NO NOISE? NO VOTES!

Athens Democrats are at it again. Mayor Paul Wiehl has made his animosity toward students very clear time and time again. Recently, he proposed that students should pay a fee to buy the city a new fire truck — all this while Athens City Council plans to spend $1.75 million to purchase the University Estates property. This purchase will bring what could have been a flourishing private sector project into the public sector, costing taxpayers, depriving residents of jobs, and costing schools badly needed revenue. But while Paul Wiehl and his Democrats on City Council spend frivolously, he wants students — the lifeblood of the Athens economy — to foot the bill for a new fire truck.

Wiehl’s most recent public policy assault on students involves a noise ordinance under consideration by the Athens City Council. Under the proposed ordinance, the Athens Police Department would be granted virtually unlimited power to shut down parties (presumably, in nearly all cases, student parties). This ordinance would represent the greatest expansion of police power in the City of Athens’ history.

According to the Athens NEWS, the ordinance will enable police to shut down parties deemed too noisy without resident complaint. According to The Post, Ohio University’s student-run newspaper, the ordinance will allow police to shut down parties regardless of noise level, time of day, or (if there even is a complaintant) proximity of complaintant to the party. In supporting this ordinance, Wiehl has revealed the magnum opus of his contempt for students. By even considering the ordinance, the Athens City Council joins him as students’ antagonists. Wiehl and his Democrats on Athens City Council will not recognize and will not respect the contribution that students make to this city.

Well, students aren’t just going to sit back and take it. We have a message for Mayor Paul Wiehl and the Athens City Council: NO NOISE? NO VOTES!

Athens Democrats know that students represent the most reliable bloc of voters for the Democrat Party. We know it, too. And we are promising Wiehl and the Democrats on City Council that if they pass the noise ordinance, we will pass them all pink slips. We will vote for any of their political opponents who oppose the noise ordinance. If no such candidates exist, we will run ourselves — as Democrat primary opponents, Republicans, Libertarians, Greens, and independents — and we will take their City Council seats. We will dump more proverbial tea in the Hocking River than the Boston Tea Party dumped in the harbor, and we will dump their political careers, too.

To show that we mean business, we have launched a multi-partisan Facebook page called NO NOISE? NO VOTES! As of this writing, we are 468 students strong and growing rapidly, after less than 24 hours. We are sending a clear message to Athens Democrats that if they support or vote for the noise ordinance, their individual political careers and the political future of the Athens County Democratic Party will be in jeopardy. We will not vote for supporters of the noise ordinance just because the letter D follows their names.

If you are an Ohio University student or a supportive Athens resident, we encourage you to become a fan of our Facebook page — and to invite other OU students and Athens residents to do the same. Together we can defeat this noise ordinance. City Council will vote down this ordinance if councilmembers believe that we will vote them their pink slips.

We’re Here, We’re Queer… We’re Conservative

I have had to come out twice in my life. The first time I came out, I told friends and family that I’m gay — that I’m attracted to other men, and that eventually I want to find the right man and spend the rest of my life with him. My second coming out has been more recent, as I have told the very friends and family who were supportive and accepting of my sexual orientation that I am a conservative Republican. Some have been just as supportive and accepting as they were before; others, less so.

The new challenge facing me is to be a conservative and a member of the Republican Party as an openly gay American. So far, the handful of College Republicans I’ve come out to, the faces of conservatism for me on a day to day basis, have been accepting. But events at last weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) demonstrate that there is, unfortunately, another side to the story. There are those who think gay conservatives should be excluded from the effort to take back America. Enter the now infamous Ryan Sorba:

It should be noted, although it rarely has been by the mainstream media, that Sorba’s anti-gay rant was preceded by a very different speech by Alexander McCobin, co-founder and president of Students for Liberty:

I prefer to believe that McCobin speaks for the majority of today’s young conservatives. Ryan Sorba’s ignorant hatred aside, last weekend was a good weekend to be a gay conservative. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, Liz Cheney, came out in favor of repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy banning gays and lesbians from serving in the military. GOProud had a booth at CPAC. Alexander McCobin spoke in favor of gay participation at CPAC, and when Ryan Sorba stood up to have his Kanye West moment he was booed off stage. All good news.

I think for me, though, the best news was maybe a little less significant. It was seeing several of my fellow College Republicans who attended CPAC speaking out against Sorba through Facebook and other social networking and new media. It was seeing, for example, fellow Ohio University College Republican and blogging colleague Jesse Hathaway (Athens Runaway) take on Sorba’s idiocy via his blog. The Cheneys opposing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Great. But the people I’ll be working with at the grassroots level to get conservatives elected this November speaking out to say there’s a place for me in this movement? Far better.

