Bill's Bytes
by Bill Lee
March 28th 2005
The Marion County Republican Party is moving into the future, with cutting-edge computer technology, and they are dragging me with them. For those of you who do not know me, I was transplanted to Marion, Ohio from a large city to Marion’s north in 1975, worked at MCI for a number of years, retired last year, and have been active in politics since I was a kid. I was asked to write some thoughts for the Marion Republican Party website. You can write a column as well - just ask the nice computer man, John Meyer, for your own “blog-space.”
I am not a spokesperson for the Marion County Republican Party. Rather, I view myself as an average Republican, with views that run from moderate to conservative, depending upon the issue. I think I am correct on my political positions – you may disagree with me if you wish. However, in disagreeing with me you would be, of course, wrong.
In the months to follow, I’ll address my philosophy of the “Big Tent,” why an ever increasing number of people of all ages, are turning to the Republican philosophy, and why such defections drive my good Democrat friends to absolute distraction. (Yes, I do have friends who are Democrats. It’s simply fun to drive them to distraction.)
What we as Republicans must realize is that we are the majority party in this country. We have 232 House seats; we have 55 Senate seats. In Ohio, we hold all of the constitutional offices, the majority on the Ohio Supreme Court, and we control both houses of the General Assembly with comfortable margins. We also have a number of viable candidates for the Governor’s office. Locally, our state senator, our state representatives, all three county commissioners, our mayor, well as a number of other office holders are proud Republicans. (Sometime in the future, I’ll interview some of them and share their views with you.)
Most importantly, we helped re-elect President Bush! Grassroots campaigning at its best in Marion County, with a strong base of volunteers!! Frankly, it’s a grand time to live in Ohio, and to be an active Republican!!!
Some months ago, I was fortunate to be invited to a reunion of some old-time politicians near Columbus, Ohio. I regaled the assemblage with the story of my early political forays. My mother, my father and I were the only Republicans for about 5 square miles in our Cleveland neighborhood. When I was in Kindergarten, my Mom would affix a Republican campaign political button to my coat or shirt every day, then ship me off to school. Such heresy in a blue-collar, staunch Democrat neighborhood, generally guaranteed I would receive a political “tune-up” from my class-mates or their older brothers. Simply put, such scuffles only served to strengthen my resolve to stay a Republican. To this day, I “REMEMBER YALTA!” and all the problems my mother’s seemingly inexhaustible supply of political buttons caused me each day in school.
I intend to end each of these journalistic punditries with a “good thought.” Feel free to quote me:
“Democrats do not vet for a leader. They find the individual with the largest anchor, and watch it being tossed overboard; then each grasps a link, with a death-like grip, and gleefully follows it, as the anchor plunges downwards.”
Cordially,
W
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