The Lee Fisher for Senate campaign has been one long, disgraceful slog thus far, with Lee needing to empty out his already small war chest to beat back a challenge in the Democrat primary from Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (who had about $14.92 on hand at any given time in the race). Then Lee miscounted by about 48, when he WAY overestimated his grassroots support at the Northland Independence Day Parade last month on Twitter before disgracefully sneaking off the parade route, which would have been fine except that some people apparently have cameras AND internet access to see the nonsensical number counting (a crowd estimate that would have made the DC Police proud). On top of that, Lee is now on his third campaign manager, and has lost both his Communications Director & Research Director, at least one of whom went to work on another Senate campaign with a better shot at winning. To take the cake, though, media pundits and Democrat bigwigs took notice, culminating in this fantastic video summing up the smoking wreckage that is the Democrats’ best shot at winning a Republican-held seat in the US Senate, in an open contest to boot, against an opponent who had never run statewide versus Lee’s approximate 53 statewide ballot appearances (that number subject to Lee’s own counting practices). Check it out:
Posts Tagged ‘US Senate’
Lee Fisher is on a roll (just not a good one!)
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010Lee Fisher’s Grassroots Slowmentum
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010So, Lee Fisher recently tweeted about showing up with “50+” volunteers at the Northland 4th of July Parade. Unfortunately for Lee, this is the 21st century, and people have a) cell phone cameras, and b) Al Gore’s Internet. Here’s a quick take from the Ohio GOP on the Democrat’s great hope for the US Senate, Lee Fisher, and his “grassroots slowmentum”:
Later in the day, Lee showed up at the Westerville Independence Day Parade, where he had a whopping 8 walkers (along with 8 for Ted Strickland/Yvette McGee Brown, and 5 for David Pepper). Most of the state representative campaigns we saw in parades this weekend had more volunteers marching with them than that! These are statewide candidates, with paid staff, and supposedly extensive astroturfing grassroots networks. Now, for what a real campaign looks like when they go marching in parades, check this out, from the Portman for Senate campaign:
Lee’s lame jobs record–in his own words
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010Lee Fisher was responsible for focusing on economic development and job creation as Lieutenant Governor and formerly as the Director of Development. In his run for US Senate, he has emphasized his record on jobs, and we couldn’t be happier about Lee’s willingness to embrace his record, or lack thereof. Unfortunately for Lee Fisher, his attempts to paint GOP candidate Rob Portman as responsible for the loss of over 430,000 Ohio jobs on HIS watch simply runs contrary to his own words. Check out this great piece of work from the NRSC on Lee Fisher, in his own words:
Make sure to check out www.FisherWrongforOhio.com for more on Lee’s miserable record.
We chat with Karl Rove
Thursday, April 29th, 2010Karl Rove was in town last week promoting his new book, Courage and Consequence, and firing up Ohio Republicans in the process, and he was kind enough to take a few minutes with us during his Columbus book signing stop at Barnes & Noble. Here is the video of that conversation (apologies on the sound quality–you’ll want to turn up the volume on your speakers a bit!):
Highlights from the East Ohio GOP Chairman’s Assocation Dinner
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010We hit the road last night from OhioCRs HQ in Columbus to St. Clairsville in Belmont County for the inaugural East Ohio GOP Chairman’s Association Dinner. Two hours later, we arrived at the James Carnes Convention Center, where nearly 500 GOP activists were gathered to hear from our 2010 GOP team, including candidate for Governor, John Kasich, candidate for Senator, Rob Portman, candidate for Chief Justice, Maureen O’Connor, candidate for Secretary of State, Jon Husted, and candidate for Auditor of State, Dave Yost. Ohio GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine played emcee for the evening, and Belmont County GOP Chairman Kent Moore also took the stage to address the huge crowd. Check out the video from the Ohio GOP with the highlights:
Huge thanks to Chairman Moore for letting OhioCRs be a part of this great event–keep an eye out for more great video of our travels in the coming week as we have several trips planned around the state!
Press Release: Ohio College Republicans help to derail Obamacare with Brown victory
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2010
Contact: Christopher Wimsatt
cwimsatt@ohiocollegegop.org
740.707.1838
(COLUMBUS, OH) In a stunning upset, Massachusetts special election results rolled in to reveal a big win for Republican State Senator Scott Brown. The United States Senate seat held since the 1960s by late Senator Edward Kennedy will now be occupied by a Republican who has promised to vote against Obama’s sweeping government takeover of the Healthcare industry.
“This is not only another election win for Ohio’s College Republicans, but it is a huge win for the majority of America who does not want a government takeover of one-sixth of our economy” said Melissa Short, Executive Director of the Ohio College Republican Federation. “We knew this was an election we could win with hard work, which is why dozens of College Republicans spent their weekend calling voters in Massachusetts and why College Republicans from Ohio University made the 12-hour trip to the Bay State to help on the ground.”
