Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. and Other Late-Night Observations...

John Ratzenberger, the actor who played know-it-all Cliff Clavin on my favorite TV sitcom Cheers, is a strong Republican. Kelsey Grammar (Frasier Crane) is also a Republican and supporter of Sen. McCain. Ratzenberger appears in an ad being played in Minnesota supporting Norm Coleman over lefty lunatic Al Franken. Cheers re-runs can be seen on TV Land, the CW, and the Hallmark channel!

And...

This presidential race is tightening. The map is daunting--no doubt. But, Sen. McCain has always been a fighter and Sen. Obama is still less than 50% in many key states and this is good news for us.

And...

I'll confess that I have not always toed the party line on one issue: media bias. Although I generally believed that the media might be more liberal than your average American, I was not as convinced as most Republicans that the media bias hurt our cause. Until this year. The media coverage of Sen. Obama has been downright irresponsible and the relentless attacks on Gov. Palin and guys like Joe the Plumber have convinced me that the mainstream large media outlets have a bias and that it manifests itself in their coverage. A recent study about the news media proves it. Read the story here. On the other hand, our local media have been mostly fair and I have always felt that we have been treated fairly--save one or two exceptions.

And...

Speaking of media bias, have you seen a story about Sen. Obama's massive financial advantage in this election? I have not. Sen. Obama will likely double Sen. McCain in spending in this election. In some respects, he is buying this election and the playing field is not fair. Can you imagine the media stories if a "fat cat" Republican were outspending the Democrat especially after the Republican broke a pledge to take federal financing? The disdain that would fall upon the "rich" Republican would be overwhelming. Obama gets a free pass from the press on this issue and it is simply unfair.

And...

Another example of media bias? The William Ayers story is a legitimate story. Had Sen. McCain served on a Board with a radical right winger who expressed tacit support for Nazi thinking and had admitted to bombing government buildings, you can be sure the media would have fully investigated. Obama gets a pass.

And...

One more example of media bias? Sen. Biden has been a flake and a blowhard for his entire political career. Political junkies on both sides know it. His moment-of-truth diatribe about Sen. Obama being tested by an international crisis just continues a long career of gaffes. Has the media portrayed him as a goof? No way. Compare the media's portrayal of Sen. Biden and their portrayal of Gov. Palin and any reasonable person can see the bias.

And...

On a more positive note, we need your help this Saturday. Join us! Call 513-381-5454 or e-mail Maggie Nafziger right now!

Nearing the Finish

We are nearing the finish. This presidential race is NOT over. Let me tell you why.

First, I am privy to some new polling information that I believe to be trustworthy. There is a slow, but significant shift across every battleground state toward McCain. This shift is seen in non-college men, rural voters, and "soft Democrats." The perception by voters, properly, of Sen. Obama as the most liberal nominee in modern times is finally settling in. Undecided voters still don't trust Sen. Obama and althought most are angry about the status quo, their interest in this election very high.

Second, I urge you to read Dick Morris' analysis of this race by clicking here.

Fight to the finish with us! E-mail us by clicking here or call HQ at 513.381.5454 to get involved.

The Week Ahead

Have you volunteered an hour, two hours, an evening or a Saturday yet?

We need you!

What do we need?

1. Phone Banks. We need an hour, two, three or more of your time working the phones in this final week.

2. Door-to-Door. We will have our final Super Saturday event this coming Saturday. Exact details for this event will be available early this week. Come out and help us contact those voters that can make a difference this Election Day.

3. Poll Observers. We are sending in poll observers to key polling places across the County to assure that the election is conducted fairly.

4. Outside Poll Workers. We need poll workers to be outside passing out our sample ballot and making that final pitch for our candidates.

5. Election Day Operations. We need people to help us drive citizens to the polls and to help us with the glut of phone calls we get helping people on Election Day.

THANKS to all those that have helped!

To get involved to make a difference, call HQ at 513.381.5454 or e-mail Patrick Maloney.

Pics from Rally IV

Gov. Palin working the ropeline.

Pics from Rally III

Look closely at Patrick's pants.

Pics from Rally II

A great entrance!

Pics from the Rally I

Sen. McCain on the ropeline.

McCain/Pally Rally Today

Tickets are still available for the McCain/Palin rally at Lunken Airport. They are going fast, so call us at 513.381.5454 for more information.

