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30,000 jam West Chester to hear Romney

WestChesterBuzz.com will count down the area’s top 12 stories of 2012 this month, concluding with West Chester’s most discussed topic of the year on Sunday, Dec. 30.

STORY POSTED NOV. 2, 2012
BY Cindi Andrews, Paul Kostyu and Adam Kiefaber

The presidential race returned to Ohio for the final push Friday (Nov. 2) as GOP challenger Mitt Romney held a massive rally in the Republican heartland north of Cincinnati and President Barack Obama cut a swath through central Ohio.

Romney spoke to a crowd of 30,000, according to West Chester Fire chief Tony Goller – making it the largest rally of the campaign, said Romney spokesman Chris Maloney.

“The question of the election comes down to this: Do you want more of the same or do you want real change?” Romney asked. “I promise change, and I actually have a record of achieving it.”

Both candidates are trying to make up for campaign time lost to super-storm Sandy and deliver their final arguments to voters before Tuesday’s election.

Obama, in his first Ohio trip since Sandy struck the East Coast, said in Lima on Friday afternoon that the policies of previous Republican administrations didn’t work.

“Ohio, we’ve tried our ideas and they work,” he said. “We’ve tried the other folks’ ideas. They don’t work. The eight years before I took office, we tried their ideas. What did we get? We got falling incomes, record deficits … and an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up after ever since.”

With less than four days before Election Day the race is too close to predict in several key states, including Ohio. The latest poll out Friday afternoon, by CNN/ORC International, shows Obama leading 50 percent to 47 percent in Ohio, well within the 3.5 percentage point margin of error.

Obama will make what’s almost certainly his last Cincinnati stop of the campaign at the University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena on Sunday evening, while Romney will be in Cleveland. And the candidates will campaign right down to the wire in Ohio – both have announced events in Columbus on Monday.

Kid Rock opened the Romney event, which also included appearances by a lengthy list of top Republicans, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sens. John McCain and Marco Rubio, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“This is like having the Republican National Convention come here,” said Ohio Rep. Margaret Conditt of nearby Liberty Township. “All of the speakers that we saw in Tampa are here, except for Clint Eastwood, of course.”

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Romney noted that unemployment is higher than when Obama took office, although the final pre-election report, released Friday, showed 171,000 new jobs added in October. The Labor Department also revised August and September jobs numbers upward. The unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent in October, from 7.8 percent in September, as more workers re-entered the labor force.

“Candidate Obama promised to do so very much, but he has fallen so very short,” Romney said. “He was going to focus on jobs, then he focused on Obamacare, which killed jobs.”

Romney said that Obama asked voters to vote for revenge but “I ask the American people to vote for love of country.”

Obama actually said, “Voting is the best revenge.”

Romney also promised to bring bipartisanship to Washington.

“If I’m elected – no, when I’m elected – president, I’m doing to work with … men and women on both sides of the aisle who care about our country,” he said.

Obama visited Hilliard, Springfield and, lastly, Lima, which hasn’t hosted a sitting Democratic president since Harry Truman in 1948. In his first trip to Ohio since super-storm Sandy devastated the East Coast and prompted both campaigns to cancel rallies, he said the nation mourns those killed in the storm.

“No matter how bad things are, we’re in this together,” Obama said. “We rise and fall as one nation. That has guided this country for 200 years and the last four years.”

He told the crowd in Hilliard that Americans need a champion in Washington. He said the middle class, the poor and small business owners need a seat at the table.

“The folks at the very top of this country don’t need another seat at the table,” the president said.

“The people who need a champion are those whose letters I read every night. Cooks, waiters and cleaning staff at a hotel, they need a champion. The auto worker … now back in the plant, he needs a champion. Those kids dreaming of becoming scientists … or even president, they need a champion in Washington. We’ve come back too far to become faint-hearted.”

Posted in: Election, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Ann Romney, Butler County Election 2012, campaign, election, election 2012, John Boehner, MidPointe Library, MidPointe Library System, MidPointe Library West Chester, Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney Ohio, Ohio election 2012, Paul Ryan, presidential election, republican, Square at Union Centre, tickets, union centre, West Chester, West Chester election, West Chester top 12 stories of 2012, West Chester top stories of 2012

Cindi Andrews and Paul Kostyu report:

The presidential race returned to Ohio for the final push Friday as GOP challenger Mitt Romney held a massive rally in the Republican heartland north of Cincinnati and President Barack Obama cut a swath through central Ohio.

