Tribute to Bob and Liz McEwen
Dear Friends:
Twenty years ago a young congressman, Bob McEwen, so inspired us that we decided to join the local Republican Party. As we became more interested, Don ran for a precinct committee position and has served twelve years on the Warren County Republican Central Committee, and eight as the Secretary of the Party.
We again experienced that inspiration from Bob, which had motivated us twenty years ago, during the special election last year and in the months leading up to the May 2nd primary. Bob continues to inspire people, especially young people. He can often be seen thanking a waitress or bus boy for a job well done, or conversing with a college student about history or politics. His interest is in people for who they are, rather than what they might be able to do for him.
I wish all our friends could have met the young people who volunteered to help Bob during this campaign. Full time college students with part-time jobs who somehow, someway found time to go the extra mile. Tuesday night as Bob gave his concession speech I saw tears in these college student's eyes. One young father worked nearly every night and in a matter of days before the election as he drove home at 2:30 a.m. for a split second he dozed, ran off the road and demolished his car. Thankfully, although very sore, he is OK, but with collision insurance only, he now has the extra expense of replacing a car.
Liz McEwen, always busy with the campaign, still finds time to express love, humor, and genuine interest in everyone she meets. She can juggle more balls, successfully, than a Chinese Circus act. But, I think she would say her greatest accomplishment during these two campaigns, besides her love and support for Bob, was her remarkable success at match-making! She has matched two couples in a years time. I'm jealous -- I've yet to be successful at match-making.
Liz's mother passed away just as the campaign was in full motion. A mother she adored, but after the funeral Liz put on her game face and kept going, as she said her mother would have wanted.
Don and I have never supported a candidate that we loved or respected more. Two elections -- two losses -- too close. Why? What happened? Certainly voter apathy and political fatigue contributed to the low turn out in some areas. Warren County had no school levies to bring out the voters this time.
On April 28, 2006 the Cincinnati Enquirer finally printed a front page article reporting the truth: "Schmidt gets reprimand -- False statements cited; McEwen's residency upheld." But those facts did not prevent the Schmidt campaign from continuing to advertise the lie, and when a lie is repeated enough, the uninformed will believe it.
Not receiving the endorsemenrts of National Right to Life, the National Rifle Association or the RNC certainly had a negative effect. And this, after Bob recording a perfect, twelve year voting record on behalf of RTL and the NRA, and having served with distinction in both the Ohio House and the U.S. Congress. These organizations all share a common flaw, their policies blindly allow endorsing only encumbents regardless of their tenure or past performance. The telephone endorsement of Schmidt from the RNC office is an insult since they're using the organization we all supported to defeat our candidate. None of these organizations will receive additional contributions from our family as long as incumbency is their only criteria for endorsement.
The apathy extends into the churches as well, most seeming to have found a comfortable non-partisan, luke warmness that prevents them from taking a principle based stand, and since the salt has lost it's savor, we deserve what we have gotten.
Please pray for Bob and Liz McEwen along with their four children and all those remarkable young people who worked and volunteered at the office. We don't always understand why at the moment, but maybe these campaigns were for Bob to inspire a few specific young Republicans, or maybe it was so Liz could make those two matches. Some day we'll know.
Our love to the McEwens and to you,
Linda and Don Prince
"I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed than succeed in a cause that will ultimately fail." ~ Peter Marshall
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