Doors open at 3:30 p.m. with country music act Gretchen Wilson performing shortly thereafter.

Parking may be difficult, so arrive early!

Board of Elections

Maybe a little vain to include my own picture, but this one was taken by a reporter at last night's 1 hour and 45 minute Board of Elections meeting. I think it speaks volumes.

I have avoided publicly commenting on my work on the Board of Elections because my responsibility there is to work at the direction of the Democrat Secretary of State to assure integrity in the elections process in Hamilton County and as Chairman of the Board of Elections--I take that duty seriously.

The Ohio Republican Party and other Republicans have fought the good fight to assure that our elected officials are doing all they can to assure fairness in the elections process. They should be commended for their efforts. They have made a difference.

I want to assure readers of this blog that the election in Hamilton County will be fair and that their vote will count. Are there problems? Yes. There are always problems in any system where humans are involved. But, will those problems lead to massive voter fraud that changes the outcome of the election? No. I have seen no evidence of this.

Yesterday at the Board meeting, I made a rather poor analogy that I will, unfortunately, repeat on this blog. I compared the perception of downtown Cincinnati to the perception of the election.

Downtown Cincinnati is mostly a safe neighborhood and a great place to live, shop and visit. There is the occasional crime that sometimes mars the image of downtown and draws a fair amount of attention. These crimes and downtown's proximity to a high crime neighborhood have caused the misperception that downtown is not safe. It is safe.

In the same way, a few bad actors (or groups) have possibly engaged in improper conduct with regard to voter fraud. Voting fraud rightfully draws tremendous media and public scrutiny because it can undermine the democratic process that underpins our society. This high level of attention to potential crimes have caused a misperception that the election is not safe. A special prosecutor has been assigned by the courts to deal with this question.

Just as we would urge the vigorous prosecution of any criminal acting to disturb public order in downtown Cincinnati, we should fully support the prosecution of those acting to mar the election process. We should fully cooperate with the prosecution of anyone found to have violated the law.

Downtown is safe despite the actions of a few scoundrels. Our election in Hamilton County is safe despite the same thing.

Sunday Rant...

Most importantly, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin will be at Lunken Airport on Wednesday evening for a huge rally. Check out my blog entry here.

And...

It has been a tough few weeks for Republicans. Times are tough and the nation is struggling because of the liberal, left-wing social engineering forced upon lending institutions by the left in America. This housing crisis is being felt in every sector of the economy and many uninformed voters want to blame President Bush for a mess he tried to fix. That is the nature of politics, though. We will persevere.

And...

As I drove out of the city late yesterday afternoon leaving HQ, I rolled down the windows, took in the crisp fall air and the beautiful change in colors and was reminded that fall in Ohio is the best time of year. The mostly boring highway drives are made beautiful with the change in color. Fall also means politics. It's a great time of year.

And...

I have been a little busy and haven't blogged about much that's happened with the local party. We're busy recruiting volunteers, etc. But, we've had an interesting couple of weeks. Personally, it has been an exciting time to be Chairman. Two weeks ago, I was selected to greet President Bush as he deplaned from Air Force One. That is a very special treat. Later that same week, we hosted Karl Rove for a special meeting of our Chairman's circle. The next day, we all welcomed and got a chance to meet Gov. Palin. This past week, Gov. Romney spent some quality time in Hamilton County and I was honored to introduce him and talk with him. On Friday night, Speaker Gingrich was in town and I had a chance to talk to him and squeeze into my tuxedo to hear him speak at dinner. All in all, a fun time that makes all of our work pay off.

And...

To "my friends" (been listening to Sen. McCain too long...) who insist on commenting negatively about the Republicans you may not like or agree with, my apologies for not posting your negative comments about Republicans. My message to you is simple: we are in a battle for our lives in this election cycle. It is a real struggle for the future of America. If you believe we are in this struggle because of "bad" Republican candidates, we can have that discussion another time. Right now, we're working to help Republicans. To post negatively about Republicans, click here.

And...

Have you volunteered to help us, yet? We're going to especially need your help this week to get out 12,000 tickets to the McCain/Palin rally at Lunken. Call HQ at 513.381.5454 and offer to help us out!

And...

