Bob Shamansky is a great candidate running for Congress in OH-12 against Pat Tiberi. There may only be a week remaining, but it is not too late for you to help out.
Furthermore, there is a reason for just about every motivational style you might have, listed below the fold. Up here, I'll start with the newest - Hope & Excitement: The much discussed Majority Watch polls that were released today include the very first independent poll in the OH-12 race. Although most major forecasters have only recently moved this race from Safe/Solid Republican to Likely Republican (and some have not yet made that leap), the first polling released to the public shows a six point spread, with a Margin-of-Error of +- 3.1. The MOE of a spread (at least when both candidates have significant support) is double the MOE reported, which refers to a candidates percentage (e.g. in this case Bob is polling at 46%, +- 3.1%) Thus the 6 point spread in the poll is within the MOE.
One week out and we are in a statistical dead heat. We can do this.
If not Hope, well then, are you motivated by Anger? As I
posted on my local blog
Blue Bexley, the Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board has adopted a Republican tactic of taking a negative attribute of Republicans and attributing it to politicians generally. So, just as Bob's opponent Pat Tiberi claimed that plenty of Democrats have ethics problems, and that corruption is not really a Republican problem, The Dispatch E.B. claimed that both Tiberi and Shamansky should stand up to their consultants and stop the smear campaigns. The Tiberi campaign has released
ads accusing Bob of tax fraud and voter fraud, accompanying them with a frivolous complaint to the local Board of Elections. Pat has at times backed off, tacitly admitting the non-supportability of the claims, saying "even if it is not against the law (to own multiple houses and have them qualify as residences in differing contexts), I don't think it's right," but then going ahead and releasing the same bogus charges in subsequent ads.
Hmmm...Has Bob called Pat a criminal? Has Bob even distorted the voting record of Pat Tiberi? No. He has not. Here are all of the ads put out by the campaign. Not a single smear among them.
Are you motivated by Fear? Columbus was the ground-zero of Election Disaster in 2004. My early-voting experience did not go smoothly, and recent events surrounding the challenges to our voter I.D. law have made me even more nervous. This district is split about 50-50 between Republican rural/suburban/exurban areas that had no voting problems in '04, and Democratic urban areas within or abutting the city of Columbus, which had the worst problems of anywhere in the country. Are you afraid we could have more voters but fewer votes? I don't need to cry fraud or touch-screen or anything else to feel a healthy sense of fear that this might end up being the case. We prevent it with boots on the ground.
Like to Be a Maverick? There are plenty of people putting forth a lot of effort for Mary Jo Kilroy just to the west of us, and a lot of people putting forth a lot of effort for Zack Space just to our East. These fine candidates deserve all the support they have and will get, but if you're looking for an opportunity to make a difference away from the madding netthrongs, OH-12 is a good place to do it.
Just looking for someone who can Make You Laugh? Bob Shamansky has arguably the funniest ad of the cycle. Do yourself a favor, join the 25,000+ who have seen it on-line.
Looking for a Fight? Rumors are rumors, and it could be a head fake, but the GOP is supposedly billeting a small army of mercenary GOTV staff. I'm betting we can take them.
Convinced? Donate your time, or even just your $$$$.
Need more convincing? Let me know what it'll take.