Now that we’ve got the touchy-feely fluffy goodness out of the way, a message to Ryan Sorba and all who think like him:

We’re here. We’re queer. We’re conservative. Get used to it.

I believe in a government that respects the limitations upon its power set by our Constitution. I believe that men like George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest of our founding fathers knew better how government should work than a leftist law professor and community organizer who lied, manipulated, and intimidated his way into the presidency. I believe in a liberal democracy in which people live freely to pursue their own happiness, not the brave new world being foisted on us by Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.

I believe that the best way to grow our economy is to shrink our government. Those taxes they want to collect to dole out pork projects to their benefactors certainly haven’t done the job. Taking even more of the American worker’s money to take over health care and energy certainly aren’t good answers to our problems either. If we want to stimulate our economy, the best way to do that is to put our citizens’ own money back in their own hands. Cut taxes. Cut spending. Reduce the deficit. Let the market reward the responsible and punish the irresponsible.

I also believe that we are at war with an enemy that hates us because we love liberty, an enemy that knows no borders and has from time to time infiltrated our own. As a gay American, I know the very real threat posed by Islamic terrorists. Just look at the terrorism perpetrated against gays and lesbians by the Islamic “Republic” of Iran. I believe we need leadership that recognizes this war as a war, rather than a president who wants to bury his head in the sand and pretend we can go back to those heady times when the last Democrat president treated terrorists as common criminals.

My message to Ryan Sorba and his ilk? Like it or not, I’m here — and so are other gay conservatives just like me. We’re here because, frankly, where else would we go? Over to the Democrats, who give gays and lesbians a wink and a nod during campaign season and forget all about us — or actively work against us — when it comes time to actually govern? Should we go to the Democrats, even though we believe their policies are destroying the fabric of our constitutional government, wrecking our economy, and endangering our national security?

Maybe Ryan Sorba would like us to head over to the Democrat Party. I believe most conservatives, especially most younger conservatives, would strongly disagree with him. But more importantly, I believe that the path to freedom, prosperity, and security for gays and lesbians lies within the conservative movement and the Republican Party. How could I go anywhere else? So, Mr. Sorba, I’m sticking around. Should we cross paths at any point in the future, I guess there’s only one thing left for me to say to you: Bring it. I love it.

Gwinn Threatens OU Student With Libel Suit

According to The Post, former Athens County Democratic Party chairwoman Susan Gwinn has threatened an Ohio University student with the possibility of a libel lawsuit. Her beef? A letter to the editor published in the Athens NEWS on Jan. 18, in which that student wrote the following:

Certainly the cleanup has begun with Gwinn, but Susan Gwinn has been mucking up the Athens County government and spreading the corruption around for a long time.

In her letter demanding a notarized correction, Gwinn declares that the above statement is “untrue and libelous.” For those who are not familiar with the back story, Gwinn was recently convicted of two misdemeanor charges related to falsifying campaign finance reports in her failed 2008 bid for Athens County prosecutor. Gwinn subsequently resigned as chairwoman of the Athens County Democratic Party, but is now seeking reelection to the county party’s central committee.

Now that the back story’s out of the way, here’s the upshot: I am the student that Gwinn has threatened with a libel lawsuit.

As I told The Post, I have absolutely no intention of retracting or “correcting” anything I said in my Jan. 18 letter to the editor published in the Athens NEWS. I don’t know why Susan Gwinn has chosen to single me out, of all the many people who have written and spoken about her. What I can tell you is that she picked the wrong person.

I believe that I have a First Amendment right to speak my mind about the job that my supposed public servants are doing. As a former county party chairwoman and current announced candidate for the county party’s central committee, Gwinn certainly falls into that category. I will not be silenced by her or any other politician because they don’t like what I have to say. If Gwinn didn’t know that about me before she sent me a letter demanding a notarized correction, she should have done her Google homework a little better. This blog would have been a good start.

I write because I believe that the written word makes a difference. I believe that it can change minds, move hearts, and, when necessary, cause the political equivalent of earthquakes and tsunamis to bring change to our government for the sake of the people of this country and, in this case, the people of this county. I believe I have a talent for this, however small compared to that of others, and I will never stop writing to take back this country — from an obscure, heavily Democrat county in Southeastern Ohio all the way up to the White House.

I will fight for my First Amendment right to use my God-given talent for the written word to make a difference in the world. Although I would prefer not to, I will take that fight to court if Ms. Gwinn decides that’s necessary. But I will not retract, I will not “correct,” and I will not be intimidated into silence. I will not back down.

But I do think I touched a nerve. Don’t you?