Yard signs are the center of our existence at Party headquarters. Angry callers are our specialty. We have yard signs. They'll be gone by the end of this week.

And...

Do you know about our Election Night Victory Party? For the first time in recent history, that party will be at Republican HQ. Watch this blog for more information.

And...

There is a racial undertone to this presidential campaign that saddens me a great deal. When I have the time to write about it more thoroughly, I will post something. This race is NOT about race. It is about who is best to lead America. Sen. Obama ought to be strongly criticized for his left-wing views--not for his race. But, he can not be immune to criticism because of his race, either. It is a delicate situation and one that concerns me. I want Sen. McCain to win. I am concerned about race relations if he does so--in a close race. More on this later.

And...

The Bengals will shock the world and beat the Steelers today with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm. You heard it here first.

And...

Have a great Sunday.

McCain/Palin Coming to Cincinnati!

They're coming!!!

I am pleased to announce that Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are both coming to Cincinnati this Wednesday, October 22 for a rally at Lunken Airport, Air 10 Hangar. Doors for this huge rally will open at 3:30 p.m. and guests are asked to arrive early as there will be a good crowd and plenty of entertainment. This will be a ticketed event and tickets will become available very soon. Watch this blog or call HQ at 513.381.5454 for specific ticket information.

Come out and see the next President of the United States!

Sen. McCain Brings Down the House

Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama appeared at the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner in New York City last night. By tradition, presidential candidates attend this event and poke fun at one another.

Sen. McCain brought the house down. To be fair, Sen. Obama was good natured and humorous, too. But, I think Sen. McCain was especially strong.

I posted a portion of it above for a little Friday humor.

We have a busy weekend ahead. Get out and help us win!

We need YOU!

Are you anything like me when you watch these debates? Do you watch Sen. Obama put a nice, eloquent spin on tired, old, liberal ideas of re-distributing wealth and punishing success in America and just want to yell at the TV screen? Well, I do. I want to ask you to do something more useful with your energy. WE NEED YOU!

We have many opportunities to make a difference in these final 3 weeks. Ohio can help Sen. McCain win this election and Hamilton County is crucial to helping any Republican win Ohio. WHAT WE DO HERE CAN HELP CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY!

First, let me explain something on this blog that I find myself explaining to many friends and supporters of the Party and of Sen. McCain. Signs will not win this election for Sen. McCain. The outcry for more yard signs and the obsession is understandable. I understand the frustration many of you feel about the number of yard signs you see for Obama. We saw that frustration in 2004 with Kerry/Edwards junk everywhere. Our office fields more calls about yard signs by nearly a 3 to 1 margin than about anything else. We never have enough and we can't get them out fast enough. We work very hard to get them out when we have them. To date, Hamilton County has distributed well over 25,000 yard signs. This incredible support of Sen. McCain is overwhelming and positive. But, the Party has a limited ability to buy yard signs for federal candidates because spending money to support federal candidates is difficult for local political parties under the current status of the law. We rely, largely, on the Ohio Republican Party and the McCain campaign to provide these signs. We will never satisfy people's desire to have yard signs. This is something not new to the 2008 campaign.

Yard signs are used in politics to raise the name identification of candidates. We want people to be familiar with a name when they go to the polls to vote. It has worked well for local candidates in this county for a generation. But, McCain and Obama have nearly universal name identification. We know their names and we know something about them.

However, signs are a show of support for a candidate that certainly makes us feel good. Will you change your vote based on the number of yard signs you see for Barack Obama or John McCain? Doubtful. Yard signs are important, but they are not likely to change votes.

What will change votes? Our grassroots efforts to reach out to targeted voters. And, we need your help.

The role of the Hamilton County Republican Party in a presidential campaign is to recruit volunteers to execute on a campaign plan that is given to us through the national campaign in Columbus, Ohio. The high, mighty, and important Party Chairman (me, yeah right) becomes, essentially, a volunteer coordinator. And, I'm happy to be that. I have confidence in the highly scientific and proven methodology used by this campaign to get-out-the-vote. I have seen it work first-hand in 2004 and I have confidence that it will get our voters out on Election Day (and before) in 2008.

In these final 20 days, it is more crucial than ever that we execute on this plan.