Romney spoke to a crowd of 30,000, according to West Chester Fire chief Tony Goller – making it the largest rally of the campaign, said Romney spokesman Chris Maloney.

“The question of the election comes down to this: Do you want more of the same or do you want real change?” Romney asked. “I promise change, and I actually have a record of achieving it.”

Both candidates are trying to make up for campaign time lost to super-storm Sandy and deliver their final arguments to voters before Tuesday’s election.

Obama, in his first Ohio trip since Sandy struck the East Coast, said in Lima on Friday afternoon that the policies of previous Republican administrations didn’t work.

“Ohio, we’ve tried our ideas and they work,” he said. “We’ve tried the other folks’ ideas. They don’t work. The eight years before I took office, we tried their ideas. What did we get? We got falling incomes, record deficits … and an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up after ever since.”

With less than four days before Election Day the race is too close to predict in several key states, including Ohio. The latest poll out Friday afternoon, by CNN/ORC International, shows Obama leading 50 percent to 47 percent in Ohio, well within the 3.5 percentage point margin of error.

Obama will make what’s almost certainly his last Cincinnati stop of the campaign at the University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena on Sunday evening, while Romney will be in Cleveland. And the candidates will campaign right down to the wire in Ohio – both have announced events in Columbus on Monday.

Kid Rock opened the Romney event, which also included appearances by a lengthy list of top Republicans, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sens. John McCain and Marco Rubio, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“This is like having the Republican National Convention come here,” said Ohio Rep. Margaret Conditt of nearby Liberty Township. “All of the speakers that we saw in Tampa are here, except for Clint Eastwood, of course.”

Romney noted that unemployment is higher than when Obama took office, although the final pre-election report, released Friday, showed 171,000 new jobs added in October. The Labor Department also revised August and September jobs numbers upward. The unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent in October, from 7.8 percent in September, as more workers re-entered the labor force.

“Candidate Obama promised to do so very much, but he has fallen so very short,” Romney said. “He was going to focus on jobs, then he focused on Obamacare, which killed jobs.”

Romney said that Obama asked voters to vote for revenge but “I ask the American people to vote for love of country.”

Obama actually said, “Voting is the best revenge.”

Romney also promised to bring bipartisanship to Washington.

“If I’m elected – no, when I’m elected – president, I’m doing to work with … men and women on both sides of the aisle who care about our country,” he said.

Obama visited Hilliard, Springfield and, lastly, Lima, which hasn’t hosted a sitting Democratic president since Harry Truman in 1948. In his first trip to Ohio since super-storm Sandy devastated the East Coast and prompted both campaigns to cancel rallies, he said the nation mourns those killed in the storm.

“No matter how bad things are, we’re in this together,” Obama said. “We rise and fall as one nation. That has guided this country for 200 years and the last four years.”

He told the crowd in Hilliard that Americans need a champion in Washington. He said the middle class, the poor and small business owners need a seat at the table.

“The folks at the very top of this country don’t need another seat at the table,” the president said.

“The people who need a champion are those whose letters I read every night. Cooks, waiters and cleaning staff at a hotel, they need a champion. The auto worker … now back in the plant, he needs a champion. Those kids dreaming of becoming scientists … or even president, they need a champion in Washington. We’ve come back too far to become faint-hearted.”

Posted in: Election, Events, News, Political events |

Tags: Tags: Ann Romney, Butler County Election 2012, campaign, election, election 2012, John Boehner, MidPointe Library, MidPointe Library System, MidPointe Library West Chester, Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney Ohio, Ohio election 2012, Paul Ryan, presidential election, republican, Square at Union Centre, tickets, union centre, West Chester, West Chester election, West Chester Library

The Mitt Romney rally in West, which is being locally referred by some to be Ohio’s version of the Republican National Convention, has just begun.

“I think the excitement level is pretty high. This is like having the Republican National Convention come here,” Ohio State Representative Margaret Conditt said. “All of the speakers that we saw in Tampa are here, except for Clint Eastwood of course.”

This event does have Kid Rock, however, who is expected to perform musically and not show off his acting chops, which were depicted in movies like “Joe Dirt” and “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector.”

While, Rock’s film career isn’t comparable to Eastwood’s, the overall guest list at West Chester’s rally is comparable with the party’s convention in August with the likes of 2008 Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. John McCain, House Speaker John Boehner, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, Olympian Scott Hamilton and legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus.

