Washington, Oct 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ohio’s largest newspaper has reversed its policy of staying out of top-of-the-ticket races to endorse Democrat Amy Acton for governor, citing an advertisement by her Republican rival, Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy, that the paper said “weaponizes the sexual abuse his opponent, Amy Acton, suffered as a child.”
The editorial board of The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com, in an editorial titled “We cannot remain silent: Amy Acton for governor” published on Sunday, said, “A candidate who uses childhood sexual abuse as a weapon against the person who endured it has crossed a line that Ohioans should defend, whatever their party.”
“Today, we endorse Democrat Amy Acton for governor. This reverses a policy we announced just months ago,” the editorial said, adding that readers had earlier told the paper they did not need its guidance in races for governor, US Senate and president.
“We made our endorsement policy to serve our readers. We cannot let it become a reason to remain silent when we believe Ohio faces a choice this consequential,” the board wrote.
The paper said “Ramaswamy’s decision to release this vile advertisement reveals a failure of judgment that Ohio cannot afford in its governor.” It also faulted Ramaswamy for declining to take part in its 15-part series answering readers’ questions, in which Acton and Libertarian candidate Don Kissick participated, and for moving his business from Ohio to Texas.
“Donald Trump’s endorsement cannot substitute for accountability, preparation or judgment,” the editorial said.
Praising Acton, who served as Ohio’s health director under Governor Mike DeWine during the Covid-19 pandemic, the board said, “Acton is prepared.” It urged readers to “Stand with decency on Nov. 3.”
The advertisement at the centre of the row features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who calls her daughter a “liar” in the ad, The Hill reported.
Ramaswamy has refused to back down. Appearing on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on Monday, Ramaswamy said, “I’ll tell you the advice I was raised in, you never start a fight, but if you find yourself in one, you finish it, and you have to stand for what is right and what is true. They’ve attacked me, they’ve defamed my mother to media silence, it’s unbelievable.”
“The fact of the matter is, I am running against somebody who is crazy, unstable, and dishonest,” Ramaswamy said.
“If they actually believe these are unfair attacks, you know what my opponent would be doing? She would be agreeing to show up on a debate with me. As I agreed to on CNN and NBC, she is hiding because they want to lie and then deflect accountability,” Ramaswamy said.
The Ramaswamy campaign is backing the advertisement with a buy of about $4 million More than 676,000 Ohioans have already cast early ballots
Last week, Ramaswamy stood by the attack ad as Democrats and some Republicans condemned it.
Ramaswamy, 41, the son of immigrants from Kerala, is a biotech entrepreneur who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 before endorsing Trump.
If elected, Ramaswamy would be the first Indian-American governor of Ohio, and would join a small group of Indian-Americans, including Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal, who have led US states.
Ohio votes on November 3.
Source: IANS
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