Candidates 2010

GOVERNOR - LT. GOVERNOR
John Kasich-Mary Taylor

ATTORNEY GENERAL
Mike DeWine

AUDITOR OF STATE
David Yost

SECRETARY OF STATE
Jon Husted

TREASURER OF STATE
Josh Mandel

UNITED STATES SENATOR
Rob Portman

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRESS -1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Steve Chabot

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRESS -2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Jean Schmidt

CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT - COMM. 1-1-11
Maureen O'Connor

JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT - COMM. 1-1-11
Judith Ann Lanzinger

JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT - COMM. 1-2-11
Paul E. Pfeifer

JUDGE OHIO COURT OF APPEALS - FIRST DISTRICT - COMM. 2-9-11
Sylvia Sieve Hendon

JUDGE OHIO COURT OF APPEALS - FIRST DISTRICT – UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING 2-8-13
Pat Fischer

STATE SENATOR - 7TH DISTRICT
Shannon Jones

STATE SENATOR - 9TH DISTRICT
Deborah M. McKinney

STATE REPRESENTATIVE - 28TH DISTRICT
Mike Wilson

STATE REPRESENTATIVE - 29TH DISTRICT
Louis W. Blessing, Jr

STATE REPRESENTATIVE - 30TH DISTRICT
Bob Mecklenborg

STATE REPRESENTATVIE - 31st DISTRICT
Mike Robison

STATE REPRESENTATIVE - 32ND DISTRICT
Erik Nebergall

STATE REPRESENTATIVE - 33RD DISTRICT
Jim Stith

STATE REPRESENTATIVE - 34TH DISTRICT
Peter Stautberg

STATE REPRESENTATIVE - 35TH DISTRICT
Ron Maag

MEMBER OF STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Debe Terhar

JUDGE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - COMM. 1-3-11
Robert P. Ruehlman

JUDGE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - COMM. 1-4-11
John Andrew West

JUDGE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - COMM. 1-15-11
Ralph E. Winkler

JUDGE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING 3-31-13
Megan E. Shanahan

JUDGE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - JUVENILE - COMM. 1-1-11
John Williams

JUDGE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - DOMESTIC RELATION - COMM. 1-5-11
Jon H. Sieve

JUDGE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - DOMESTIC RELATION - COMM. 1-16-11
Susan Laker Tolbert

COUNTY COMMISSIONER - CCOUNTY COMMISSIONER - COMM. 1-1-11
Chris Monzel

COUNTY AUDITOR
Tom Brinkman, Jr.

OPERATION: BOARD WALK - 2010 Early Voting

In 2008, over 26,000 cast their ballot at the Hamilton County Board of Elections downtown Cincinnati. And the results spoke for themselves, a massive early victory for the Democrats that left us with a severe vote deficit when the polls opened on Election Day. It is our goal this year to beat them at their own game with "Operation: Board Walk".

Join Rob Portman and Steve Chabot
for a Rally on Tuesday, Sept. 28th at 2:00 pm

Buses will depart from Harvest Home Park after the rally.
3961 North Bend Road
Cincinnati, OH 45211

Please be prepared to wait up to 3 hours in line at the Board of Elections. Legally the campaign cannot provide water or snacks so please bring anything you may need.

Christine O'Donnell, Etc.

The primary win by Christine O'Donnell in Delaware prompted phone calls to our Hamilton County (Ohio!) Republican HQ yesterday. Several of those calls were aimed at the "Republican Establishment." I suppose if you don't understand how things work, you would target our local HQ for these silly calls. A few were profane including a particularly fun voicemail that I saved. Let me make a few things clear to our friends here in Hamilton County: Your local GOP had NOTHING to do with the race in Delaware. We've got our hands full trying to elect our ticket in Hamilton County and in Ohio. The primary in Ohio ended in May (where the Hamilton County GOP did NOT endorse any candidate) and we're on to the business of trying to elect our GOP ticket against liberal Democrats.

And...

Christine O'Donnell seems to be a fine candidate. It is interesting to see the "moderate" wing of the party go after her--just as the "conservative" wing of the party has gone after some candidates who are perceived as moderates. One thing that ought to be clear to anyone claiming a conspiracy: THE VOTERS DECIDE. John McCain was the nominee of the Party in 2008 after the voters made that choice. Christine O'Donnell is our Senate nominee in Delaware after the voters made that choice. There is no secret, backroom, smoke-filled-room deciding our nominees in these high profile races. Our GOP voters make these choices in the primary. From where I sit, we should support O'Donnell just as strongly as we supported McCain for President. These are the nominees of the Party. The Party has to be big enough for both McCain and O'Donnell. On that point, some might disagree. But that is why we have primaries. We have our ticket and now we go to battle.