Tim Tebow Targeted By Vast Left Wing Conspiracy

BizzyBlog (cross-posted to NewsBusters) is blogging about attempts by feminazi brown shirts sorry, women’s groups to prevent a Focus on the Family ad that will feature Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother from airing during the Super Bowl. The controversy? The ad will apparently focus on the decision that Pam Tebow made in 1987 not to abort her fifth child against the recommendation of doctors in the Philippines after she became ill while there on a mission trip. Obviously pro-choice feminists view this ad as a threat. It might make women contemplating abortion think twice when they think about Tim Tebow, who went on to win the 2007 Heisman Trophy. He couldn’t have done that if he had never been born, and maybe women contemplating abortion will wonder what future their own children will miss out on.

This is, of course, an unacceptable message for pro-choice feminists. God forbid women make a thoughtful and well-informed decision about abortion. Better to scare the hell out of them and urge them ever forward toward the nearest Planned Parenthood clinic.

BizzyBlog notes that while the Associated Press described Focus on the Family as “conservative,” it made use of no such ideological descriptor for the so-called “women’s groups.” But — surprise! — they’re all part of the liberal/progressive/socialist machine. Take Jehmu Greene, for example, the president of the Women’s Media Center. She’s quoted by the AP: “An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year — an event designed to bring Americans together.”

When I read the AP article, I thought to myself: Jehmu Greene? Jehmu Greene. Oh, Jehmu Greene? That Jehmu Greene? It was sort of like a mental Christmas in January, when my brain happily connected the dots that brings these women’s groups together with the Democrat establishment and supposedly non-partisan youth get out the vote organizations and reveals a giant left wing conspiracy. Turns out this particular left wing conspiracy has some rather radical views about our children and how they should view their sexuality. And the fact that these radicals are stupid enough to target one of the most popular college football quarterbacks in America and his mother? Well, that’s just a bonus!

Much more about Jehmu Greene, her radical ties, her connection to the Democrat establishment, and — another bonus — a reminder about the Connecticut Senate Republican primary all beneath the fold…

On Eve of Yost Betrayal, a Not So Surprising Endorsement

The Dayton Daily News has finally confirmed the buzz that I’ve been hearing all weekend, that Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost had already decided to exit the GOP primary race for Ohio Attorney General and enter the primary for Auditor of State, and that an announcement was imminent. Yost will announce tomorrow from Ohio Republican Party headquarters that he will challenge State Rep. Seth Morgan (R-Huber Heights) for the Auditor nomination. The Morgan campaign has announced that Seth Morgan will remain in the race.

I want to preface my endorsement for the Auditor of State race by reminding readers of From the Rust Belt’s mission statement, which has been the same since this blog was launched. From the Rust Belt is a political blog dedicated to advancing conservative and right-libertarian principles and to promoting political leaders within the Republican Party who adhere to those principles.

While I once promoted Dave Yost as a politician whom I believed adhered to conservative principles, I see now that he is an establishment politician willing to do whatever it takes to advance his own career. I cannot and will not endorse such a candidate because Yost, like Mike DeWine, cannot be trusted to stick to any principles when the going gets tough and he believes his incumbency or upward mobility might be jeopardized.

In exiting the Attorney General’s race and entering the Auditor of State’s race, Yost has decided to take the path of least resistance. He has decided to leave a decidedly un-conservative candidate in an uncontested race to become the Republican Party’s candidate for Attorney General while challenging a dyed-in-the-wool conservative for Auditor of State — and let’s face it, all because he believes this race will be easier. Why would any Ohio Republican, or any Ohioan for that matter, trust that kind of candidate to be our next Auditor?

In making this decision, Yost has also proven that this “prosecutor before politician” meme has been utter nonsense. He doesn’t want to be Attorney General because of his years of experience as a prosecutor. What this decision seems to be saying to us is that any statewide office will do because he is a power-hungry politician just like Mike DeWine. If you take a look at Mike DeWine’s career, you see that each office he took on had little to do with his passion for that particular office. They were mere stepping stones to higher office. Now that Yost has switched from running as the most qualified candidate for Attorney General to the least qualified establishment candidate for Auditor of State, does anyone seriously think that Yost isn’t seeking the Auditor’s office as a mere stepping stone to his next gig? Any statewide office will do. Remember that.

My final reason for refusing to endorse Dave Yost is that in making this decision, he has transformed himself into Kevin and Mike DeWine’s man for Auditor of State and he has forced Mike DeWine on us as the only Republican candidate for Attorney General. He has put his own career ambitions ahead of the people of this state, proving that he is certainly not the People’s Candidate for Auditor of State but — as I have already noted — the Establishment Candidate. He is the man who bowed to pressure from Little Kev-Kev DeWine to get out of the way so Cousin Mikey could try (emphasis on try) to beat Richard Cordray for Attorney General.