We need your help in two areas: phone banks and door-to-door activities. These are the focus of the campaign and we need YOUR help to get this critical work done. Through our phone banks and door-to-door efforts, we contact voters that have been scientifically targeted using a proven system of identifying key voters that can change this election. These voters are not random, but are identified through a micro-targeting process that tells us that they will change this election if they are persuaded to vote and vote for our candidates.

I was recently at a Women's Republican Club event where a woman angrily told me that the Obama people had come to her house twice and that no McCain person had. Exactly. The McCain campaign is not knocking on the door of or dropping literature to the house of a strong Republican that shows up at a Women's Republican Club meeting on a random Tuesday night in October. She is very likely not a targeted swing voter. She is one of us already! Likewise, Sen. Obama's campaign has wasted its energy going to her home--not once, but twice. We have a scientifically tested list of 2.5 million voters across Ohio that will change this election. Come help us contact them!

From the Party's perspective, we will continue to work hard on the yard sign effort. We know this is important to our supporters and it is important to me! But, get involved with our grassroots efforts to help us win on Election Day by volunteering to go door-to-door or cover a phone bank!

What else can you do? Let me provide a short list:

1. Volunteer to come to Headquarters for a few hours and help us answer the phones, deal with walk-ups, put together signs, stuff envelopes, and make calls. This time of year, we need lots of volunteer help on the ground at the office.

2. Volunteer to be an outside pollworker on Election Day and get out our sample ballots to voters in key precincts.

3. Volunteer to be a poll observer on Election Day. We need people to sign-up NOW to serve as poll observers to do the critical role of watching to assure fairness in the election process. This is especially crucial in this era of ACORN and some of their shenanigans.

4. Finally, SIGN UP FOR A PHONE BANK OR GO DOOR-TO-DOOR!

Email Patrick Maloney or Maggie Nafziger RIGHT NOW to get involved to help us win!

Michael Steele in Warren County!

Michael S. Steele, former Lt. Governor of Maryland and former candidate for the U.S. Senate will make an appearance in Warren County. He will be at the Warren Co. Republican Headquarters (aka McCain Victory Center & phone bank) located at 30 W. Main St, Lebanon, Ohio, 45036 this Thursday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Michael Steele is a leader in GOPAC and a regular contributor to FOX News. He is an exciting Republican leader and a real superstar in our Party.

For more information and to RSVP, call (513) 932-6089.

Ridiculous

Longtime Democrat now claiming to be an independent, David Krikorian, originally claimed that Congresswoman Jean Schmidt lied about being struck by a car over the weekend. Read his remarks here. Unbelievable and ridiculous.

I have blogged before about this Democrat and proven to readers that this man is posing as an Independent when, in fact, he is a Democrat who has financially supported Victoria Wulsin and regularly votes in the Democratic primary. Read that blog entry here.

One thing has become clear. This man is a rank amateur playing in a game he does not understand and is not equipped to play. His campaign is driven only by his vitriol for Jean Schmidt and his campaign is totally devoid of a clear message. Voters don't vote for hate. They vote for real leadership.

Ridiculous.

Tolerant Democrats

Your Sample Ballot

Do you want to know where the Party stands on candidates and issues?

Check out the Party website for a sample ballot at: http://www.hamiltoncountyrepublicanparty.org.

Offensive Ad in 28th House District

This week, a group called the "Republican State Leadership Committee" sent a direct mail advertisement to certain voters in the Ohio 28th House District. This is the race where Virgil Lovitt is the Republican candidate. The political advertisement depicts a chihuahua dressed in Mexican garb in front of a Mexican flag and attacks Virgil Lovitt's opponent for her position on "English language" legislation currently being proposed in the state legislature.

On Wednesday of this week, I received a rather scathing letter from the Cincinnati Hispanic Chamber of Commerce demanding an apology and criticizing the Hamilton County Republican Party for this advertisement. Until receiving that letter, I knew nothing about this controversy and knew nothing about this political mail piece. Upon receiving the letter, I immediately met with Mr. Cornejo of the Hispanic Chamber. I told Mr. Cornejo that the Hamilton County Republican Party had nothing to do with this mailer and we knew nothing about the "Republican State Leadership Committee." That is the truth.

The "Republican State Leadership Committee" is an outside group from Virginia that has no connection whatsoever with the Hamilton County Republican Party. By all accounts, they are an outside 3rd party not affiliated with our Party. I have no way of ascertaining what association they have with other official Republican organizations, but I am certain they have no affiliation with the Hamilton County Republican Party.

