With wink to super PACs, Ted Strickland pivots to women's issues in Ohio

WASHINGTON — On Aug. 18, an oddly worded statement appeared on Ted Strickland’s campaign website hinting at a shift in strategy for the Ohio Democrat and nudging outside groups to follow suit.

Strickland, a Democrat trying to oust Sen. Rob Portman, has mostly hammered the Republican incumbent on economic issues — focusing heavily on Portman’s support for free-trade deals.

But the recent website post highlighted abortion and equal pay for women as key issues, especially in two of Ohio’s biggest cities.

“In Cleveland and Columbus, voters need to know that when it comes to women and family issues, Portman stands with Trump,” the website states, referring to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. “Both support overturning Roe v. Wade and making abortion against the law. They would defund Planned Parenthood, which so many women rely on for health services. They oppose a law requiring men and women be paid the same.”

Are national Democrats pulling back on Ohio Senate race?

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Below that text is a link to stock video footage of Strickland engaging with voters, as soft piano music plays in the background.

Who were these items aimed at? Not Ohio voters or political reporters.

Instead, political experts say, Strickland’s campaign was sending a not-so-subtle message to super PACs, hoping for support in spreading his new women-directed message in the Cleveland and Columbus media markets. The campaign even provided the stock video footage, also known as b-roll, along with a fact sheet detailing Portman's and Trump’s records on abortion and equal pay to make the ad-writing as easy as possible for allied outside groups.

“It seems to me the Strickland campaign is fishing, and we’ll see if they get any bites,” said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign money.

Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence federal elections. They're barred from coordinating with the candidates they support, but candidates and super PACs have “perfected ways to do an end-run around the coordination ban,” Krumholz said.

She said the Strickland campaign’s website post is one legally allowed route. Portman's campaign also has b-roll on its website available for friendly groups to download. In addition to those strategies, campaign aides sometimes “leak” strategy memos to the press, hoping super PACs will pick up on reported political shifts.

As long as the campaign telegraphs such messages publicly, Krumholz said, it’s not considered illegal coordination.

In case any pro-Strickland super PACs didn’t get the hint, Strickland released his own TV ad last week — titled “Choice” — and focusing on the same issues highlighted in the website post.

“We all know what Donald Trump has said about women, so how can Rob Portman still support him?” a female narrator says in the spot. “Maybe it’s because they agree on so much,” the ad continues, noting that both men support overturning Roe v. Wade and defunding Planned Parenthood.

The sudden spotlight on abortion and equal pay comes as most voters say their top issue is the economy. So why the pivot?

Strickland campaign officials said they've emphasized these issues throughout the campaign, and the new ad is a strong example of the differences between Strickland and Portman on a major issue. The Democrats’ Senate campaign committee is helping to pay for the ad.

“Issues like equal pay for equal work and access to health care provide clear and compelling examples of how Sen. Portman and Trump are pushing a shared agenda that would hurt Ohio women and working families,” said campaign spokeswoman Liz Margolis.

Portman’s campaign dismissed Strickland’s focus on women’s issues as a move of desperation.

Rob Portman won't play Hillary Clinton in mock debates with Trump

“Ted Strickland's new shift in tactics is an admission he has lost the jobs debate and that his entire message over the course of this campaign is not working,” said Portman campaign spokesperson Michawn Rich.

She disputed the ad’s assertion that Portman opposes equal pay for women. The GOP senator did vote against the Paycheck Fairness Act, a Democratic proposal that would, among other things, make employers liable for civil damages if they violate laws barring sex discrimination. But Rich noted that Portman supported a GOP alternative, which would have relied on other tools to enforce equal pay.

The political dynamic behind this policy skirmish can be found in a recent polls showing that Strickland hasn't fully consolidated support among the Democratic Party’s base. Emphasizing abortion and equal pay could help him gain ground among party loyalists, political analysts said.

“A focus on bread-and-butter Democratic social issues sort of makes sense within that context,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of The Bellwether: Why Ohio Picks the President.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Aug. 11 showed Strickland and Portman tied among female voters, with each snagging 44%. Trump is deeply unpopular with women, so tying Portman to the controversial presidential contender could help Strickland cut into Portman’s support among female voters.

“Strickland needs to win women by a significant (percentage) in order to win the election,” Kondik said.

Whether Strickland’s new political focus catches on with voters — or with any outside groups — is an open question. One major Democratic super PAC announced Tuesday it will scale back its pro-Strickland ad support, a possible sign that outside groups will shift resources to other Democratic candidates who appear to be in stronger positions.