And this point cannot be dismissed: Dave Yost has forced Mike DeWine upon Ohio Republicans and has allowed him to get even closer to becoming Ohio’s chief legal representation. He has allowed a man who has not practiced law in any form since before I was born to become the uncontested Republican candidate for Attorney General. He has allowed Mike DeWine, with his atrocious Second Amendment record, to become Ohio’s legal representative in any potential case that might involve our right to bear arms. Richard Cordray has a better Second Amendment record!

And let us not forget, even though it appears that ObamaCare is dead in Congress, that we are living in perilous times for the rule of law. Had Scott Brown not won Massachusetts, ObamaCare might have passed. If the Democrats still have something up their sleeves, it might yet pass. If ObamaCare passes, Dave Yost has decided to leave Ohio with the potential of Mike DeWine as our next Attorney General. With his penchant for stabbing the people in the back sorry, reaching across the aisle, how can we trust Mike DeWine to fight the unconstitutional individual mandate or unconstitutional bribes for some states at the expense of others? How can we trust him to fight the next round of unconstitutional trash that finds its way through Congress?

We can’t trust Mike DeWine to fight for us. As DeWine’s former opponent Dave Yost knows that better than anyone, and that’s why we can’t trust him to fight for us either. By entering the Auditor’s race and refusing to fight DeWine for the Attorney General nomination, Yost has demonstrated that he is fighting for his political career — not for the people of Ohio. It can’t be said too much: Dave Yost is the establishment candidate now. Do you really want someone so caught up in the establishment holding government accountable? That is the job of the Auditor of State. Can we really trust Dave Yost to do it?

There is only one candidate in this race for Auditor of State who has ever really fought for us, and that man is Seth Morgan. During his term in the Ohio House of Representatives, Rep. Morgan has worked hard to hold government accountable and shine some light on what others would prefer to see happen behind closed doors — for example, the back room wheeling and dealing that will lead Kevin DeWine to throw open the doors of the Ohio Republican Party HQ tomorrow for Dave Yost to announce his candidacy.

Seth Morgan is the People’s Candidate now. He won’t back down and leave this race just because Kevin DeWine wants him to, or even because Dave Yost will be starting out with a larger network of donors. Unlike Yost, Rep. Morgan trusts the people. He’s prepared to run a grassroots campaign against the establishment candidate because he believes that ordinary folks like you and me will stand behind him and get him across the finish line first. Seth Morgan doesn’t choose the path of least resistance that will lead him to the doors of the Ohio Republican Party HQ to kiss the ring of Kevin DeWine. He chooses to fight for you.

Aside from being the People’s Candidate in this race, Seth Morgan is also the most qualified candidate. Sure, a case will be made for Dave Yost’s supposed qualifications. In the coming days you’ll hear all about those “qualifications” from the Ohio Republican Party, the Yost campaign, and establishment bloggers coming to you from an undisclosed location somewhere in these United States (but probably not Ohio). Yost served as the Delaware County Auditor. That he did. No one is denying it.

Dave Yost’s service as a county auditor is irrelevant. Seth Morgan is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and actually knows how to get down to the nitty gritty and hold our government accountable. Dave Yost doesn’t know how to do that, not the way that Seth Morgan does. We should choose Seth Morgan because he is the People’s Candidate, but we should also choose him because he is the qualified candidate. Dave Yost doesn’t seem to think those qualifications matter. He seems to think the support of the establishment and, more importantly, the establishment’s money are what matters.

Fellow Ohio Republicans, you have a clear choice going into this primary campaign. You can support your candidate or you can support the establishment’s candidate. You can support the man with the passion and the skills to be our next Auditor of State, or you can support the man who changes statewide races like he’s changing his socks. You can support the man who has been busy fighting for you, or you can support the man who wouldn’t fight for you and who is handing you Mike DeWine as your only Republican choice for Attorney General. You can support a Certified Public Accountant who is eminently qualified to be Auditor of State, or you can support a guy who isn’t all that qualified but who will likely have plenty of that establishment money to throw around.

I’ve already made my choice. I believe it’s the right choice and I hope that you’ll make the same choice. I am supporting State Rep. Seth Morgan, CPA for Ohio Auditor of State. I am supporting the People’s Candidate and the most qualified candidate in this race. It’s about to be a new day in Ohio with a new way of doing things. Let’s make sure that Seth Morgan is starting out that new day as our next Auditor of State.

REP. SETH MORGAN, CPA — THE PEOPLE’S CANDIDATE — NEEDS YOUR HELP. DON’T LET DAVE YOST AND HIS ESTABLISHMENT MONEY FORCE YOUR CANDIDATE OUT OF THIS RACE. DONATE TO SETH MORGAN TODAY. SHOW KEVIN DEWINE THAT WE, THE PEOPLE, CONTROL THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE.

