Support for Secretary of State Blackwell

A little common sense, really.

An editorial by The Intelligencer:

Oversight of the elections process is more penetrating and relentless than ever before. A candidate using the public office he already holds for some nefarious plot to win election to another post would be spotted quickly -- and would be more likely to find himself in court facing a judge than in the winner’s circle.

That’s why demands by some Ohio Democrats for Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell to, in effect, step down from his post are ridiculous.

Blackwell, a Republican who is the state’s chief elections officer, is running for governor against U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio. Some Democrat leaders in Ohio have suggested that Blackwell should not supervise an election in which he is a candidate for governor. “The person who oversees the rules cannot in fundamental fairness also be the judge of the game,” commented Strickland’s running mate, Lee Fisher.

Someone else should be named to fulfill the secretary of state’s election-related duties, Fisher and others have suggested.

Political party solidarity being what it is, we’re not certain how Fisher and company would find someone who would not face accusations of using the secretary of state’s office improperly. Name a prominent Republican, and Democrats would complain that he helped Blackwell. Pick a Democrat, and Republicans would worry that Strickland was getting some sort of advantage.

Blackwell has handled duties related to elections well and, we believe, impartially. We don’t think Ohioans have any reason to worry about him attempting to make the secretary of state’s office into a tool in his campaign for governor. He shouldn’t bow to those who probably are more interested in embarrassing him than in ensuring that the campaign for governor is conducted fairly.