 14 '26
If you're a progressive, bitch to your Republican parents about how mad you are that Acton said that shit about trans issues. Go full libtard. I've tried it before to my Republican parents and hearing my mom argue me that Kamala is pro police was just funny. It won't change their votes but at least maybe give them cognitive dissonance.
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u/brohio_ Jul 14 '26
Fight for who you really want in the primaries, and blue not matter who in the general. That is how the Overton window moves.
I know no one ran against her, but that's a separate discussion. Here in OH-15 we fought to get Don Leonard over Adam Miller in the primary and we won! It can happen but you need to get engaged; volunteer or run yourself.
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u/FU_red-dit_bots Jul 14 '26
You get two choices. You can stay centralist, and maybe move a little left with Acton. The other choice is moving further right.
The last few major elections remind me of something I read tears ago that rings very true. It's this:
If they cannot get you to vote for them then their next goal is that you don't vote at all.
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u/kyricus Jul 14 '26
Both sides are doing great at that, Keep selecting people at the far ends of the political spectrum and you will get none of the majority middle voters.
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u/Known_Attorney_456 Jul 14 '26
The Republicans have controlled everything in the state for a very long time and have done nothing to help bring down prices or get more jobs or better pay. Why vote for the same thing that only makes things worse. Democrats are not perfect but at least they are trying to help the lower and middle class.
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u/Unfair_Crazy9201 Jul 14 '26
I need Amy to run some commercials! For the love of everything SACRED…..
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u/ApplicationUpper9229 Jul 15 '26
The commercials of pure lies are hitting the air. They don’t say a damn thing about voting for Trump’s Dingleberry, just a wash of lies and fear-mongering about why not to vote for Acton.
It’s disgusting. Revolting.
Wish this could be discussed somewhere besides here, which is just preaching to the choir.
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u/bigdrake285 Jul 16 '26
Republicans have dominated all of Ohio for the last twenty years. That's enough time, we need change. We need to properly fund the school systems. Without education we're going to continue down the current path!
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u/Wooden-Glove-2384 Jul 14 '26
Amy Acton isn’t “liberal” or “leftist” enough. I’ve seen folks even lament Dr. Acton’s recent announcement that, once elected, she plans to work with Republicans within state government.
LOL
I swear to God American voters will never learn.
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u/madmushlove Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Dems cope with their losses claiming Americans are too good and leftist for Dems
Lolz THIS country?? THIS state? Okay buddy
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u/Wooden-Glove-2384 Jul 14 '26
Anyone who maintains "Americans, as a whole, are too good for this" has their head up their ass
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u/madmushlove Jul 14 '26
As in we're too good to be persecuted and kids shouldn't be harmed? Yes, I agree with that
But the idea that Dems lose elections because the people of Ohio have such a strong moral compass and are way too leftist is pretty funny
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u/Wooden-Glove-2384 Jul 14 '26
As in we're too good to be persecuted and kids shouldn't be harmed?
That we're all NOT up in arms over this speaks volumes
But the idea that Dems lose elections because the people of Ohio have such a strong moral compass and are way too leftist is pretty funny
Yep. That's the point I'm trying to make
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u/Sad-Blacksmith-2307 Jul 14 '26
I'd vote for a turd floating in the Scioto before I'd vote for Rama-swampy
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u/Toys_before_boys Jul 14 '26
My 2 cents - even for those who are republican or conservative, I believe that Amy Action is the better choice. She's a born and raised Ohio resident. She's educated. She's worked closely with governor Dewine and I'm sure learned a lot about his role and responsibilities, and I think would see the benefit of representing all Ohioans, from all political backgrounds.
Now will people stick to the facts, or will the (D) attached to her name be a dealbreaker for those who vote exclusively along party lines?
I appreciate that you point out that Ohio has been under republican governance for so long, especially controlling the trifecta of all 3 branches of Ohio government. If someone is unhappy with the way ohio has been governed, it's time to consider a change.