Ohio Rages Against the Machine

Matt Hurley (Weapons of Mass Discussion) writes:

We keep fighting the last election instead of looking ahead. Sure, there have been some technological advancements made by our team; but we still haven’t embraced the message that goes along with social media. People should be making decisions, not parties. When politicians have the power to shut out another candidate, that disenfranchises all of us. When the Party engages in thuggish behavior and condones these tactics, the rank and file loses their right to decide. These things matter.

I am a big fan of Seth Morgan for Ohio Auditor of State, and of Dave Yost for Ohio Attorney General. But in a sense these races and who remains in them have transcended individual candidates at this point. As Matt writes, this is a “fight for the very soul of the Ohio Republican Party” — and in a broader sense, for the Republican Party nationwide. This is about whether ORP Chairman Kevin DeWine and his cousin Mike DeWine get to decide who will lead our party forward during the next election, or whether we the people get to decide.

If Chairman DeWine gets to decide, then by all means Dave Yost should drop out of the Attorney General race and go the path of least resistance for Auditor of State. If the DeWines get to decide, then certainly Seth Morgan should drop out of the race right now and be content with his seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. But I don’t believe that Kevin and Mike DeWine should decide who will be on our statewide ticket, and moreover I don’t believe that either of them have proven that they are capable of making competent decisions for the good of Ohioans. I didn’t become a Republican to follow marching orders given to me by Kevin DeWine or establishment bloggers who live closer to D.C. than they do to Columbus. I became a Republican to take back this state and this country with candidates I believe can do the job.

Those candidates, among others, are Dave Yost for Attorney General and Seth Morgan for Auditor of State. I absolutely will not compromise for any scenario in which Mike DeWine runs uncontested for this party’s, my party’s nomination for Ohio Attorney General. Dave Yost and Seth Morgan shouldn’t compromise either. They are the future of our party and more importantly our state; Mike DeWine is our regrettable past.

I believe that this is a Tea Party campaign if ever there was one. Sure, up until now the Tea Party movement — or at least the publicity it has received — has focused on national candidates. Dave Yost and Seth Morgan may not, in the grand scheme of things, seem as important as Doug Hoffman or Scott Brown. But the Tea Party movement is about taking back America from the bottom up. That means that an obscure state representative running for Ohio Auditor of State is, or should be, just as important to this movement as a superstar insurgent Republican taking back the People’s Seat in Massachusetts.

Dave Yost is the People’s Attorney General and Seth Morgan is the People’s Auditor of State. Tamper with that and you open the door to Mike DeWine, the Establishment’s Attorney General — if, big if, he can beat Richard Cordray. Certainly, Yost and Morgan should remain in the races they are in because they are the right men for their respective jobs. But in a broader sense, Yost and Morgan should stay where they are to show the Ohio Republican Party and the national Republican Party one more time that we, not they, are the ones in charge.

My message to Dave Yost: Please, Mr. Yost, don’t let Kevin DeWine convince you that you can’t beat his unpopular, has-been cousin. We stand behind you and we will make those donations roll in the moment you announce you are going to take down DeWine, and you will be our next nominee for Attorney General. My message to Seth Morgan: Don’t you dare drop out of this race for Auditor, no matter what happens. You have stood for transparency and accountability since you started your term in the Ohio House. Hold your party accountable to the people now by staying in this race no matter what.

My message to the Tea Partiers of Ohio and across the country? We need your help, just like Doug Hoffman needed your help in New York and Scott Brown needed your help in Massachusetts. The only way to tell Mike DeWine not to let the door hit him in his RINO rump on the way out and to keep Dave Yost for Attorney General and Seth Morgan for Auditor of State is for you to raise your voices and demand it. And right now we need you to speak up with your wallets, because the DeWines are making this all about money. Little Kev-Kev and Mikey think they can buy the Attorney General’s office. Prove them wrong.

DONATE NOW TO SETH MORGAN FOR OHIO AUDITOR OF STATE

DONATE NOW TO DAVE YOST FOR OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL

[UPDATE: For the time being, please refrain from donating to the Yost campaign. Explanation to come this weekend. Thank you.]

It is vitally important that we help these candidates beat the establishment. The only reason that Dave Yost is even considering switching to the Auditor’s race is because DeWine has far more money and far more name recognition than Yost. Yost is afraid of and DeWine is counting on Ohio voters going with the devil they know, and that devil certainly is Mike DeWine.

You can make the difference in these races. You can show the Ohio Republican Party that we’re in charge, and you can show Mike DeWine the door. You can help Dave Yost and Seth Morgan take back Ohio, and they — along with our entire statewide ticket, and our next U.S. Senator Rob Portman — can help all of us take back America.