The election of Scott Brown will place 41 Republican Senators in Congress’ upper chamber, leaving President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid one vote shy of the filibuster-breaking supermajority they have enjoyed since January of last year. Brown’s election is also the third statewide election won by a Republican candidate following an Obama victory in that same state in the 2008 Presidential Election, adding to the momentum built by Virginia’s Bob McDonnell and New Jersey’s Chris Christie, who both won gubernatorial races in their respective states last fall.
“While Democrats will punch on the accelerator, the American people are standing against big government and higher taxes—growing an already bloated government by taking over healthcare is not the type of change voters wanted from this President. In Ohio, vulnerable Democrats like Steve Driehaus and Mary Jo Kilroy are already feeling the heat from voters for their rubber-stamp votes on this abomination of a bill. We are glad to be a part of putting an end to this runaway train by electing Scott Brown,” stated Short.
The Ohio College Republican Federation (OCRF) is the statewide body of all College Republican chapters across Ohio. Currently giving support and aid to over 45 chapters, the OCRF brings together nearly 10,000 members throughout Ohio. The OCRF provides crucial grassroots support to Republican campaigns and organizations, serving as the preeminent Republican youth organization in the state.
###
Stamp out the Rubber Stamp Senate!
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010Most of you are probably well aware of the historically important special election taking place in Massachusetts this Tuesday for the vacancy in the US Senate caused by the passing of the “Liberal Lion”, Ted Kennedy. Most of you are also probably aware that Massachusetts is considered the most liberal Democrat state in the nation. That may have been true, but it appears a majority in the Bay State are ready for a real change. Recent polling shows that State Senator Scott Brown is neck-and-neck with Attorney General Martha Coakley, who was leading by wide margins just weeks ago.
That Democrat lead has evaporated, and Scott Brown is actually winning the race amongst those who have made up their mind on the race (Brown +1) and among voters who will definitely cast a vote in the race (Brown +2). Victory in Massachusetts is vital—sending Scott Brown to the US Senate will ensure that disastrous Democrat legislation like Obamacare and Cap & Trade come to a crashing halt. This race will come down to turnout, and we can make the difference from here at home in Ohio this weekend!
You have, or will be, getting a call from someone on our Executive Board to field any questions and see how many CRs your chapter has volunteering to call between now and this Tuesday. How can you make calls to Massachusetts from the comfort of your own campus? It is super-simple!
1) SIGN UP! Click on the link to volunteer, fill in your info, and then check your email for your log-in details.
2) Follow the instructions in the email you receive from the campaign to log-in and pull up the volunteer center webpage. (Everyone calling will need to have individual internet access!)
3) Once logged in, read over the brief instructions on connecting your phone to the volunteer lines, and get started! Just an hour of your time can translate to 50 or more votes.
4) When you’ve made calls, please email our Political Director, Danelle Gagliardi, to let her know how many CRs from your chapter made calls so that we can have an idea of our exact impact on the race.
Scott Brown, the Republican Party, and all of America need your help! Election Day is less than a week away—and we have a three-day weekend, so the opportunity to make an impact will never be greater. Let’s make it happen and be the difference that makes history and sends a clear signal that all Democrats should be running scared in 2010. If we can win in Massachusetts, we will certainly win in Ohio!
Thank you for your continued leadership on your campus,
Jonathon Snyder, Chairman
Would it be a day in D.C. without a broken promise or lying politician?
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010Well, we now know that President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Reid didn’t resolve to keep promises on open health care debates–and we can’t say that we are the least bit surprised! Sure, the President talked a good game about openness and transparency on the campaign trail he can’t seem to leave. Sure, Speaker Pelosi said this would be the most open and ethical Congress ever. But all of that is just political positioning, and we can’t really expect them to keep their word, right? Of course not!
Unfortunately for our dear leaders, Al Gore invented the internets, and there are quite a few people who can’t seem to forget that Pelosi, Obama, and Reid promised openness and honesty in debate. Plus, there is always the video evidence, which is plentiful, with their promises. C-SPAN is even getting in on the action, and they don’t have a horse in the fight, just a desire to hold our politicians to their word. Now, a group called Let the Cameras In! has popped up with a nifty online petition that we hope you will join us in signing.
Unfortunately, online petitions aside, we won’t be holding our breath on setting our DVR to tune in to the negotiations. As Speaker Pelosi is quick to point out, President Obama was for a lot of things on the campaign trail (and we know how many of those promises, like not raising taxes on the middle class, have turned out). She also thinks she is holding up her end of the deal on open & honest proceedings. Apparently she just wanted to hit April Fool’s Day about four months early this year, but for Americans, this is no laughing matter.