The advertisement at issue is highly offensive, repugnant, and disgusting. The use of a dog to represent Mexicans is crude and completely beyond the pale. The desecration of the Mexican flag should offend everyone. As a Greek-American myself, I can't imagine the horror the Greek community would feel if our national symbol was reduced to a dog and our flag was used in this fashion. The advertisement done by the Republican State Leadership Committee is repugnant and I denounce it completely. I am embarrassed that it is associated with Republicans in any way.

The next question becomes one of semantics and becomes more political. I regret that to be the case. An apology was demanded of me and the Hamilton County Republican Party. We had nothing to do with this advertisement. For me to apologize would send the message that we somehow take responsibility for something we had nothing to do with. Because this group uses the word "Republican" in their title does not mean that I must apologize for their transgressions. I join the Hispanic chamber in their call for an apology from the group that wronged the Hispanic community.

In response to this situation, I sent an e-mail and a letter to Mr. Cornejo and to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce denouncing the ad and joining their call for an apology. I spoke with Mayor Lovitt who agreed that the ad was highly improper and he denounced the ad as well. I spoke with several leaders in Columbus who might know of the advertisement and they all agreed that the ad was improper.

This whole episode is unfortunate. At a time where the Republican Party ought to be reaching into the minority community, one group using our name has done damage to our cause. As Republicans, we should never tolerate this kind of crude and divisive political dialogue. It is not helpful to our cause.

Hangin' with Sarah - *Updated*

Gov. Sarah Palin was in town this morning for a highly successful fundraising event. I was privileged to attend and even spend some time in a small roundtable discussion with the Governor.

She did NOT disappoint. She was charming, witty, and plain-spoken. Her remarks were totally on target and the audience loved her.

In a real highlight of the event, 11 year-old Anne Gerhardt, daughter of longtime Republican supporter Chip Gerhardt and a Down syndrome child, got to meet Governor Palin. Chip is a Board member of the National Down Syndrome Society and he and Gov. Palin had a chance to discuss the important work of this national group. Gov. Palin was gracious and extremely friendly to both young Anne and to Chip (she gets extra credit for being nice to Chip!). Joking aside, Gov. Palin was genuinely kind and generous with her time. She will be an incredible voice for special needs children once she is in the White House.

Get involved to help us win!

Judge Patrick T. Dinkelacker

Did you see who made it to the big-time yesterday? Our very own Judge Patrick T. Dinkelacker served as a visiting Judge on the Ohio Supreme Court sitting on an important criminal case where one of the seven Justices had to recuse himself because of a conflict. Read the story here.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court thought well enough of our great Judge Dinkelacker to select him from 68 appellate courts in this state to come and sit with the Supreme Court.

In accepting the assignment, Judge Dinkelacker said, "It is an honor and privilege to be selected by the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court...[t]he limited number of cases that actually work their way up to the Supreme Court are interesting but complex. I am always excited to be a part of decisions that will make new law for the citizens of Ohio."

Judge Dinkelacker has a distinguished career of service to the citizens of Hamilton County. He was an aggressive, smart, no non-sense prosecutor that handled some of the most violent cases imaginable during his career as an attorney. He then took the bench where he is known as one of the fairest, most decent, and honorable people to wear a robe in this county. He has served with great distinction in three separate courts and there is little doubt why the Chief Justice selected him to sit on the Supreme Court of Ohio as a visiting judge.

The Republican Party in Hamilton County has a strong tradition of fielding excellent judicial candidates and we are proud of Judge Patrick T. Dinkelacker.

Obama Plane

For any of you that read the Drudge Report, you'll know that I stole this story and picture from their website. Unlike Joe Biden, I'm giving credit to Drudge thereby avoiding the plagiarism that is so familiar to Sen. Biden.

A CBS Reporter recently wrote about his experiences traveling with the two campaigns. His observations of how the campaigns treated reporters and how they did scheduling is illuminating about the type of organization each man runs. Read the full story here.

To summarize, the Obama campaign was described this way: "[I] would love to have someone from Obama's campaign explain why the entire press corps, the Secret Service, and the local police idled for two hours in a Miami hotel parking lot recently because there was nothing to do and nowhere to go. It was not an isolated case."