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I am concerned about a Senator from Delaware who exaggerates, plagiarizes, and misleads potential voters. He was selected by the President to be the Vice-President! Do you see the phony outrage about Christine O'Donnell? Compare it to the outrage at Vice President Biden's history of plagiarism and exaggeration in all of his public statements. It seems it's a problem when a conservative does it. But, when a liberal like Biden does it, you become Vice President.

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Jim Tarbell supports the streetcar proposal. He can't be county commissioner.

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Maggie and I attended the Gubernatorial debate in Columbus on Tuesday night. Kasich very plainly dominated the debate. I have one observation I want to share here. Gov. Strickland played the typical political games that politicians play in debates. He kept calling John Kasich "Congressman" (clearly to link him to the unpopular congress where Strickland himself served--even though John hasn't been there in 10 years and when John left, he left a balanced budget!). Strickland had a canned one-liner attacking John as being anti-Ohio by questioning whether John supported the Buckeyes in their recent game against the Miami (Florida) Hurricanes. All of this is nonsense. It is classic political gamesmanship that I HOPE the voters can see right through. John Kasich stayed above that silliness and didn't go for the "zing" that seems to be such a part of political debates. Isn't John right? Our state is in peril. Our way of life and the American dream is under assault from a political culture that breeds politicians without the courage to make difficult decisions. If these silly "zings" still score points--shame on us as political consumers. John Kasich has a clear vision for making Ohio a business-friendly state where businesses want to set-up-shop and create jobs. He articulated that very effectively in the debate. In the end, that's what it has to be about. Gov. Strickland played the typical political games that have become old and tired in a state that has collapsed under his watch. John Kasich is up in the polls and deserves to be Governor. Strickland and his old style brand of politics have failed.

And...

Dave Yost will beat David Pepper. Pepper will spend a fortune to stop that from happening. But, even David Pepper can't push back this wave. And David Yost is a fantastic guy and a fantastic candidate.

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The Reds are headed for the playoffs. Nobody is more excited about that than I am.

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I watch MSNBC for Morning Joe. I hear things I disagree with and that's politically healthy.

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It is fun to watch John Boehner get all this attention from the President. John is clearly a threat to the elite, left-wing power structure.

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I've railed on this before. Isn't it funny how politicians use the words "pay for tax cuts?" Republicans should explain the folly of that language. Letting people keep more of the money they have earned is the default position--the normal state of affairs. Government doesn't "pay" for you to keep more of your own money. When the government cuts taxes, it lets you keep more of what you've earned. Government is not "paying" for anything. Government is keeping less of what already belongs to YOU. Liberals also use the word "investment" when they're spending your money and they use the word "revenue" when they're keeping more of your money or raising your taxes.

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I went to the Indian Hill Tea Party this week. I go to Tea Party meetings regularly. The image some have of the Tea Party (and perpetrated by the media) is flawed. The Tea Party meetings are some of the most thoughtful, respectful, and well organized dialogues anywhere in politics. I think that liberals should go and listen to the message. The Indian Hill Tea Party talks of a return to the basic principles that made America a great country. They talk about the Constitution, freedom, and capitalism. Since when is that "fringe?" Don't be fooled by the naysayers. There is a reason these meetings fill-up the room.

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Have a good Thursday.

Greek Night at the Phone Banks!

I hope you can join us tomorrow, Monday, September 13 at 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as we make phone calls in support of our GOP Victory effort for this election cycle. I am hosting "Greek Night" at the phone banks featuring my Mom's homemade Greek baklava as a special treat for anyone willing to volunteer. Can I count on your support?

Here are the specifics:

What: Phone Banks in support of GOP candidates. We will make phone calls, socialize, and eat.

When: Monday, September 13, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where: 8220 Northcreek Dr., Suite 210, Cincinnati, OH (45236). (Click here for Mapquest Information)

Why: To help Republicans!

I hope to see you tomorrow!

Presidential Failure, Etc.

