As the 2nd District (OH) Turns: Paul Weyrich’s Revealing McEwen Endorsement

Bob McEwen is touting his list of high-profile “moral” leader and celebrity endorsements.

One of his most prominent endorsers is Paul Weyrich, to whom conservatives, and really the entire country, owe a debt that can never be repaid (”progressives” will disagree, but in vain). Weyrich founded The Heritage Foundation in 1973 and began forming the intellectual foundation that ultimately led to Ronald Reagan’s election, the unprecedented prosperity of the 1980s, and the proactive overthrow of Soviet communism. He also was, and continues to be, a pioneer in tapping the social and cultural conservatism of grassroots citizens and giving it a coherent voice.

But that doesn’t mean he’s infallible. Weyrich’s endorsement of McEwen largely makes the case for rejecting him.

First, I’d like to know how the letter arrived. The Reading Road address is in Zip Code 45241, not the 45201 zip used in the letter (a zip code that is not in the 2nd District). The post office must have had a rare good day.

But I’m quibbling. Let’s look at the text of Weyrich’s letter:

I have known Bob McEwen for many years. I have watched him mature in his judgment. I have watched him grow since he has been out of office.

We’re grateful that you’ve seen the improvement, Paul, and I for one sincerely hope that it’s real. 12 years ago, the people of the 2nd District concluded improvement was needed. Trouble is, Bob hasn’t been around here much for us to see whatever changes may have occurred. So, Paul, how do WE know?

With all due respect to the fine conservatives running in the GOP primary, only Bob McEwen can hit the ground running due to his previous service. Everyone else will be number 435.

Weyrich doesn’t even identify the district where the election is being held. Perhaps he doesn’t know. Weyrich, who despite his conservatism has clearly caught at least a mild case of Inside-the-Beltway disease, is more worried about the Washington power game than whether or not the people of the 2nd District are represented by one of their own. I for one believe the latter is much more important. And what are the odds that Weyrich can name even one of the other “fine conservatives” he claims to respect in the race, let alone know enough of any of them to call them “fine”?

(Weyrich is also breathtakingly inconsistent on this point about seniority, to an extent that it deserves, and will get, its own separate post.)

Bob is a man of real integrity who is on the right side of every issue.

Would it be out of order to note that it is an open issue as to whether a person of real integrity would attempt to represent people he has essentially been away from for 12 years? What can any district voter under 30, or anyone who has moved into the district after March 1993 directly or indirectly know about Bob McEwen?

I hope the voters of his district will see fit to return him to Washington.

“His” district? Stop me before I scream. Can you say “entitlement mentality”?
“Return him to Washington”? He’s been in metro Washington for the last 12 years.

I can tell you if I lived there that is who I would be voting for.

Yeah, but Paul, you DON’T live here. And neither has Bob. And do you even know where “there” is?