Brunner fells foes with friendly fire
Saturday, December 19th, 2009Yesterday we took White House-preferred Democrat candidate for US Senate Lee Fisher to task for his endorsement by David Plouffe, who just so happens to be on Lee’s payroll, and welcomed him running on his miserable jobs record. Today, his opponent in the Democrat primary, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, joins the fun in calling him out on a few more endorsements, but she doesn’t do it where Ohioans will read her headline-grabbing comments, just for her primary foe and his backers to see. Instead, she gabs to National Journal’s Hotline, and we’ve got the details via the Plain Dealer’s Open blog.
Brunner takes US Rep. Zack Space (D-OH 18) to task for only endorsing Fisher’s campaign to avoid his district falling to the redistricting cleaver. Of course, this conversation was off the record, and you won’t ever catch Space with the guts to say it publicly. It’s almost like he treats his constituents–no public town halls where voters could possible pose a tricky question for the esteemed sophomore Representative who spends millions of George Soros’ cash to make sure voters in OH-18 think he is a “Blue Dog” instead of the lap dog for Speaker Pelosi that he really is.
Then, Brunner claims the support of several mayors around the state for Fisher is only coming because they fear funding cuts from Fisher’s boss, Governor Strickland. Of course, none of them will ever go on record with this sentiment either, but we’re seeing a pattern develop here as the Dems bring Cuyahoga County-style political muscle to this race. Democrats are apparently forgoing the carrot in favor of the stick to make sure the DNC and ODP get their guy in the race, and not a candidate they’ve seen tack to the left of even President Obama on various issues. Beyond this, Lee Fisher will take an endorsement from just about anyone, as evidenced by allowing disgraced outgoing Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner to publicly endorse his campaign, even after being recalled by voters this fall. No word on whether Carty took the opportunity to call any of Lee’s opposition by the vulgarities he was caught on tape using with young children in a local park last summer.
This primary battle is heating up, all the while Rob Portman is building a growing lead in the polls and in the fund raising department. Jennifer Brunner is not going away despite the Ohio Democrat Party, the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Governor Strickland’s scorched earth efforts to knock out the candidate of the liberal netroots. Our suggestion for the Democrats? Hire Brunner to stand off stage left during the debates with Portman and help Lee Fisher hold his finger in the wind before he takes a position on an issue–it seems to be working so far.
Let Lee run on jobs record!
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009If you haven’t been keeping up to date with Lee Fisher lately, you would be doing the same thing he was guilty of with the formerly Dayton, OH, headquartered NCR, which is moving over 1,200 jobs out of Ohio on his watch. Lee has been a busy bee lately, trying his hardest to reverse his slide in the polls and to shake the “regional candidate” label even friendly Democrat bloggers have tagged him with. In the past week, the Lieutenant Governor has made headlines with a couple of developments, neither related to success as a job creator: his endorsement by paid campaign consultant & President Obama’s right-hand advisor David Plouffe, and his willingness to run on a record as job creator-in-chief.
Speaking in Akron last Tuesday, the man asleep at the wheel while Ohio lost over 300,000 jobs and doubled our unemployment rate managed to look past the log in his eye to vaguely call out distinguished former U.S. Representative Rob Portman (R-Cincinnati). And that could not be better news for Republicans. Lee Fisher wants to talk about jobs, and so do we. If you have heard what Portman and gubernatorial candidate John Kasich (R-Westerville) are saying on the campaign trail, it is all about jobs–how we can’t afford to keep losing them, and exactly what Republicans will do to create new jobs and keep existing jobs here in Ohio.
Clearly, Lee Fisher was instrumental in the failure of Ted Strickland’s administration to create or even retain jobs in Ohio. You simply cannot serve as the state’s Director of Development for as long as Lee Fisher did, essentially the point man for economic development and job creation in Ohio, and not be complicit in the free-falling Ohio economy. Just as obviously, someone is advising Lee Fisher and his campaign team (who will all also be publicly endorsing Lee for Senate by week’s end in an effort to trump up momentum) to make a glaring weakness a strength, and to turn Portman’s strength (successful economic policies) into a weakness by talking about it all of the time like it is a bad thing. Unfortunately for Lee Fisher, Ohioans will not fall for the bait-and-switch. They know just who is responsible for this mess, and it is clear who can pull us out of this funk.
Don’t just take our word for all of this, though. Liberal bloggers agree that Lee is weak on jobs. Many are openly rooting for his opponent, Jennifer Brunner, and noticing that Lee seems to take many of his stances only after she speaks up on an issue. Lee is in for a primary dogfight because even Democrats aren’t buying his stump speech.
Us? We’ll be the ones watching eagerly from the sidelines. Should the left-wing blogosphere have their way, we get to face a candidate that Rob Portman is leading by an even greater margin.