Also in West Chester backing Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, are their families. Romneys – Josh, Tagg (and Jen), Matt (and Laurie), Ben and Craig (and Mary) will support their dad along with wife Ann Romney; and Janna Ryan will be on hand to support her husband.

“The enthusiasm is just tremendous,” Butler County Republican chairman David Kern said while waiting for the event to start. “This is going to be the biggest event for Governor Mitt Romney and certainly by far exceeding what the President is drawing in. We are going to outdo him here.”

The consensus among local Republicans, the event is expected to attract 25,000 people and, in their opinion, proves that Southwest Ohio backs Mitt Romney.

“With 25,000 or 30,000 of our closest friends, I think this sends a clear message that Southwest Ohio is strongly in favor of electing a new President,” Ohio Senator Bill Coley said.

To follow along, please follow @westchesterbuzz and @PaulEKostyu (Paul Kostyu of The Cincinnati Enquirer), @cindiincincy on Twitter and check this post for updates throughout.

Local Republicans talk about the rally

Ohio State Representative Margaret Conditt

“This is the most important election in my lifetime. We cannot truly afford another four more years of an economic decline, military decline, morale decline – we can’t afford spending more than we are bringing in. We are already at a $16 trillion deficit and Obama added $6 trillion during his four-year term. If he had four more years, you would just expect more of the same and that will literally bankrupt our country, put the debt on our children and grandchildren and that it is immoral. That is just immoral. We cannot afford four more years.

“And Mitt Romney is a businessman who has turned around failing businesses and he can turn around our country. It is not too late.”

Ohio Senator Bill Coley

“This election is hugely going to turn on the new vision for the country and it is going to require Southwest Ohio to turn out in mass to carry the state of Ohio for Governor Romney. I think the campaign wanted an event here to kind of set the tone for the final 96 hours of the campaign.

“In my days as Senator I have been campaigning all over the state of Ohio for Republicans and, it is funny, it is drastically different than it was four years ago. The optimism that people had in the election of President Obama has turned into pretty solid disappointment around the state. That is why people are giving a close look to Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan. You can kind of sense a genuine excitement and enthusiasm about this campaign; and I think we are going to be successful.

“The biggest thing Mitt Romney brings is the ability to work on both sides of the aisle. Any way you look at it, he is going to be dealing with a House and a Senate where there won’t be large majorities of any party and you need a leader who has demonstrated ability to work on both sides of the aisle. With Romney being a Republican Governor of Massachusetts, a state where 85 percent of legislature was Democrats, the guy has that ability. With what we have seen, the White House, does not have the ability to work on both sides of the aisle. That is one of the big things.

West Chester Township Trustee George Lang

“This is huge, there will be over 25,000 people in attendance, this is not the biggest event that has ever taken place in West Chester in terms of size, we had a George W. Bush rally eight years ago that had 50,000 people, however I do feel this is the biggest event we have ever had in terms of importance to our country. I believe if President Obama is reelected, the Republic as we know it will be over.

“This is Boehner Country, and the Heart and Soul of the conservative movement. I believe that the Romney campaign wanted to save the best for last, the reason they picked West Chester is because we are proof that a smaller more limited government is what is best for America. As a township, we have a lower tax base, and simpler zoning and regulation codes that allow businesses to flourish and prosper by experiencing higher profits. This is similar with Mitt Romney’s vision and message for America.

“I am amazed at how our township staff has responded to this event, the planning and coordination that has taken place has been Herculaneum. The efforts of our police and fire departments, along with our entire administration led by our Administrator Judi Boyko has been amazing. Our public service workers are the best in the state, and I appreciate their efforts.”

Butler County Republican chairman David Kern

“There are people here that I have never seen at political rally before – the Independent, the unaffiliated – the people we are trying to recruit. Those are people are on our side in this election. It is huge.”

“This country has to make a decision and will make that decision this Tuesday if we want to remain a free Republic or a socialist nation along the lines of Europe – a second class nation.”

PHOTOS BY ADAM KIEFABER

Posted in: Election, Events, News, Political events |

Tags: Tags: Ann Romney, Butler County Election 2012, campaign, election, election 2012, John Boehner, MidPointe Library, MidPointe Library System, MidPointe Library West Chester, Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney Ohio, Ohio election 2012, Paul Ryan, presidential election, republican, Square at Union Centre, tickets, union centre, West Chester, West Chester election, West Chester Library

On Thursday afternoon, the Mitt Romney camp announced that Friday’s rally would open at 3:30 p.m. instead of the previously scheduled time of 4:30 p.m.