In contrast, the McCain campaign was described this way: "The McCain folks are more helpful and generally friendly. The schedules are printed on actual books you can hold in your hand, read, and then plan accordingly. The press aides are more knowledgeable and useful to us in the news media. The events are designed with a better eye, and for the simple needs of the press corps. When he is available, John McCain is friendly and loquacious. Obama holds news conferences, but seldom banters with the reporters who've been following him for thousands of miles around the country. Go figure."

I think this gives us a glimpse into the type of man Obama is and the type of President he would be. It is unfortunate.

The funniest part of the article about the two campaigns? The CBS Reporter said that Obama's plane was smelly. Here is what he wrote: "The McCain campaign plane is better than Obama's, which is cramped, uncomfortable and smells terrible most of the time. Somehow the McCain folks manage to keep their charter clean, even where the press is seated."

Keep the faith. 27 more days to go! Get involved NOW to help us win!

CNN: Obama & Ayers

Jack Nicklaus, Robert Duvall, Jessica Simpson and Kid Rock

What do those four people have in common? They are all identified as Republicans in a recent Internet slide show that I found. Check it out here.

The slideshow identifies 86 celebrities that "lean to the right." It may not be fair to say they are all Republicans, but many have contributed to Republican causes or candidates and many are self-identified Republicans.

What did I learn? Mike Ditka describes himself as "ultra ultra conservative" and was rumored to have thought about running against Sen. Obama in 2004. Wish he would've.

For pure entertainment value, take a look at the list. Surprises? James Earl Jones. Adam Sandler. Sammy Hagar. All have shown some Republican leanings.

Finally, the picture at the top of this post is of Kid Rock. A Republican.

McCain Won the Second Debate

John McCain won tonight's debate.

He won by clearly laying out a plan to help Americans stay in their homes and get our economy back on track by creating jobs. John McCain clearly talked about what he would do to help middle-class Americans – securing their mortgages, achieving energy independence and helping them keep their jobs.

From Barack Obama, we heard more contradictions between what he says and what he has done. After months of opposing offshore drilling, we heard Barack Obama say he supported offshore drilling. After abandoning his promise for a middle class tax cut after his 2004 campaign, we heard Barack Obama make the same empty promise. After proposing billions in new spending, we heard Barack Obama claim he will cut the size of government.

John McCain is the tested leader we need to lead America in this crucial time in our history.

Quick Post...

We are 27 days out. Personally, there aren't enough hours in the day. Not complaining. Fighting for what I believe in the greatest democracy in the greatest country in the world is the privilege of a lifetime. But, the days get long.

And...

I appeared before the leadership of C.O.A.S.T. last night. This group of conservatives care about our party. Although sometimes at odds with some of our important candidates, they are also a voice that is very important to our conservative mission. It is fair to say that I was "grilled"---well somewhat. C.O.A.S.T. cares about a "freedom agenda" and it is quite hard to disagree with much of what they discuss. They are rightfully upset about some of what the Republican Party has been about. As a Party, their voice is important and we should never lose sight of what separates us from the tax-and-spend big government, in-your-face liberalism that is very bad for our American democracy. Although somewhat on the hot seat, I enjoyed hearing the thoughts of this group. Our candidates should consider what they say as part of responsible governmental leadership.

And...

I was honored to greet the President as he deplaned from Air Force One yesterday. Regardless of this President's popularity, there is nothing quite like seeing the leader of the free world in that setting. I was wholly honored to shake the hand of President Bush and commend him for his leadership on selecting good judges for the federal judiciary. President Bush came to town to discuss his judicial selections as part of his legacy. I was pleased to be a "greeter" for the President at the airport. History will judge this good man favorably. Of this, I am confident.

And...

Gov. Palin will be at a rally on Thursday night in Wilmington. Try to go and see her! She has an electric personality and is great in person. E-mail Patrick Maloney or call HQ at 513.381.5454.

And...

McCain is not leading in the polls. We know this. But, there are 27 days left. That is a LIFETIME in politics. Stay tuned. This thing will again narrow and the pendulum will swing for us and we're gonna win!

And...

I can't say "thank you" enough to those hundreds (or thousands) that have helped us in this campaign already. I am always humbled by the good people that come out to help our candidates in these crucial times. We are lucky to have these great volunteers. To those that read this blog, THANK YOU.

