Jennifer Brunner - Ohio Secretary of State

Paulding County, Ohio -- Turn Around Ohio Tour

Posted by Rick Brunner - November 2, 2006 11:11 PM - Permalink

It was dark and it was cold. The temp here dipped down to around 27 degrees according to the car thermometer on the geezer mobile (the 19 green LHS). Your correspondent headed down to the parking lot of Hills Market and met his traveling companion, John Michael Spinelli. We headed north on Olentangy River Road to where it intersects with 23, headed west on 30 to Paulding, Ohio. There was no time for breakfast and we raced to beat the clock. Somewhere in western Ohio your correspondent was having trouble fighting sleep although behind the wheel. Thank goodness for the corduroy in the berm of the left-hand lane. The realization was enough to wake your correspondent up for the rest of the trip, but clearly, the old man was getting tired. When we arrived in Paulding County, the site became familiar and your correspondent realized we'd been there a year before and in fact ended up at the same Fraternal Order of the Eagles hall. The last time we were there, we shared the podium with Brian Flannery in his ill-fated attempt to unseat Ted Strickland. This time, your correspondent was the opening speaker on the Ted Strickland Turn Around Ohio tour of 8 western counties. Your correspondent spoke first, closely followed by Liz Brown, Sherrod Brown's youngest daughter. We have fond memories of playing Monopoly with Sherrod while our older daughters played and our wives suffered and slept in the final months of their pregnancies. It was interesting to see this brilliant and articulate young woman deliver a spectacular speech and realize that was the young child in utero during that remembered Monopoly game. Later, when the rest of the statewide ticket arrived, your correspondent moved off the stage and stood at the back observing people. A young girl from the audience, probably around 8 years old, got up and sang "God Bless America." She was pretty good, but what was particularly moving was watching an older man, wearing a USA sweatshirt, who was directly across the hall from me in the back. It wasn't certain whether he was the child's grandfather or not, but he was clearly moved by it and I watched him mouth every single word with her and saw the tears gather at the corners of his eyes. What is particularly moving in all of the smaller, sometimes forgotten counties, is the deep sense of patriotism and love for Ohio that you see abounding. The site of his intense feelings over this song invoked a similar response in your correspondent. Then again, the coffee and the jelly filled donut might have helped as well.

Posted by Rick Brunner - November 2, 2006 11:11 PM - Permalink