Other Coverage:

State Rep. Seth Morgan Exploring Run for Ohio Auditor: Run, Seth, Run!
Morgan Circulating Petitions — Announcement Soon?
Morgan Announces Run for Auditor: Win, Seth, Win!
Kevin DeWine: Let’s Snatch Defeat From the Jaws of Victory
An Establishment Blog Sides With . . . the Establishment

An Establishment Blog Sides With . . . the Establishment

Third Base Politics has a post up arguing that Dave Yost for Auditor of State is the best thing for Ohio. The rationale is that State Rep. Seth Morgan (R-Huber Heights) will have to build a statewide organization and raise money quickly, in 3BP’s opinion more quickly than he can. Meanwhile, Dave Yost already has a statewide organization that can raise money quickly — just not for the Attorney General’s race, because donors are too afraid of Kevin and Mike DeWine to donate to Yost for that race.

So 3BP is arguing that DeWine should run uncontested for Attorney General and Yost should run for Auditor of State. What about Seth Morgan? Well, he should just drop out. It’s not good for Ohio if we have a primary for this race right now, don’tchaknow?

My favorite part is when we’re told that this won’t really matter to 99% of Ohio voters:

Ultimately, Ohio Republicans shouldn’t get too worked up about how this process works itself out. Fortunately, about 1% of the electorate, and that’s an optimistic number, pays attention to the mess we make when building a good sausage. And unlike previous years, Ohio does have a solid slate of Republican and conservative candidates to choose from.

Several problems here. First of all, we’re not building a sausage here. Kevin DeWine is building the sausage. Let’s be clear on that. What the people want has now become completely irrelevant for DeWine and the Ohio Republican Party. As long as Mike DeWine gets his nomination for Attorney General, it’s all gravy. Otherwise Kev-Kev would be encouraging Mikey to drop out of the Attorney General’s race.

Second, it might be true that voters don’t pay attention to the internal drama in the process of building a good sausage. The problem with that statement is that when you insert Mike DeWine into the statewide ticket, you insert a giant portion of rotten meat into the very core of the sausage. Voters know Mike DeWine. 3BP argues that this is a problem for Dave Yost, that Mike DeWine is better known among voters than he is. I disagree. Voters know Mike DeWine and they don’t like him. Voters are going to care that Mikey’s cousin Kev-Kev manipulated the ticket to hand DeWine the nomination for Attorney General. Do you really think Rich Cordray won’t bring that up? DeWine will drag down the entire statewide ticket.

Ultimately, this post at 3BP rests on a number of questionable assumptions. The biggest of these assumptions is a pessimistic (I’m sure 3BP would say “realistic”) view of these races. 3BP assumes that Dave Yost cannot beat Mike DeWine, despite clear evidence to the contrary (his five county party endorsements to DeWine’s zero, for example). 3BP also assumes that Seth Morgan cannot build a statewide organization and raise money fast enough to be a strong candidate for Auditor. All of this ignores the current political climate, in which grassroots ordinary folks are willing to work hard and donate to authentically conservative candidates who are running against the establishment.

If we had applied 3BP’s pessimism to Massachusetts, Martha Coakley would be the senator-elect from Massachusetts right now. Think about that before you jump on 3BP’s pessimistic bandwagon. The idea that Dave Yost cannot beat establishment candidate Mike DeWine and that Seth Morgan can’t beat establishment candidate David Pepper are ludicrous in this political environment.

I also think that 3BP is underestimating the effect that Yost’s switch into the Auditor’s race will have on those who have been working for Dave Yost for Attorney General. This is not particularly surprising. 3BP has sided with the establishment here. In fact, 3BP is part of the establishment — “current/former campaign hacks, Hill staff, political appointees, lobbyists and think tank analysts.” An establishment blog like this can be forgiven for not understanding why people might be upset if Yost drops out of the Attorney General’s race and tries to run Seth Morgan, another candidate supported by the conservative grassroots, out of the race for Auditor of State.

But let me remind everyone exactly why folks might be upset. From my previous post on this drama:

While I’m at it, a stern warning to Mr. Yost: Don’t even think about it. According to your spokesman, you’re “very seriously considering” the Auditor’s race. Well, stop. I can tell you right now, Mr. Yost, I will still be casting my ballot for Seth Morgan in the Auditor primary. Sure, you’re qualified. But if you switch to the Auditor’s race now, you say three things about yourself. First, you say that you’re prepared to let a less qualified man run for Attorney General so that you can win what you perceive to be an easier primary. Second, you say that you don’t really care which statewide office you hold, as long as you hold one. And third, you say that you are the man who will hand Ohio voters Mike DeWine as the only Republican choice for Attorney General.