Another detail mentioned by Romney’s camp on Thursday was that there will be special musical performance by Kid Rock.

In addition to Mitt and Ann Romney and Paul and Janna Ryan, the event is expected to have the following Republicans as well: U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge; U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida; U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota; U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minnesota; Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona; U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.; U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah; U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, R-Alabama; Texas Gov. Rick Perry; and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

Due to the size of the event, it will not exactly take place at The Square at Union Centre. The event will take place on the grass, which is now privately owned and is expected to be eventually developed into high-end apartments and a hotel, in front of The Square.

Parking will be available at Lakota West High School, West Chester Library (which will close at noon) and at the Union Centre Boulevard Pavilion (old Bigg’s shopping center) at the corner of Union Centre and 747 (this parking location will feature a shuttle service).

There will be other areas also designated for parking.

Businesses in the Union Centre area (around the Square) will remain open during tonight’s event. The Township is asking that those attending the rally be respectful of those businesses and their operations by using designated parking for the event.

Parking is not allowed in the lots of those businesses that are continuing to operate. Parking is also not allowed along roadways. The Township is also requesting that motorists don’t try to pull over and drop people off along the roadways near the event for safety reasons.

Furthermore, some road closures are already in place and will remain in place through the conclusion of the event.

At this time, Centre Pointe Drive has been closed from just west of the AK Steel/Duke/West Chester Towne Square entrance and just east of the Library entrance. West Chester Towne Centre Drive is closed south of Centre Loop, including the roundabout. The Square at Union Centre has also been closed.

It is possible that these announced road closures may be further impacted and other closures in the area may be required due to security.

Heavy traffic and potentially long delays are expected near the I-75 Interchange at Union Centre Boulevard and the Square at Union Centre.

The program is scheduled to begin sometime around 7 and 7:30 p.m. (media has been told 7:30, while public is being told 7).

Posted in: Election, Events, News, Political events |

Tags: Tags: Ann Romney, Butler County Election 2012, campaign, election, election 2012, John Boehner, MidPointe Library, MidPointe Library System, MidPointe Library West Chester, Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney Ohio, Ohio election 2012, Paul Ryan, presidential election, republican, Square at Union Centre, tickets, union centre, West Chester, West Chester election, West Chester Library

The Enquirer

This will be no ordinary campaign event for Mitt Romney in West Chester on Friday.

The Republican presidential candidate will be joined by his wife, Ann, and their five sons, running mate Paul Ryan and his wife, Janna, and an estimated 100 governors, senators and mayors. After the rally, which appears to be the start of the final push toward election day on Tuesday, the party will split for appearances in 11 states: Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to the Romney campaign.

The event is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m at The Square at Union Centre, but doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Among those expected to be at the event are: U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge; U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida; U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota; U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minnesota; Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona; U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.; U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah; U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, R-Alabama; Texas Gov. Rick Perry; and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

Tickets may be picked up from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at:

• Liberty Township Victory Center, 4879 Mercedes Drive, Liberty Township;
• Lebanon Victory Center, 30 W. Main St., Lebanon;
• Kenwood Victory Center, 8220 Northcreek Drive, Cincinnati;
• Colerain Victory Center, 8240 Clara Ave., Colerain Township;
• Friends of John Boehner, 7908 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Suite I, West Chester.

 

Posted in: Election, News |

Tags: Tags: Ann Romney, campaign, election, election 2012, John Boehner, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, republican, Square at Union Centre, tickets, union centre, West Chester

The Lakota East and Lakota West athletic departments are urging fans to buy presale tickets for Friday’s East vs. West football game.

Tickets will be available for purchase Thursday, Oct. 28, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 29, from 8 a.m. to noon at each school’s athletic office.

Presale tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students (kindergarten through 12th grade). At the gate, tickets will cost $7 for seventh graders and older and $4 for students in the sixth grade or younger.

Lakota employees will be given access with their I.D. badge at the gate. Lakota East All-Sports passes and football passes will not be accepted.

The game will kickoff Friday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Lakota West High School.

There will also be a special pregame band performance, which will feature both schools’ marching bands playing together on the football field.

Fans are also being asked to bring food donations for the second annual “Reach In for Reach Out” food drive.

Posted in: Events, Fall sports, School events, Schools, Sports |

Tags: Tags: football, Lakota West vs. Lakota East, tickets