In the second instance of Ted Strickland going unhinged in just two weeks, it seems the Governor went a little nuts in today’s editorial board meeting at the Plain Dealer.
Strickland acted especially bothered by Kasich on Thursday as the two former congressmen appeared together before Plain Dealer editors and reporters seeking the paper’s endorsement. He mixed in contempt for Kasich with his responses to questions about tax, education and economic policies.
[…]
During the nearly two-hour meeting, the governor rubbed his fist on his thigh, moved frequently in his chair and even pointed at his opponent. Kasich repeatedly clicked a retractable pen, frequently looked at the ceiling and shifted in his chair.
Strickland became agitated during an exchange about Kasich’s proposal to give business executives more say over the Third Frontier, Ohio’s investment program for cutting-edge technologies largely run by universities. Tapping the table with his finger, Strickland tried to interrupt Kasich, which allowed Kasich to accuse the governor of losing his cool.
“Governor, you need to stay calm,” Kasich said.
[…]
Strickland, his voice quickening and raising, continued, saying the problem was the result of “the shenanigans on Wall Street and you were there and you were a part of that.”
Now, to be fair, the article does mention some irritation and dismissiveness from Kasich, but as the Plain Dealer states, it was Strickland who seemed “especially bothered”.
In light of his Party Chairman’s remarks earlier this week and the awful publicity the Governor received for his labor day rant, you’d think he’d play the part of the relaxed preacher. Apparently the pressure cooker and the intense scrutiny that comes with losing what Joe Biden called the “most important Governor’s race in the nation” has left Strickland irritated to the point of losing control.
That isn’t the image that will assuage worried Party leaders in Washington.