A guy who would switch to the Auditor’s race because it’s easier for him to win. A guy who doesn’t really care which statewide office he gets, as long as he gets one. A guy who will help Kevin DeWine shove Mike DeWine down our throats as the only Republican choice for Attorney General. If that’s the guy that Dave Yost turns out to be, then he’s not the candidate I thought he was, and he’s not a candidate I’m inclined to support. He needs to stay in the Attorney General’s race. I guarantee you that many of those who have been working for him in the race for Attorney General, who are enthusiastic about him now, feel the same. They will not be so enthusiastic if he switches to running for Auditor of State and forces Mike DeWine on us while simultaneously forcing Seth Morgan out.

But, like I said: Third Base Politics is an establishment blog, and its contributors can be forgiven if they don’t understand what’s going on in the grassroots. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you when enthusiasm for the statewide ticket collapses under the weight of Mike DeWine’s giant RINO rump and Dave Yost’s betrayal of the grassroots conservatives who have been working for him.

Call ORP Chairman Kevin DeWine today and let him know that you want him to stop meddling in the statewide ticket. Tell him you want Dave Yost for Attorney General and Seth Morgan for Auditor of State:

Ohio Republican Party
211 South Fifth Street
Columbus, OH  43215
(614) 228-2481

E-mail Dave Yost for Attorney General campaign manager Matt Borges and let him know that we want Yost to stay in the Attorney General’s race and out of the race for Auditor of State.

But most importantly…

DONATE NOW TO SETH MORGAN FOR AUDITOR OF STATE

Kevin DeWine: Let’s Snatch Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

Today, as State Rep. Seth Morgan (R-Huber Heights) was announcing his bid for Ohio Auditor of State, Ohio GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine had something else in mind. From the Dayton Daily News (h/t Weapons of Mass Discussion):

Ohio Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine of Fairborn has asked Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost to consider running for state auditor, setting up a possible primary battle with state Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights.

DeWine released his statement on Thursday, Jan. 21, as Morgan was officially launching his auditor campaign:

“Dave Yost is eminently qualified to run for auditor, having served as a county auditor and county prosecutor.

“I’ve heard from party leaders across the state that they would like to see Dave represent the party as our candidate for auditor, so I’ve asked him to consider it.

“Seth is an outstanding young legislator and has a great future in our party. I’m responding to the great demand from party leaders across the state to ask Dave to run for this office.”

Okay, first: Which party leaders? Name them, Chairman DeWine. Certainly they’re not the leaders of the county parties that have already endorsed Yost for Ohio Attorney General (five of them now). Of course I suppose your cousin, former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, could be construed as a party leader, and I’m sure he certainly has issued a “great demand . . . to ask Dave to run for this office.”

Here’s the truth of the matter. Yes, both Morgan and Yost are “eminently qualified” to run for Auditor. Seth Morgan is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), like Mary Taylor before him, while Dave Yost has indeed served as county auditor. The problem is that while both Morgan and Yost are qualified for Auditor, only Yost is truly qualified for Attorney General. Yost practiced law from 1993-99, served as Delaware County Auditor from 1999-2003, and has now served three terms (seven years) as Delaware County Prosecutor. Meanwhile, Mike DeWine hasn’t served as a county prosecutor or practiced law in any form since 1976.

Seth Morgan is eminently qualified for Auditor of State. Dave Yost is eminently qualified for Attorney General, as his five local party endorsements to DeWine’s zero endorsements clearly demonstrate. And Mike DeWine? Well, he is eminently qualified for a lifetime free pass to an all-you-can-eat RINO buffet, but that’s about all he’s qualified for at this point.

Listen, Kev, I’m going to be frank (but don’t worry, you can still be Kev): We all know what this is about. You desperately want your cousin to be the Republican nominee for Attorney General, and you know that unless Dave Yost drops out of that race it’s never going to happen. But the problem here is that you’re putting your personal connection to your cousin ahead of the Ohio Republican Party and the good of the state. Mikey’s presence on the statewide ticket will only serve to deflate the enthusiasm of Ohio Republicans, most of whom are good and fed up with DeWine’s antics in the U.S. Senate. Do you really want to drag down the statewide ticket? Are you really prepared to do that? If so, you should step down. Today. Without delay.

While I’m at it, a stern warning to Mr. Yost: Don’t even think about it. According to your spokesman, you’re “very seriously considering” the Auditor’s race. Well, stop. I can tell you right now, Mr. Yost, I will still be casting my ballot for Seth Morgan in the Auditor primary. Sure, you’re qualified. But if you switch to the Auditor’s race now, you say three things about yourself. First, you say that you’re prepared to let a less qualified man run for Attorney General so that you can win what you perceive to be an easier primary. Second, you say that you don’t really care which statewide office you hold, as long as you hold one. And third, you say that you are the man who will hand Ohio voters Mike DeWine as the only Republican choice for Attorney General.

