With his boyish grin, FitzGerald rattled off a series of jabs at Gov. John Kasich in Cleveland as he officially announced his bid. Visits to Columbus and Cincinnati were planned for Wednesday, as well. Toledo, Dayton and Lima were scheduled for Thursday stops. Reactions to the announcement in those cities likely portend more meaningful barometric readings of this news. Cleveland's gotten the FitzG treatment for several years running now, but locales in farther reaches of Ohio have yet to really get to know the man.
His resume includes his current county gig, a quick chill session in the Lakewood mayor's seat and a handful of years on Lakewood City Council. Following the justified cries of "Opportunism!" hurled at Republican Josh Mandel during his Senate bid last year, it's worth pointing out that, if FitzGerald were to win election, he would not have fulfilled a single term as either county exec or Lakewood mayor.
Now his campaign platform promises a governor "who everyday makes it his mission to make it easier for Ohio families to get in the middle class and stay in the middle class," he told the audience. We're still waiting patiently for a similarly fresh Main Street/Wall Street reference from the pol.
"I'm ready to run this race. Are you ready to run it with me?" Fitz asked, repeating the plea with fervor: "ARE YOU READY?"
For whatever it's worth, FitzGerald was played off the stage by Foo Fighters' "Times Like These."