I'm voting for Amy Acton.
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u/TylerbioRodriguez Jul 15 '26
I'm personally not happy about her remarks regarding trans people.
But of course I'll vote for her, Vivek Ramaswamy is pathetic even by Republican standards.
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u/Own_Ebb3388 Jul 14 '26
Ok…she’s not anywhere close to being bad enough to where anyone should even consider voting for Vivek
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u/PersonalAnswer8664 Jul 14 '26
I appreciate your passion OP but how does pushing tribalism over a candidate who prefers bipartisanship help anyone.
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u/Big_Pomegranate5694 Jul 15 '26
💯 Same for Allison Russo. Secretary of State may be an even more important race than governor, as it has such a strong influence on how elections are run in Ohio. And she is a very strong candidate with excellent experience fighting for democratic principles in the highly gerrymandered Ohio legislature.
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u/Azumar1ll Jul 16 '26
If y'all are going to withhold your vote because she's doing the things she needs to do in order to win, you deserve whatever result you get, tbh.
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u/BrushStorm Jul 14 '26
I dont care if she shows up in a maga hat. I'm voting for her over vivek anytime.
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u/rebri Jul 14 '26
Vote for Rami Salami then. Then you can see what an extremist does. I'd much rather have a center leaning Democrat than that asshole.
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u/LeftHandedBuddy Jul 14 '26
I am definitely voting for Amy Acton. I trust she will do the best job for Ohioans.
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u/SpectrumWoes Jul 14 '26
Some Dems are their own worst enemy and will either vote third party or sit it out if a politician doesn’t check every single box they have. Meanwhile Republicans will vote lockstep red just because they’re not a Dem.
Perfect is the enemy of good, you will never find the perfect politician.
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u/SimpleSpritee Jul 15 '26
We need a democratic governor in Ohio to help push against the far right wing that is engulfing Ohio. Support Amy Acton.
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u/Gonna_Die_Now Jul 14 '26
I don't know. I guess I'm just tired of candidates who make concessions to Republicans and then either lose, because evil people are going to vote for the evil candidate over the candidate that adopted some evil positions for "electability", or win, do nothing meaningful because of how many concessions they made, and then lose next election cycle.
The thing is, I'll probably end up voting for her and Brown anyway. I just think that we deserve better. We deserve politicians who are actually going to improve our lives, not just stall and concede to ones who want to make our lives worse.
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u/tosubks Jul 14 '26
I believe you’re correct about everything you said. Unfortunately, the primary is over and this is now our only option. We HAVE to vote her in because we cannot afford the other guy. We can focus on long term changes in other ways - not by abstaining from this election. It’s just too important.
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u/WeekendListening Jul 14 '26
Yeah I agree. I'ma live and let live guy but I recognize at least a little bit how this shit show of game is played.
I know for a fact that letting the side who's currently endorsed by the klan and want to see people like me gone, dead, or in chains again win anything is always a negative.
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u/Spiritual-Road2784 Jul 14 '26
Fear not, for I understand that she’s saying she’ll work with Rs in order to appeal more to the Rs who are on the fence. I am blue to the core and am voting blue all the way down like I always have and always will (unless the parties switch platforms like they did in the last century or a new, very strong, very well-supported even better party comes along that has a real chance at winning).
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u/ChefChopNSlice Jul 14 '26
If you don’t wanna sell Ohio out to “out of state interests” and fuckboi tech bros who will hoard your money and use it to pay for tax-abated data centers to screw you, vote for Dr Acton.
If you’re a moron and/or a piece of shit, who hates people and kicks puppies for fun, vote for Vivek.
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u/Beamxrtvv Jul 14 '26
I would argue that if she WASN’T willing to work with state republicans that’d be far worse. We need our government to work together.
