First NRA Endorsement in Nation Goes to.....Ted Strickland?!?!?

Yep, that's right. The National Rifle Association has given its first endorsement in the nation for the midterm elections. And it is for the gubernatorial race right here in Ohio. Unfortunately, it went to Ted Strickland.
NRAletter
The NRA has gone with the hype over the reality. Of course, perhaps if the ORP were camapaigning and lobbying harder for the top of the ticket who had no primary challengers instead of shelling out the geld unprecedentedly in State Central Committee Races as well as for handpicked or armtwisted candidates, then maybe the NRA could have been convinced that Strickland is merely an opportunist. As usual, the ORP has been caught napping, or firmly ensconsced up Mike DeWine's arse, take your pick.

Kasich, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982 to 2001, voted in favor of the Clinton assault weapons ban in 1994 and supported bills containing restrictions on gun shows and handgun sales. That voting record led to the NRA to give Kasich an 'F' grade during his tenure in Congress.

In reaction to the endorsement, the Ohio Republican Party has begun highlighting the inconsistencies of Strickland's voting record on gun laws.

Gosh, shouldn't Kev and the boy geniuses at HQ in C-bus have been doing this for the past few months instead of besmirching Seth Morgan and doling out money in state and county central committee races to defeat people they don't like?

Not enough was done, in the eyes of the NRA to redeem Kasich's original sin of voting for the weapons ban. And, of course, then there is the ORP's shameful gubernatorial record on gun issues. Bob Taft anyone?

Of course, Kasich has tried to seek forgiveness:


Oh, and why isn't John Kasich featured on the ORP homepage? And why is it taking so long to get it changed? Yeah, because they spent all the cash keeping out those "vile" tea partiers with their high falooting notions about limited government and standing for something.

Kevin DeWine and the ORP, snatching defeat from the jaws of near certain victory. Wait, I know, Kent Moore will save us! Yeah, right...with this record? Child please!

Did ORP Really Call Cops on Tea Partiers?

My sources say yes.

Where is Mr. "I was Tea Party before there was a Tea Party" Kasich stand on this? Calling the cops because the backroom deal got exposed...nice! When the time comes, and believe me it is coming, there is a whole lot of folks who are going to be able to say that they didn't leave the republican Party, the Republican Party left them behind.

And when that day comes, there will be a whole bunch of people in Columbus who will claim they never saw it coming. But I want to go on record RIGHT NOW saying that I -- and several others -- warned them. They CHOSE not to listen.

This isn't about electing Republicans over Democrats. It is about electing the right people for the right job. That is something that Mr. Yost used to talk about quite a bit. And that is something that Chairman DeWine was supposed to do according to his Leading Ohio plan that got flushed down the memory hole.

State Central Committee folks, I am still waiting for an answer to my very simple question. If Dave Yost is good enough for an endorsement for Auditor, why wasn't he good enough for Attorney General? If, as kevin deWine is quoted as saying, Dave Yost has more management experience than all of the GOP slate combined, why was Dave Yost shafted for attorney General?

We want answers...and y'all had better start coming with better ones than the cheap cliches we've been hearing so far. "People care about who runs for Auditor once every ten years." Really? That's the best you people got?

Ohioans want to vote for a slate they believe in, not the same old same old lame politicians like Mike DeWine and Jon Husted. They want to see real people and fresh blood have a shot at fixing this state since the clowns political class has so completely and thoroughly screwed the pooch.

Once again, Ohio is being failed by its political elite. The Ohio Republican Party is bound and determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Those of us in the grassroots continue to be amazed at how deaf and blind those in Columbus are to what the rank and file voter wants to see and hear.

Did the Ohio Republican Party call the cops on their base tonight? My sources say yes... ORP Peeps, what say you? I can be reached at wmdtvmatt-at-yahoo-dot-com...you know, that address where you STILL don't send press releases after all these years.

A Call To Action

As the political seasons starts to heat up, now is the time to gather up the harvest and go to work. If we Republicans don't take this threat serious then we are going to find ourselves questioning what we did or did not do. One the aspects of leadership is to find what it is that motivates people to action. Or, as Denis Waitley, puts it, Mode of Action. I get asked the question, what can I do to help the party or how can I make a difference, I am only one vote.

There are numerous ways to help other than giving of your money which is always appreciated but it is the engagement of the talent pool that really puts us over the top.For the first time, in many years in Butler County, we find ourselves facing a serious threat. Of course I have always had the opinion that if someone places their name on a ballot, they should be given all consideration as a competitor and should never be overlooked or taken lightly, because on any given election....

So, what can we do to make a difference? First, get involved. Pick a candidate or issue to love and pour your energy into it. Tell your friends and neighbors why they should vote for that person or issue and that takes an effort on your part to really know why you should vote for somebody other than their party affiliation. That is not enough. Most candidates today have web sites and some even have My Space so getting information is relatively easy if you know how to browse the Internet. There are concentrated phone banks, door to door opportunities and some need help chasing the absentees, that start next week.



Engage the candidates, talk to them and find out why they are running. What is their burning desire to hold this office or be re-elected? Incumbents usually have a track record, make it your business to know what they have achieved and what their goals, plans and dreams are. I will be writing about the contested races in a little more depth as the season goes on and we have a plethora of highly qualified candidates we can really get behind that want and need your help.

The nuts and bolts of grassroots politics are pretty simple. From helping to do a mailing by stuffing and stamping to placing or locating yard signs the work is never ending and we love volunteers. Please feel free to email me at doncarpenter@fuse.net or call the Butler County Republican Party headquarters at 513-893-5292 or visit on the web at http://www.butlercountygop.org/.