toledoblade.com -- The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio

The latest Ohio election law to prove itself out of date: the measly $10 per precinct charge imposed on those requesting a ballot recount. With Libertarians and Greens paying the minor charges, it appears that boards of elections in Ohio's 88 counties will soon begin recounting ballots cast in the presidential race.

The minor political parties had asked a federal judge in Toledo to force an early recount of all Ohio votes - starting last week - but the request was denied.

This means there was finally time for a break for those weary Lucas County elections workers, who stretched the Thanksgiving holiday into a much-deserved four-day weekend. If you called the elections office anytime in the run-up to the election, or in the aftermath, and got a snarl on the other end of the line, be glad that's all you got. These people are exhausted. But they will be back on the job today, and may be back at counting ballots all over again by next week.

The Greens and Libertarians have raised the money to pay for a recount, and are expected to seek it later, after the statewide vote is certified.

The $4,950 that Lucas County would receive to re-tally the presidential vote would not begin to cover the costs involved, said elections Director Paula Hicks-Hudson. So you, friendly taxpayer, would pay the balance. For the privilege, you can thank your local Libertarian or Green Party representative next time you're at the shooting range or health food store.

Obviously, this fee should be increased - probably by two or three times, to cover all expenses.

Remember that if a race is close enough to trigger an automatic recount - contests within one-quarter of 1 percent - the state picks up the tab. The Libertarian/Green recount would be simply to make some obscure political point that will be lost on most people and likely soon forgotten by the rest. Even those who support the recount, including the Ohio Democratic Party and the John Kerry presidential campaign, say they don't expect the outcome to change.

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So while a recount looms, let's look ahead to 2008, and play the popular holiday party game, "What About Hillary?"

Yes, this is the game where everyone concocts their scenario of what would happen if First Lady-turned-New York Sen. Hillary Clinton runs for President in four years. I'll go first:

Thinking of Red and Blue America, it's hard to see what states she would be able to pick up that fellow Democrat John Kerry failed to win this month.

Arkansas, with six electoral college votes, comes to mind. It's possible, if hubby Bill re-establishes his political shop in Little Rock. But consider - even in his best year, the favorite son only won a little better than 53 percent there. This year, Republican George W. Bush won Arkansas with 54 percent support.

Like all other Southern states, Arkansas continues to trend Republican, and a former Democratic first lady who shunned the state four years ago to instead live in New York may not play well.

Mr. Clinton won the presidency twice on the strength of support in those states that border the Mississippi River. But, like the South, those states are now trending Republican.

Missouri, which was barely won by President Bush four years ago, gave him a more comfortable victory this year. Mr. Bush won Iowa this year after a narrow loss in 2000, and he picked up two percentage points in both Wisconsin and Minnesota (when you mix Ralph Nader's support with that of Al Gore). Those states are legitimate toss-ups in 2008.

Based on the Bush-Kerry election results, if the person elected this coming February to lead the Democratic National Committee doesn't immediately go to work to keep the Upper Midwest from slipping further toward Republicans, Democrats may not win the presidency for a generation.

There's been a lot of talk about former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani running against Ms. Clinton, but a better candidate for the GOP would be the other New Yorker - Gov. George Pataki. A solid vote-getter who could hold the Southern and Midwestern base won by George W. Bush, he would also be a serious threat to win his home state. If that happens, the game is absolutely over.

A close second choice to Mr. Pataki is Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor who now serves as Homeland Security chief. Like Mr. Pataki, Mr. Ridge is more conservative than Rudy and could hold the Bush base, which, when combined with his home state, makes him a lock for the White House.

All this might explain why Democrats are anxious to watch the recount of the presidential election just completed. It may be as close as they come for several cycles.

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