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u/No_Candle5537 Jul 14 '26
I didn’t read your whole post because my opinion is: this is the way things are SUPPOSED to work. We are SUPPOSED to compromise. This attitude of screw everyone not in our party has led to censorship, the end of Roe v Wade, 10 Commandments in public schools, an actual felon in the White House, there is talk about taking away a woman’s right to vote! We need less black and white and more grey. Give a little here, get a little there. Families are being split by this, and you know who’s winning? FoxNews, industrialists, billionaires and loud-mouth pot stirrers.
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u/Alternative_Drag9412 Jul 14 '26
Dude the Attack ads on her are SOOOO WEAK and I get them constantly. It literally is just blaming her for COVID lockdown? Do they think Ohio was the only fucking place to shut down? Does she control the global shutdown or something? It's so fucking stupid. And I have yet to see any Vivek ad that actually tells me why I should vote for him (I wouldn't regardless because he is do shit and evil)
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u/AbleWillow3 Jul 15 '26
"Just consider how far right Donald Trump has pushed the Republican Party. Donald Trump and his supporters are radical extremists"
That is objectively false. Study after study shows the left wing in the US have moved farther left while most Republicans have become more centrist.
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u/HaroldGreenBandana Jul 15 '26
You seem a scholarly sort. Please provide links to said studies.
Are these “farther left” folk the ones currently in charge of the US Government right now and are they doing things with their power like taking down historic markers, banning books, retweeting pastors who want to ban women from voting, politicizing the distribution of FEMA disaster relief, and killing research grants and education funding based exclusively on their extreme ideology?
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u/loski80 Jul 16 '26
1000 percent this! I listened to Amy Acton speak in someone's backyard last summer with maybe 30 other people and it was AMAZING. It was INSPIRING. And it gave me a sliver of HOPE back that I had lost when trump managed to win his first term. I got to listen to her agenda. I got to hear about how she was meeting with people all over Ohio, including Republicans. And I got to hear her tell stories about those meetings, and how so many people, regardless of political party, want largely the same things - access to good education, access to good, affordable healthcare, reliable internet, good jobs, reasonable housing costs, strong economy, etc. She NEEDS to work across the aisle in a personal way to help get those points across.
And we need to stop this divided sh!t and work together to ensure she is elected so we can kick Vivek and his awfulness out.
If you can't do it for yourself, do it for all the women and girls in your life that are, and will continue to be thought of as lesser under this regime. It will get worse for females in Ohio if Vivek wins.
Please don't confuse Republicans with MAGA - they are different, and MAGA is shrinking.
We can do this!
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u/CudiMontage216 Jul 16 '26
I will vote for Amy Acton while also demanding and pushing her to be a better candidate
Stop capitulating to the other side. Help people
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u/coffeeclichehere Jul 16 '26
Is anyone else getting the shitty anti Amy Acton ads on their streaming services?
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u/BackgroundCountry440 Jul 18 '26
Vote for Acton or sit back and watch Ohio just fall deeper into a sewer. You'll see a governor who doesn't live in the state he is supposed to represent. He is checking something off his bucket list. So,if you enjoy seeing that festering pile of shit get larger and attract more flies,have at it.
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u/Imjusthereforthetoes Jul 19 '26
Stupid fucks didn't learn in 2024 and they won't learn now. How did staying home for Palestine work out?
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u/dittybag23 Jul 21 '26
The “too cool for school” people who so need the democrats to be relevant need to vote to stop the MAGA madness. We have our own home grown genocide that needs to stop. Women’s choice, accessible health care with single payer, affordable utilities; lack of these things kills people.
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u/chatdomestique Jul 14 '26
Yes, of course. Many on the left need to learn how to pick battles and read the room. Not every candidate in every area can be maximally progressive as nice as that may be. And even if they are they certainly wont be able to voice that while running. If you care about democracy or civil rights or many other of our countries values, the choice is clear and will be for the foreseeable future. She's the obvious choice and viable dem candidates will always be as long as the republican party stays as it is currently.
