Hello readers - over the years when Kings Right Site was active we would occasionally have people submit things they wanted put out for people to read. More often than not the individuals writing did not have their own platform to get it out and were not able to do so anyways as being outspoken may cost them their job.
The below submittal is from an original & longtime follower of Kings Right Site. This person has worked in and out of politics and campaigns at varying levels in and out of Ohio. They are also very knowledgeable on Ohio politics, the relationships and all the players.
The following is the opinion of writer and not KRS. Me personally - I don't agree or disagree but I would suggest you read and consider this is from a person with a long history & deep understanding of politics in Ohio, campaigning and is far from an establishment swamper.
From Buckeye Swamp Fighter -
Joe Blystone has come a long way from being the mysterious candidate whose yard signs, complete with his trademark cowboy hat, began appearing all across Ohio over a year and a half ago.
Many Ohioans who are weary from over two years of stay-at-home orders, mask
mandates, vaccine mandates, business closures and a labor shortage caused by the same as well as an election canceled by decree have coalesced into a solid 20% voting block seeking oust Governor Mike DeWine. But the leader of this voting block is not politician, millionaire and former Congressman Jim Renacci.Instead it’s a cattle farmer from Canal Winchester in Central Ohio who has been barnstorming the state over the past year, doing as many as three meet-and-greet events per day, that has garnered a surprising 20% second place showing the latest poll conducted by The Hill and Emerson College. This 20% showing is similar to a 20% showing in a poll conducted by noted conservative pollster The Trafalgar Group earlier this month.
Meanwhile Congressman Jim Renacci had a dismal showing in The Hill-Emmerson poll at only 9%. This lackluster polling for Renacci comes at a time when his campaign shows signs of turmoil. Recently Jim Renacci made headlines for claiming that he had the endorsement of MyPillow founder Mike Lindell only to have Lindell state that he did not endorse Renacci on national television.
So what accounts for Blystone’s insurgency in the Buckeye State?
First, Joe Blystone has a very well-organized grassroots campaign. Capitalizing on the unfortunate circumstances that Governor Mike DeWine has put our state in by responding to the COVID-19 pandemic the way a Democrat would, Blystone was able to build a network through the lockdown protest movement that is active in all 88 counties.
Many of these activists that Blystone has recruited to his cause are not the typical activists that you would see at a County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. These are either first-time campaign volunteers or people who only volunteered for insurgent campaigns like that of President Donald J. Trump.
His strategy of building this grassroots support has been an aggressive calendar of small but rapidly growing meet-and-greet events across the state at locations as diverse as Family Restaurants, Churches, Farms, Senior Centers, Yacht Clubs and even Biker Bars.
Out of sheer curiosity, I attended one that took place in the Dayton area at a Sports Bar in Miamisburg that was packed with supporters and those curious just like myself. It felt like a mini version of one of Donald Trump’s trademark rallies. The crowd for the Blystone event filled the entire establishment, and there was a long line at the table handing out campaign collateral such as yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts in exchange for campaign contributions, which explains where all of these signs have been coming from over the past year.
Which brings me to the important topic of fundraising. The saying goes that “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” Joe Blystone has not only shown that he is able to raise money, but in the last fundraising period he was able to double the amount raised by Renacci.
This fundraising is not without controversy however. Currently there is an active complainant with the Ohio Elections Commission involving cash contributions that were not properly documented.
While folks from the Renacci camp are making some grandiose claims about this, at face value it appears that this is most likely to have been a rookie candidate mistake by using inexperienced volunteers to handle his campaign funds. If this complaint is found to be true by the Elections Commission, it’s most likely going to end up being a slap on the wrist from the Commission, albeit an expensive one.
Regardless, Blystone has found a way to raise money from an untapped grassroots source that no other candidate has in this race. This combined with more experienced people handling his campaign finances should be an additional asset to his insurgent campaign.
While Joe Blystone is no Trump he has successfully tapped into the populist energy that is on the rise within the GOP and he has successfully demonstrated that he has enough business knowledge, organizational skills to be the Chief Executive of the State of Ohio.
What business has Mike DeWine ever run? Jim Renacci, while having owned a business, is pretty much a glorified car salesman. Should Blystone win the primary he will easily be able to demonstrate that he has more real-world executive experience than either Democrat candidate, both of whom are former Mayors of cities where the Mayor’s role is mostly ceremonial and the day-to-day management was done by a City Manager.
Other than their career political offices that they have held, John Cranley’s experience is as an attorney, and Nan Whaley’s only non-political experience comes from selling dog licenses at the County Auditor’s office.
Furthermore, Joe Blystone is the only candidate that has demonstrated that he has the courage to protect our freedoms, liberties and will not destroy our business climate with reckless mandates. Can conservatives trust Jim Renacci to be the voice of liberty when he participated in President Obama’s Cash for Clunkers?
Do you trust Jim Renacci to protect your family’s values while overseeing the Ohio Department of Education and appointing a majority of the members to the Ohio State Board of Education when he voted for funding Executive Order #13672 protecting transgender rights while serving as a member of Congress?
Joe Blystone and his supporters say it’s time for Ohioans to hire a farmer, and since Agriculture is Ohio’s #1 industry his experience in plowing fields and raising cattle is not irrelevant to leading the Buckeye State.
But the important question is can he win the General Election?
In order to win the primary this is what he must demonstrate to Republican voters.
The same poll that he earns 20% in also says that 36% of Republican voters in Ohio are undecided. These voters are default DeWine voters who are obviously upset with DeWine but are likely to “hold their nose” and vote for him because they know the Democratic alternative would be much worse.
Between now and Election Day Joe Blystone needs to aggressively compete for these voters who are in no mood to send DeWine back to the Governor’s Mansion. Here are the ways that he can do this:
Start reaching out to more traditional Republicans and even, dare I say it, “establishment” audiences. While many Blystone supporters may have contempt for these people, he needs their votes and surprisingly many of them are just as disgusted with DeWine as those activists in the “Blystone Brigades” across the state.
Continue his attacks on DeWine, and start attacking and differentiating himself form the Democrats that are running to demonstrate to these undecided voters that he can compete against Whaley or Cranley in a General Election.
Finally, he needs to ignore Jim Renacci. Renacci’s campaign has become a joke and the candidate himself has resorted to finger-pointing and name-calling. Joe Blystone is above this as now he has assumed the role as the leading challenger on the Republican primary.
If he can do all three of these things, do not be surprised to see his poll numbers increase and the race tighten.
