Heading further east in Ohio, our campaign vehicle went on the blink. Translation: It wouldn’t start. Where it broke down, providentially enough (I like to think), was in an Auto Zone parking lot in Minerva, Ohio. My father-in-law Stuart, an Auto Zone guy named Mike Ross, and myself spent the better part of the afternoon trouble shooting (and buying parts). A gas filter, a distributor cap and a coil later… it finally fired up. Mike couldn’t have been more helpful and I promised him a position on the Air Force One mechanical team when we get to D.C. (My wife Liz keeps saying I’ve got to stop doing that.) What’s more, with global warming and all, my administration’s Air Force One may well be a small Cessna…
10/13/07
The Morning Jornal newsaper did a big feature story on the campaign today. A few excerpts: “In this campaign (2008) the Schriners have done 30,000 miles in a donated (conversion) van that looks more like a member of a Grateful Dead entourage than it does a campaign headquarters.” [That might be, oh, stretching it a bit.] “…he (Schriner) wants to phase out subsidies for traditional farmers and redirect that money toward more organic start ups, farmland preservation and the development of small, non-polluting farm technology.” [Lisbon, Ohio is right in the heart of Ohio farm country. How’s that for not pandering?] Note: It is my faith belief that we are called to be excellent environmental stewards of the land. I am Catholic and I read once where St. Benedict said we are to treat the things of God’s nature as we do the sacred vessels of the altar. Our agriculture platform reflects that.
10/12/07
We met with Tim and Ann Miller in Lisbon, Ohio. They practice “apostolic farming.” That is, they look at the land as a gift from God and do everything organically — instead of pumping toxic pesticides, herbacides and fertilizers into the soil. Our agricultural platform calls for pulling subsidies away from farmers using these toxic chemicals (which are depleting the soil and causing, among other things: cancer). In a short piece about our campaign prior to a whistle-stop event in Lisbon, the Morning Journal newspaper noted that I am a concerned Midwestern parent. One of the things I’m concerned about is our kids getting cancer from modern wheat, soy, broccoli…
10/11/07
I was interviewed by the Salem News in Ohio. I said that a lot of our platform is based on Catholic Social teaching. For instance, we are pro-Life across the board. That is, we look at abortion, the environment, the poor in the Third World… all as “pro-Life” issues. I also noted to the reporter that when the dust clears from the Primaries, our campaign may be one of the few Pro-Life campaigns left. And the time to support us (on every level) is now, so we can become as viable as possible: Schriner Presidential Election Committee, 2100 W. 38th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44113.
10/10/07
We traveled into Cortland, Ohio, where I gave a talk at St. Robert’s Church. I said World Hunger is a “Pro-Life issue,” with 24,000 people starving to death in the Third World every day. Afterward, Fr. Karl Kish at St. Roberts told me his church has developed a Sister Church relationship with a church in Mexico. What’s more, his parishioners are doing the “Crop Walk” this year to impact World Hunger, St. Roberts helps support a local Food Pantry and they are involved with an ecumenical outreach to send clothing, school desks, and a variety of other items into the Third World… Later today I told the Cortland News’s Jim Woofter that St. Roberts is one of the most vibrant churches we’ve come across in Ohio. Note: In downtown Cortland, a woman approached us tremendously excited about the campaign, saying she’d recently seen us on TV news.
10/9/07
average JoeOhio Tour cont: We headed into Madison, Ohio, where we passed out literature and talked with Todd Roberts at the Open Door Coffee House. The Open Door is a Christian Ministry run by Northgate Ministries. Todd said the casual atmosphere of the coffee house lends itself to relaxed conversations about God, about peoples’ problems, and so on… Northgate is taking God to the streets, if you will. Todd also said a number of church groups in the area meet here regularly and he would hope the whole atmospher exudes God’s presence. Note: We continue to travel with Liz’s parents who are here from New Zealand. Her father Stuart said when you ask for directions in the wide open expanses of Australia, you might hear: “It’s just around the corner. Of course, it might take you a day to get to the corner…”
10/8/07
average JoeOhio Tour cont: I gave a talk at Immaculate Conception Church in Willoughby, Ohio, today. I noted that we stood in a Life Chain that included some 150 people in Mentor, Ohio, the day before. And it probably would have been more “…if the Brown’s game hadn’t been on at the same time.” I added that we are living in a modern day Holocaust with abortion, but many Pro-Life people will prioritize a sports event over trying to stop: mass killing. Note: I just read an Associated Press article that said Hillary Clinton and Rudy Gulliani are starting to look past the Primaries and to squaring off against each other because of what the polls are saying at this time. Neither of them are Pro-Life. We are. And the time to start supporting our campaign, at every level, is now.
10/7/07
average JoeOhio Tour cont: Our family stood in solidarity with some 150 people on a street corner in Mentor, Ohio, as part to the annual nationwide “Life Chain.” I held a sign that said: Abortion Kills Children. My wife Liz held a sign that read: Adoption: A Loving Option. Our campaign revolves around “common sense.” And in the common sense realm: Ten fingers, ten toes, a heart beat in the womb… Ten fingers, ten toes, a heart beat outside the womb. A baby? Well c’mmon, of course! However, a faction of our society has moved so far into denial, that they can’t see the proverbial forest for the trees anymore on this one… Our platform calls for more safety nets for women in crisis pregnancy, including a multi-dimensional set of adoption options. For more, see our Life Issues position.
10/6/07
average JoeOhio Tour cont: We headed down some back roads in Northeastern Ohio this Saturday, passing out information and putting up flyers. About mid-afternoon we stumbled across the Huntsburg Pumpkin Festival where they don’t have a parade, but they do block off the road for a time for the: “Pumpkin Roll.” People in groups of five stand at the top of a steep hill and, that’s right, roll pumpkins. Whichever pumpkin rolls the farthest, wins. As a presidential candidate, I would have loved to have ‘rolled out the first pumpkin.’ But alas, we got there halfway through the event… Liz, Jonathon and I then walked through the festival and handed out literature, talked about politics and learned that at the “Great Pumpkin Weigh-in,” the winning pumpkin was: 1,050 lbs. Rolling that one down the hill would have been something, huh.
10/5/07
average JoeOhio Tour cont.: During halftime of a freshman high school football game in Mentor last night, I passed out literature about the campaign. I passed it out to Lake Catholic fans (Lake Catholic was leading by three touchdowns at that time) because, well, I thought they’d be more receptive than the other fans. Didn’t even need anyone to take a poll, or anything, to figure that out. Note: In the last post I talked about attending a talk by a psychologist on child rearing. I, too, am a former counselor who specialized in addictive family systems. See our recently updated position paper on healing the family.