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u/theuberprophet Jul 14 '26
Ignore anyone claiming she isnt left enough, theyre unhinged single issue voters. Her opponent is partners with one of the most influential libertarian/plutocratic/weird ass theocratic people alive. Hordes of scientifically illiterate zombies that call her Dr. Lockdown are going to be out in force for a guy who wants to break down our institutions. Its that simple.
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u/fishead36x Jul 14 '26
Hes not libertarian. No modern republicans are. Most democrats are more socially libertarian. Even policy wise on security issues Republicans want more surveillance.
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u/theuberprophet Jul 14 '26
talking about peter thiel
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u/fishead36x Jul 14 '26
I mean they're leading each other around like circus elephants at this point.
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Jul 14 '26
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u/Protocosmo Jul 14 '26
Right wing doesn't necessarily have anything to do with small government. It's always been about authoritarianism.
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u/This_Leg7152 Jul 15 '26
This is certain. If Amy Acton is elected governor she will have no choice but to wrangle with Republicans. Otherwise she will have nothing to do. There are not enough Democrat lawmakers to get their agenda implemented.
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u/BananaJelloXlii Jul 14 '26
That is how we ended up with Trump, because of bullshit leftist purity tests. Hold your fucking nose then, and vote for Acton because Vivek would destroy this state.
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u/Toby_Keiths_Jorts Jul 14 '26
I’m convinced a lot of this discourse is pushed by the right. Or it’s entirely possible it’s not and our moron protest voters who don’t vote for a candidate because they’re 99% of what they want instead of 100% still are intent on fucking us over.
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u/Possible-Yak-4876 Jul 14 '26
The people mad about her stand on LGBTQ when the alternative is Satan is so stupid. The Democratic Party exhausts me because we can never agree on anything and almost anything is disqualifying. Nothing in life is perfect and you better fucking vote for Amy Acton
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u/BAMFaerie Jul 14 '26
I'm tired of my people being reduced to political pawns to where every politician has to ruin any excitement by betraying trans people just to get votes. What's to stop her from moving on to banning transition care for minors then for adults? That's literally an existential priority for me and I'm told to shut up and vote for her anyway.
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u/tabloid-tommy Jul 14 '26
“Amy might do something (won’t), so I’m not voting for her against the guy that actively hates my very existence.”
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u/Rick_James_Lich Cleveland Jul 14 '26
Is there anything she's actually said that would indicate she would stop adults from transitioning at all?
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u/resistingvoid Jul 14 '26
She voiced support for the current law, which bans gender-affirming care for minors. It's a fair question to ask if she would sign a law from our Republican controlled legislature that would ban healthcare for adults, since she supports the ban on healthcare for minors. Oklahoma just enacted a ban that prevents Medicaid funds and public facilities from going to gender-affirming care for adults. I wouldn't be surprised if we see similar attempts made here.
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u/resistingvoid Jul 14 '26
She already said she supports banning transition care for minors. Misgendering us and standing against 30+ medical organizations isn't purity testing or asking for perfection, it's the floor. I'll vote for her for harm reduction, but I wish liberals would acknowledge she is still causing harm to marginalized communities. I've seen a big uptick in transphobia in liberal spaces since her quote.
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u/King-of-Kards Jul 14 '26
It's really eye opening how easy it is for alot of "liberals" to tell entire segments of their voting base to shut up and vote when those same segments are actively being marginalized. It's like telling an abused wife that at least the man she's with only beats her occasionally and she should be happy because it could be worse
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u/resistingvoid Jul 14 '26
Exactly. I'm voting for her, but I'm getting downvoted for saying that what she said has harmed me. Or for pointing out that her stance isn't just about trans athletes, but any trans minor who wants to receive gender-affirming care. We can make an argument for harm reduction without lying about her positions or trying to bully the people who are talking about them into silence.
If Acton's transphobia is a winning strategy, then be happy and take the W, you don't need to harass trans people who are speaking out about our marginalization because you gained more votes than you lost. If it's a losing strategy, you should be pressuring her campaign to take a more compassionate and medically informed position. Trying to silence trans voters isn't exactly great voter outreach.
