Tonight the Welsh for Congress Campaign was again on the road. Two stops were on the schedule and both in the neighborhood so to speak. Which means they were both within thirty miles of home!
The first stop was a county party pork chop dinner fundraiser in Fayette County and it was well attended and a great event.
Then we went to the county fair in Franklin County, my home county.
I was accompanied by a couple of the very valuable members of the campaign as we walked around the midway, ventured into the various 4-H Barns to look at the livestock that the kids have worked so hard with for the past several months, the vegetables and crafts and on and on displayed with creativity, talent and love.
What’s this got to do with politics?
Well two things. I campaign the old fashioned way, pre-TV campaigning. I am where the people are, and this time of year, in this area, they are at the County Fairs. I ask them face to face, how they are doing and if I can have their vote. I actually stand there and answer there questions and concerns. I don’t hold meetings with only cherry picked invitees, I go out to where they are and make it easy on them, and answer why I hold certain positions on certain issues. Let me tell you, even those that won’t give me their vote respect the way I work and the time and energy involved.
Here’s an example from earlier this evening at the County Fair. I am running for Congress so I am fairly well known here in my home county. I ran for State Senate here two years ago, and there was a guy that followed me around everywhere I went and badgered me about being a Democrat and a baby killer. He showed up and started in on me being a hippie peacenik for not wanting more war in Iraq Complete with simulated draw off of marijuana cigarette. (Yeah we got it all on tape! LOL)
Well instead of letting me answer he kept sucking on his fake cigarette until his eyes were about to pop, and then ran away without allowing me to answer on Iraq.
I just smiled and kept walking, telling my two campaign team members that that is why we don’t have to win 100% of the vote to win an election. They were both honked off at this guy, and I laughed it off and told them it was no big deal, that I knew this guy and he was just uninformed.
He Came back, and this time he wanted to talk with me seriously on camera. My two team members started to challenge him, and I stopped them and put my arm around the guy and said that I had known him for years and that we really did like each other but it is a difference of politics. He said, “I respect the hell out of this guy, he is always out here busting his ass for what he believes in, I just believe he is wrong!” So things calmed down.
He asked me when life started.
I told him not in a petri dish, but some say heart beat, and some same brain function. I told him that I was not a Doctor, but for sake of argument either one will work for the start of life for me in this debate, because I already know your answer.
He asked me why MY President Clinton Vetoed two times to end late term abortion. (I know I could have argued that he was America’s President but I pick my battles and instead..) I asked him why America’s President Bush couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of women and his lips off of bald men?
He ignored that and started in on having feelings and sensations at six weeks in the womb, and I stopped him.
I said, we both agree that abortion is not something we want to see more of, right? He nodded, then said, wait, you are pro abortion and I am pro life? I said, you are pro life, and pro war, and pro death penalty? How can you be pro life and pro death at the same time? He had to think about this for a minute, then we he couldn’t answer, he shifted back on the attack, You are Pro Abortion! With a pointy finger. Who says? I responded.
Well you do. He answered. No, I am pro choice not pro abortion. I answered as I have time and time before.
It is the same thing! Was his return.
So I asked him this. “Which do you choose, the death penalty or life in prison?”
For what? He asked as I explained these were the options for penalizing the women and Doctors that took part in any abortion for any reason. You say they are murderers and I want to know since you made that judgment what is their sentence?
This was obviously a step father than he had ever taken this, and he had no answer, so he took off and ran away. (We have all of this stuff on camera, so I am not exaggerating when I say he ran away.)
I turned to the youngest of the team members and told him to look and see who the real “Cut and Runners” are. I told him if you stand up to them, they run away! It’s true.
You see, that guy will run and tell everyone he knows what I did to him, and some of them will start to think “Death Penalty or Life in Prison for abortion? Wait, let’s rethink this.” Because it could happen to them or their family.
A campaign is supposed to make a difference, and ours is. An election is held to see if the campaign made enough difference. There are so many forces that can sway an election, but a campaign must always make a difference.
I am so very proud of the people that are behind our campaign. They, and me, are making a difference.
Just another night at the County Fair. You see when you are in a campaign in 19 counties, you guessed it! 19 County Fairs.
It’s like this, all of the other candidates for congress are caught up on raising millions of dollars, because people tell them that is what they have to do. How much of that money is wasted?
We do it differently. Not a dime is waisted. Not on headquarters or unnecessary staff or on kissing butt. Everything goes into marketing and advertising. We are powered by people and we talk to them face to face. What a concept huh? Not staged events, not planned photo ops, not a mailed newsletter telling you what is happening to you, but actually with the people, asking them what they think. I guess in a few months we will see if it works.
Our campaign meetings are held every week in a chat room and in person once a month at a restaurant or truck stop. We disperse materials out of county headquarters across the district.
We don’t rent four separate buildings and utilities, and pay four separate staffs. We are being smart with the people’s money who donate to the campaign and they see that, and if you are smart while campaigning, you will do the same when in office.
So if you want to visit campaign headquarters no matter where you are in the world, you can, http://www.barrywelsh.org It’s right there!
Now I have been blessed with the most skilled and talented people you could imagine or this would not be happening, but it is! I guess in a few months we will see if it works.
Game On
Time to Dispense with Pence
Barry Welsh Indiana 6th District Democratic Party Congressional Candidate.