Since the Ohio governor’s race is such a snooze-fest, it’s time to move on to a more exciting, raucous, energy-fueled political competition – that of Ohio Treasurer.

Incumbent Treasurer and Republican Josh Mandel is being challenged by Democrat Connie Pillich.

Let’s see how their personal characteristics measure up against the job description. Since neither is in the room interviewing we’ll just have to use astrology.

What else can we do?

Ohio Treasurer

From Ballotpedia, I found these duties for Ohio Treasurer:

The treasurer is the chief financial officer of the state and serves as the state’s banker. The most important duty of the treasury is to safeguard the taxpayer’s money in Ohio. The office is responsible, among other things, for:

1. managing more than $160 billion in financial assets
2. investing the state’s money and manage an investment portfolio that exceeds $15 billion
3. tracking and maintaining a database of all unclaimed property in Ohio
4. providing financial advice to state agencies
5. providing financial education and resources

Just five duties? I may be pursuing the wrong career . . . But looking at these duties suggests a finance background is needed.

Then again, what’s the difference between balancing $160 billion in assets, $160 million, $160 thousand or $160 but a bunch of zeros?

I didn’t find any needed personality traits in the job description (is a personality needed?) so consulted eHow and found this:

Characteristics of an Effective [State] Treasurer

In addition to being skilled in the fields of management, business, and finance, a good Treasurer must also possess traits and values such as honesty, integrity, and care when it comes to accuracy of all records and transactions. She must also have common sense, an open-book policy on financial matters (transparency for the public helps build trust, credibility and accountability), and a watchful eye (the Treasurer’s office must keep track of income, expenses and other finances).

Mandel and Pillich

Examining the curriculum vitae of each candidate, there’s quite a bit in common – military background, law degrees and, of course, interest in political office. Pillich additionally has an MBA.

Astrology represents this well. Our candidates have these astrological traits in common:

• Pluto conjunct sun – need for power and control
• Moon in Aries – aggression and need for dominance
• Mars square (ish) to the sun and Pluto – dominance thwarted creates irritability, frustration and sabotaging behavior

The planets represent energies or drives while the signs represent the characteristics of that energy or drive. Mandel is Libra sun while Pillich is Virgo sun. Pluto’s need for power over the lives of others or ability to vanquish opponents completely filters through these signs.

Libra (air) is partnership oriented with a sense of justice and fairness. As the sign of the sun’s “fall,” Libra doesn’t have a strong sense of identity and tends to reflect off others to define self.

Virgo (earth) is work and health oriented focusing on perfection of details with an anxious and worrying nature. Virgo can burn out its nerves through worrying and excessive focus on minutiae.

Mandel’s Pluto square Mars makes him extremely controlling in personal and family relationships. Pluto’s fear of loss must monitor what everyone is doing which can create the need in others to escape. When this happens, Pluto feels betrayed.

Pillich’s Pluto square(ish) Mars creates a need for order of the environment that creates and obsessive-compulsive personality who is excessively disturbed by the typeo in your document. This is someone who picks at every flaw, her own and others. Because no one can meet Pluto/sun Virgo perfection, people are driven away feeling flawed.

Saturn, a traditional malefic suggesting caution, restraint and contraction, is often our weakest link in the personality. Saturn for both candidates is in positive aspect to the sun. Pluto’s need for control is evolving them to work with Saturn.

Mandel’s Saturn in Leo (fire) suggests lack of confidence in self. Pillich’s in Capricorn (earth) suggests fear of failure. Pluto’s excessive control and inevitable loss will probably bring these lacks to our candidates in the way the Wizard of Oz bestows his gifts to Dorothy and her friends.

Mandel must feel confident and valuable in self not to have to control others in order to feel admired. Pillich needs to feel self-respect and self-love so as not to control others to feel a sense of perfection.

There are lots of points of connection between these two charts. If they ever chose to work together, they will find common ground.

Job Description Assessment

1. managing more than $160 billion in financial assets

Both Mandel and Pillich have Mercury in Virgo, the sign of details. Libra sun is more prone to enjoy money than Virgo sun which balances the checkbook daily and notices that you didn’t donate to United Way because you claimed you had to buy medicine for your mother but today have shown up in a new outfit.

Although Libra loves to spend money, it’s a smart air sign that can balance the checkbook. Mandel has both Mercury and Venus in Virgo which can override the Libra energy.

Let’s call this equal.

2. investing the state’s money and manage an investment portfolio that exceeds $15 billion

Both candidates have moon in Aries which is prone to extremeness and inflated ego which leads to impulsive actions. Virgo sun may have a wee bit more control of this inflated ego than Libra sun.

Both have Pluto control so we’ll call this equal as well.

3. tracking and maintaining a database of all unclaimed property in Ohio

I have to go Office Space here and ask, “Does the Treasurer actually, physical maintain the database? Or does someone else do it?”

Show me the chart of the CIOs and we’ll re-visit.

4. providing financial advice to state agencies

I haven’t known a Libra or Virgo that wasn’t willing to provide advice at all times. Libra is a cardinal sign and all cardinal signs are well-known for offering unsolicited advice. The moon sign Aries is also cardinal which both candidates possess.

Both get perfect scores on this one. We’ll call it equal.

5. providing financial education and resources

Now here I’d say that Virgo is an educator personality while Libra is more an artist personality. But Mandel does have Mercury and Venus in Virgo, so he has the ability to teach and might also educate with more finesse.

We’ll call this equal as well.

Personality Traits

1. honesty, integrity, and care when it comes to accuracy of all records and transactions

While there is a sign or two known for sometimes distorting truth, all signs can lie in the particular way of their element. For example, air signs (like Libra) may lie by making up pleasant-sounding stories that divert from the ugly reality. Earth signs (like Virgo), in contrast, may lie by omitting facts or answering so literally you won’t get the truth unless you nail the question on the head.

While it’s difficult to sum up a chart in terms of total honesty and integrity, both candidates have Aries moon which is a bit over-the-top in its self-perception for those of earth or water sensibility. But you definitely need this strong assertive quality in politics.

Let’s say neither appears overly dishonest or less than average in level of integrity. Again, we’ll call it equal.

2. common sense, an open-book policy on financial matters (transparency for the public helps build trust, credibility and accountability)

What is common sense? Dictionaries speak to “sound judgment” and “practical sense.” Earth signs, like Pillich’s Virgo, are definitely considered more practical than fire, water or air signs. But Mandel does have Mercury and Venus in Virgo so can’t be called totally impractical.

Pluto conjunct sun is never an “open book” because of its need for control. Control means I need to always have a trump card.

Let’s call this one equal too.

3. a watchful eye (the Treasurer’s office must keep track of income, expenses and other finances)

With Pluto conjunct sun, both candidates have a watchful eye, so watchful that they both probably need eye drops.

Equal.

The final determination

Don’t you hate when both candidates are the same, politically and astrologically? This makes it soooo difficult to choose and, of course, no one wants to resort to party politics and vote for someone just ’cause he/she is a Republican or Democrat.

But here’s a tie-breaker.

One interesting piece of information you learn as an astrologer is the place of birth. Pillich was born in New York (a foreigner) while Mandel was born in Cleveland (a native).

Pillich’s site says “The youngest of five, Connie grew up in a working class neighborhood.”

Was this in Ohio? New York? Somewhere else?

We’ve got two candidates with similar education, similar values, similar military background and similar astrological charts. One already has the office and was born in Ohio. One doesn’t have the office and was born in New York.

What’s an Ohioan to do?