If you make yourself that man, Mr. Yost, I will devote my time from now until the primary to take you down. And anytime you try to run for something else, I will do everything I can to make sure you stay in Delaware County. Stay in the Attorney General’s race and out of the Auditor’s race, Mr. Yost — for the good of Ohio, the Ohio Republican Party, and for the good of your career.

Finally, I’m just going to throw this out there: Tea Partiers of Ohio (and America), unite! You have nothing to lose but your RINOs. Kevin and Mike DeWine think because they’re the establishment they can pick and choose who will lead this state. Let’s prove them wrong and remind them that voters decide who will lead this state. Every single Tea Partier in this state — and across the country, for that matter — should unite behind Seth Morgan’s candidacy today. Let’s show the DeWines that we run Ohio, not them. Let’s show Dave Yost that he needs to stay in the Attorney General’s race, and if he does let’s reward him with our support. And let’s show the Republican establishment across the country, one more time, who is really in charge.

I will tell you how to donate to Seth Morgan’s campaign as soon as that information is made available to me [UPDATE: DONATE HERE]. In the meantime, especially if you’re an Ohioan (but even if you’re not), get on the phone to Chairman Kevin DeWine’s office and make some noise about his meddling in the Ohio statewide primaries. And while you’re at it, shoot Dave Yost’s Attorney General campaign manager Matt Borges an e-mail and let him know (politely, please, since Mr. Yost has done nothing yet to deserve our ire) that you want Yost to stay in the Attorney General’s race and out of the Auditor’s race.

Ohio Republican Party
211 South Fifth Street
Columbus, OH  43215
(614) 228-2481

This is our chance to show Kevin and Mike DeWine who’s really in charge of the Ohio Republican Party and Ohio in general. If you speak loud enough, they’ll have to listen. It’s all up to you now.

Morgan Announces Run for Auditor: Win, Seth, Win!

State Rep. Seth Morgan (R-Huber Heights) announced earlier today that he is running for Ohio Auditor of State. This news comes a week after Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich announced that current Auditor Mary Taylor will run with him as the GOP candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

I’ve been saying since the first murmurs of a Morgan candidacy started that I believe he’s the right man for the job. His term as a state representative has been all about government transparency and accountability. Why wouldn’t we want someone like that as our next Auditor? Moreover, Seth Morgan (like Mary Taylor) is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He has the skills necessary to make sure the Auditor’s job is done right. Rob Portman, John Kasich, Mary Taylor, Jon Husted, Dave Yost, Josh Mandel, and now Seth Morgan — that’s a winning conservative ticket that will bring real change to Ohio.

Of course, you’ll always have your naysayers. Morgan is too young and inexperienced, some say. I say he’s just the fresh face that we need to bring even more enthusiasm to the GOP’s statewide ticket. Some say that he doesn’t have what it takes to raise the money necessary to beat David Pepper. I say that those folks haven’t been paying attention to this political climate, in which grassroots movements of ordinary folks have been ensuring that solid conservative candidates get the money they need to take on the Democrat machine. The Tea Party movement and other movements of grassroots conservatives will rally behind Morgan, wait and see.

The Ohio Republican Party shouldn’t just be satisfied with Seth Morgan as a candidate for Ohio Auditor of State; they should be thrilled. So now that Rep. Morgan has answered our rallying cry of “Run, Seth, run!” it’s time for an entirely different slogan:

Win, Seth, win!

Morgan Circulating Petitions — Announcement Soon?

According to Christopher Wimsatt, the communications director for the Ohio College Republican Federation (OCRF), State Rep. Seth Morgan (R-Huber Heights) is circulating petitions for Ohio Auditor. This development shows that Morgan is serious about entering this race, and I think it’s safe to say that we can expect official news of Morgan’s entry into the race soon.

I have already noted that Seth Morgan is the candidate Ohioans need for Auditor right now. One point I overlooked is that the Auditor is one of the officials who sit on the Apportionment Board in charge of redistricting, and with the census coming up this is no small matter. We need someone like Seth Morgan with his commitment to transparency and accountability serving on the Apportionment Board. When you contrast Morgan with the Democrat candidate for Auditor, Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper, you see a young conservative committed to responsible and accountable government versus an establishment liberal trying to buy his way into the Auditor’s office.

Who would you rather have in the Auditor’s office and serving on the Apportionment Board?

I repeat: Run, Seth, run! I’ve never been more excited about an Auditor’s race, because I think this is an opportunity to put together a winning conservative statewide ticket: John Kasich and Mary Taylor for Governor and Lt. Governor, Jon Husted for Secretary of State, Dave Yost for Attorney General, Josh Mandel for Treasurer, and now Seth Morgan for Auditor.