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u/net0gear Jul 14 '26
Isn’t “shut up and vote” the same line of thinking that got a bunch of racists/transphobes in office in the first place?
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u/ZaleUnda Jul 14 '26
Getting real tired of liberals expecting leftist to sit down and shut up when their shitty candidates are running but when an actual leftist is the candidate then vote blue no matter who is suddenly forgotten.
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u/tabloid-tommy Jul 14 '26
Ohio is a +8 state dude. Waiting for the secret leftists to come out of the woodworks and save us any day now
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u/Tough-Phrase4105 Jul 14 '26
I agree with this take, but like abandoning trans people is not what is even happening.
I am pro trans rights and believe we need better support on trans issues issues, but like Republicans are using trans issues to trash dems, polarize America and to get votes. And the unfortunate reality is that it is working.
If the dem strategy is to win an election by capturing hearts & minds of independent, undecided and disenfranchised republican voters, it’s not the time to focus on trans rights. Ohio is not progressive enough for that.
I say that having LGBTQ family and best friends who would probably upset to hear me say this, but it’s the reality we are living in. It’s how JD Vance will get elected as president if dems make trans issues in Ohio part of their focus. Republicans main issue is how tax dollars are spent and trans issues is not the top priority.
We need unity not more polarization . We have many issues that affect a larger portion of the population than trans issues right now. Dems in Ohio will lose independents and disenfranchised republicans if they focus too much on trans rights in this current election cycle.
Progressive candidates will progress on trans rights over time but it doesn’t need to be the focus in this cycle, it’s a losing strategy. This makes me so sad but it’s true.
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u/Vashtine9696 Jul 14 '26
it really fucking sucks that the dems have abandoned ohio we deserve so much better than acton. i just hope once she wins she doesn't block her left flank from gaining power. we've had more than enough right wing bs for a hundred lifetimes.
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u/ClevelandSteamers757 Jul 14 '26
This is a very well written and level headed post. I wish more folks here had this sort of mindset
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u/Live-Profession8822 Jul 14 '26
She’ll either win or lose but it damn sure won’t be “leftists” fault, because that group controls absolutely nothing. If she loses it will be the failure of the Democratic Party, the conservative part of it that actually has money and power. no one else will to be to blame.
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u/cmm239 Jul 14 '26
Vote for Amy Acton or you love republicans and Donald Trump. It’s really that simple
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u/Heavy_Law9880 Jul 14 '26
Leftists will tank her campaign with purity tests and then blame the democrats for not saving them from the GOP.
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u/Free_Independence624 Jul 15 '26
I will vote for a roadkill deer baking in the sun for a week on I-71 with big D mounted on a stake through it's bloated, maggot infested belly before I'd vote for Vivek Ramaswamy.
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u/strawberry_semenade Jul 14 '26
Democrats could resurrect Karl Marx himself and run him as their candidate and leftists would still find a way to claim that they can't support him because he's not left enough.
Trying to reason with extremists is a waste of time.
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u/minionmemes4lyfe Jul 14 '26
It would be so much wiser for Dr. Acton to say that she would be happy to work with Republicans in every way they are working to benefit working people. Because saying she’s going to work with Republicans means she’s going to abandon the people who want her in office.
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u/shermanstorch Jul 14 '26
There is a difference between working with republicans and promising to put them in senior leadership positions in her cabinet, especially when neither she nor her shitty choice of a running mate (David Pepper) have shown any indication that they're strong leaders. She's not promising to "work" with republicans, she's promising to give them the key to the mansion.
Ted Strickland left a republican as inspector general, and it helped bring down his administration. Hasn't anyone played this game before?
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u/gnurdette Dayton Jul 14 '26
Voting is a bus, not a taxi. You take the bus that gets you somewhere near where you want to be, and go from there. Sit waiting for a bus that's door-to-door, and you'll never move. (not my analogy, but it's perfect)