Here on the Midwest Side, Barbara Pringle is giving up her safe 13th District seat this year due to a term limit. Four candidates competed for the Democratic nomination but not one filed for the Republican nomination. Mary Rose Oakar will thus have no competition to succeed Pringle. Their local strength is miniscule, indicating the lack of a real broad-based organization behind Ross Perot's national marquee name. In fact, the Reformers ran candidates in 1998 only for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and two House seats.
Media bias is one kind of problem at a national level.
It makes it harder for the Libertarian and Green and Natural Law candidates to be heard, but at least we still have some kind of competition between the Democrats and Republicans. Better than nothing. The Democrats have never really been a monolithic group, but this division of the state still leaves voters lacking any significant choice come November. In terms of maintaining a functioning democracy, this is not better than nothing. It's discouraging that the Republicans lack the resources or will to put up somebody, anybody, to contest House seats in Cuyahoga County.