Jesus for President!
Scenes from the road in Ohio
I spent the past several days driving all over Ohio, working on a story I’ll have for NPR soon on the fight over a proposed amendment to protect abortion rights. Abortion rights groups see the initiative process as an important tool for pushing back against state legislative restrictions in this post-Roe v. Wade environment, so the Ohio initiative is being closely watched in this off-year election.
In the meantime, I am not aware of any campaign announcement - or even an exploratory committee - for Jesus, but I did spot this sign in Lima, Ohio:
Covering politics these days can be a grind, I’ll be honest.
But, I believe it’s important, and I get such a burst of energy from spending time outside D.C. and talking to Americans about what’s on their minds.
On that note, I coincidentally happened to be in Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan’s district this week, just as he was engaged in his struggle for House Speaker. So I asked a few of his constituents for their thoughts.
There are some mixed feelings, even among Republicans, as I reported for NPR’s Morning Edition.
One of the places I stopped was Kewpee Hamburgers, a classic burger joint. I did not have time to read the story behind this giant Kewpee doll, but I had to take a picture, obviously.
And, one of the perks of reporting all over this big, peculiar country is seeing stuff like this:
What can I say? I like big pumpkins and I cannot lie.
Anyway, it was also my first time driving since the auto accident last month.
I had been putting off driving again first because of surgery, and then anxiety, but I knew that I had to take a deep breath and just do it. Here I am departing from the DC airport on Saturday, feeling a little nervous about the whole trip.
Honestly, as soon as I picked up my rental car on the other end, I wanted to cry from fear for the first couple of minutes. I seriously fantasized about turning the car in and telling my editor I just can’t do it and getting on the next plane home.
But, I’m a big girl. And I know there’s really no way to effectively report from the wide open spaces of middle America’s red states without driving - so I gutted it out and got over it. Mostly.
The return trip on Tuesday night was also interesting. I just happened to be going through security at the Columbus airport at the same time as this guy:
Yep, that’s RFK, Jr., after a campaign swing in Ohio, who recently announced he’s leaving the Democratic Party and running for President as an Independent.
More to come from my reporting trip soon!
In the meantime, thanks for reading, sharing, and subscribing. And for those who’ve chosen to become paid subscribers, a special thanks!
You were in my neck of the woods!!! I live in Jim Jordan’s district. Excited to read the reporting! Headed to my local Dems meeting tonight- a small but mighty group in our ruby-red small town.
Wishing you much healing (physical and emotional) from the car accident!
I used to see “Vote the Bible” signs all over North Carolina. Never saw the Bible on the ballot, though.
Glad you’re okay after the car accident!