It is far too soon to be counting out President Obama in 2012. The talk, today, of him being a one-term President is both premature and a waste of time. But the damage he is doing to the country with his far-left policies can be slowed by electing a Republican Congress. We have a chance to make a difference by electing Steve Chabot in the First Congressional District and re-electing Jean Schmidt in the Second Congressional District.

And...

I've ignored the blog. Another apology to my two loyal readers. Consider following GOP events on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Alex.Triantafilou) or on Twitter (twitter.com/ChairmanAlex).

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Republicans who have a public role should be talking about the economy and jobs. Rob Portman and John Kasich have effectively stayed "on message." As much fun as it might be to chatter about Mosques near the WTC site or Koran-burning loons, the American people have real world problems with unemployment, low wages, and an ever-expanding government debt that will burden future generations. The rest is talk show nonsense that Republicans should avoid.

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It is not the job of politicians to create jobs. It is the job of politicians to create a climate for private sector job-creation. This is the core of why I'm a Republican. Jobs are created by businesses--not by politicians or government. The Democrats don't get it. Most Republicans do. This is the fundamental difference between the parties.

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Failed Gov. Ted Strickland does not understand the above. In fact, he does the opposite of the above. In what might be one of the silliest political advertisements in history, Gov. Strickland attacked a job-creating Ohio corporation in a political commercial. (Read the story here) A company called Invacare, headquartered in Lorain County, employs over 1,300 people. In this recession and Strickland-job-killing environment, that corporation has actually increased the number of people it employs. Yet, our Governor sought to attack the corporation, by name, in a campaign ad. Is this how this Governor intends to turn around Ohio? By attacking job-creating businesses?

And...

Republicans should not be counting chickens or measuring for drapes--especially in Hamilton County. This is not the Republican-rich county it once was and I've preached that message to every candidate who has to run in this area. There are lots of great Hamilton County Republicans--they just happen to live in West Chester and Mason! This county is competitive and will continue to be competitive into the future. Any Republican taking Hamilton County for granted does so at their own peril.

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I am very proud of the five GOP-endorsed judicial candidates running with opposition in this fall's campaign. I've watched these fine men and women coalesce and work together to achieve victory. Here is our slate of GOP-endorsed candidates running with opposition:

First Appellate District

Sylvia Sieve Hendon
Pat Fischer

Court of Common Pleas - Juvenile Division
John Williams

Court of Common Pleas - General Division
Megan E. Shanahan

Court of Common Pleas - Domestic Relations
Jon H. Sieve

And...

Have you signed-on to help Chris Monzel? Consider doing so today at: www.ChrisMonzel.com.

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Want to see the GOP sample ballot? Visit our website by clicking here.

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If my name were Driehaus, I would want to change it. But the baseless rumor that State Rep. Denise Driehaus wanted to change her name came to me from my colleague, the Democratic Party Chairman, this week when he openly complained about a rumor that I had never heard. (Click here to read the coverage). He further perpetuated the false rumor by issuing a media release on this very topic. It begs the question: Why the controversy or angst about such a rumor? Could it be that the Driehaus name, once so popular, is now a hindrance because of the horrendous voting record of Congressman Driehaus? Could it be that voting with Nancy Pelosi 94% of the time is unpopular in these parts? Could it be that voting for the massive government takeover of health care remains unpopular? Could be. Nevertheless, baseless rumors about Denise Driehaus potentially wanting to change her name should stop. A fair and open discussion about her voting record and her brother's failures in Washington will not.

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Reds fans, like Republicans, should not be complacent. Our beloved Redlegs are slumping a bit after a red-hot August. I'm confident we'll come around and make our first playoff appearance in more than a decade.

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Did you know that early voting starts on September 28, 2010? You can vote, for any reason, starting on that date. I know lots of people who can't wait to go and vote. For more information on early voting and on voting in general, click here.

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Heading to Columbus today for a Kasich/Portman leadership meeting.

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Can you take the day off and work the polls on Election Day? If you can take the day off of work and help us ALL DAY, please email us at HamCoPolls@gmail.com.

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This coming Monday, September 13th, I'm hosting a Greek night at the phone banks. Join me at 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 8220 Northcreek Dr., Suite 210 in Kenwood. I'll be featuring my Mother's homemade baklava. To RSVP, e-mail Debbie at dflammer@hc-gop.org.

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Lots happening and lots of places to get plugged-in and help us. I get lots of people who say, "What can I do to help?" Now is your chance! Volunteer opportunities are plenty. Call 513-381-5454 to get involved.

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Have a great weekend.