Campaign Watch Update: Strickland-Portman debate in Cleveland tonight; Candidate forum in Glenville

Third And Final Portman-Strickland Debate for Ohio U.S. Senate tonight

Debate to be broadcast on radio and television throughout the state

The third and final debate between U.S. Senate candidates Rob Portman and Ted Strickland takes place at 7pm tonight at the Idea Center at Playhouse Square. The debate is sponsored by The City Club of Cleveland.

Media partners are WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream in Cleveland, WEWS in Cleveland and WCPO in Cincinnati. Moderators are Karen Kasler of the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau and Danita Harris of WEWS. The debate will originate from ideastream studios at the Idea Center and be broadcast by television and radio stations across Ohio. Tickets to the event sold out within hours of its announcement. 

The debate will air live, without commercials, from 7 to 8 p.m. on these television and radio stations across Ohio:

         WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream (Cleveland) – Live stream at ideastream.org

         WEWS (Cleveland) – Live stream at newsnet5.com/video/live-video

         WYTV (Youngstown)

         WNEO Fusion Channel (Alliance/Youngstown)

         89.7 WKSU (Kent)                                                                      

         C-SPAN (National) – Live stream at c-span.org

In addition, the Ohio Channel will air the debate on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 10 p.m.

The audience will be made up of community members and supporters of both candidates. Some audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions. The candidates squared off in two earlier debates: Oct. 14 in Youngstown and Oct. 17 in Columbus.

The Cleveland debate is the only one carried live across multiple platforms throughout Ohio between these candidates.

“This is one of the races the entire nation is watching, and we feel privileged that the citizens of Ohio, the campaigns and our partners are entrusting us with this important responsibility,” said City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop. “We’re looking forward to an engaging and fair debate.”

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Local Candidates forum in Glenville tonight

County Councilwoman Yvonne M. Conwell and Cleveland Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell are co-hosting a Candidates Forum tonight at True Vine Baptist Church, 711 East 105 Street. The public is invited.

The following candidates have confirmed their attendance:

Judge Steve Gall, Common Pleas Court; Judge Diane Palos and Judge Francine Goldberg of the Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division; Kelly Ann Gallagher, Sherrie Miday, and Andrea Nelson Moore, each of whom is seeking election to Common Pleas Court; County Councilman Anthony Hairston; and Meryl Johnson, candidate for the State Board of Education.

Other candidates may appear as well.

President Obama in Cleveland to deliver major address at City Club on middle class economics

The marvels of communication are on display at Cleveland Convention Center this afternoon where anticipation is building for President Obama's speech to a City Club audience. 

The program is expected to start about 3pm with the President likely to begin his talk shortly thereafter. He is expected to focus on middle class economics at the sold out event.

The President's remarks will be streamed live at www.whitehouse.gov/live .

Air Force One touched down at Cleveland Hopkins Airport shortly after one o'clock this afternoon. Obama stepped from the plane about 1:10 p.m. with Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), and Reps. Marcia Fudge (D-Warrensville Heights) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) following behind. All three lawmakers traveled on AF1 to Cleveland from Washington.

The President is scheduled to stop at Cleveland MAGNET [Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network] near Cleveland State University's MAGNET Center before heading to the Convention Center.

Moulthrop has announced, in keeping with club tradition, that the President will take unscripted questions from the audience for the second half of the program.

Attendance at this ticketed event is limited to City Club members and guests [one each]. The club saw its membership spike by 100 new members as soon as the arrangements for today's event were announced.

Members of the press are everywhere, cable is strewn all around, mobile studios are outside. Every convenience has been put in place to make sure the media can broadcast, transcribe, blog and tweet the President's remarks instantanously.  

Stevie Wonder is rendering "Higher Ground" on the audio system. Feels almost like a party to this newbie on the global reporting scene.

Walking over here from Euclid I passed a torn up Public Square, in the demolition phase of its $32 million configuration slated for completion before the elephants arrive next summer [Republican Convention].

The Central Division leading Cavaliers play the Brooklyn Nets tonight at the Q and the Cleveland International Film Fest starts today. Sometimes Cleveland feels like a big city.

Hey! Just saw Rep. Kantur being greeted by PNC bigwigs Paul Clark and Michael Taylor, so it's clear the program will begin shortly.

Hmmm, how would this scene be different if the President was coming to talk about the forgotten Americans? 

Times have sure changed as the "War on Poverty" has long since been supplanted by the "War on the Middle Class". Care to guess who's winning?