And...

Enjoy the debate tonight.

Super Saturday

Join us this coming Saturday, October 11 at 10:00 a.m. in Sharonville for a "Super Saturday" rally in support of Sen. McCain/Gov. Palin. The event will be at the State Farm office of Virgil Lovitt at 11413 Chester Road in Sharonville. Many Republican elected officials, volunteers, and dignitaries will attend. After the rally, we will be going door-to-door in various neighborhoods in support of Republicans. We will have plenty of yard signs and other paraphernalia for attendees. Join us!

The Subprime Mortgage Mess

I am always a little cautious about reproducing or posting some of what I see on the Internet because I want to be careful about accuracy and I prefer well-reasoned, intelligent political dialogue. But, the video above supports a position that I believe to be completely accurate. The video was sent by a friend and businessman that understands what is at stake in this election. It is, in my view, the true story of what occured in the mortgage meltdown. As the story goes, it is a political philosophy of social engineering that caused lenders to lend money to those that simply can not afford it. This failed in a free market economy and it is because of a liberal Democrat agenda that is bad for America. Take 10 minutes and watch this video on this gorgeous Sunday. When done, come join us for phone banks, door-to-door, and at the "Burgers & Brews" event at Evendale Community Center at 3:00 p.m. sponsored by our TCV Committee.

Have a great Sunday.

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!!!!!!

Sarah was GREAT!!!!! Who can disagree???

We have the best ticket and the best campaign!

Debate Watch Party Tonight, etc.

We are hosting another Debate Watch Party at the downtown HQ tonight. Phone banking starts at 7:00 p.m. and goes until 8:30 p.m. The Party starts at 8:30 with the Debate starting at 9:00. Plenty of food and beverages will be provided. Join us! RSVP to Debbie Flammer at dflammer@hc-gop.org or 513-381-5454.

And...

I'm posting a little less often these days. We're in the thick of this election and the days are getting longer. I'll do my best to keep up.

And...

Sen. Obama has had a good couple of days in the polls. We are not overreacting. We have a month to go and this thing is far from over. In fact, I will predict today that this crazy roller coaster election will take one more big swing and it will be in our direction. Sen. Obama has not yet crossed the threshold of electability. Sen. McCain is the most qualified man to run for President in a generation.

And...

I have not blogged about much of what has transpired with the Ohio Secretary of State and some of the goings-on at the Board of Elections (BOE). I chair the BOE and I try to refrain from too much commentary in that area. I know this: the Hamilton County BOE is full of dedicated elections professionals from both sides of the aisle and I am confident that we are all working diligently to have a fair election. Our side is very ably lead by Party Vice-Chairman John Williams. Like 2004, I am again reminded of how hard those people work and what a great job they all do for Hamilton County.

And...

Having been on-the-ground in the 2004 election has made this election cycle easier in many respects. Much of what we are seeing now from the Democrats, the media, and our own people has been seen before. In 2004, the radical groups like ACORN and ACT were out getting people's attention with voter registration efforts and certain political stunts designed to make us believe that they had more energy. This year, we see Obama supporters sleeping outside the Board of Elections and other such things. NONE of it matters in the end. We are using our very same get-out-the-vote effort and it is streamlined and improved in many respects. We have made 50% more voter contacts this year than we had at the same point in 2004. Our behind-the-scenes voter identification and voter contact models have worked for us, time and again. I am supremely confident in our efforts. It is the nature of Republicans to quietly, traditionally, methodically, and professionally go about our business. Our disciplined campaign is working hard to make results at the polls.

And...

Signs. We have them. Lots of 'em. They are going fast. Call 513-381-5454 to get them. Or stop by our offices at 7th & Walnut near First Watch, or Chabot Headquarters on 3339 Harrison Ave in Cheviot, or in Kenwood at 8260 Northcreek Drive.

And...

I attended the first meeting of the Wyoming Republican Club on Tuesday night. Wow. They had a great turnout of over 80 people. Vicki Zwissler and her boundless energy made this happen. Great work.

And...

Our staff at HQ is stretched. The phones never stop ringing. Debbie, Patrick, and Maggie are working long days. Do you want to help out at HQ? Please contact Maggie Nafziger if we can get your help during the business day.