OK, so how can Brinkman beat DeWine in a 13-candidate Republican field? Here's a list of GOP candidates:
Steve Austin (R) - Retired Teacher
Tom Bemmes (R) - Teacher, Professional Magician & '99 Reading School Board Candidate
Tom Brinkman Jr. (R) - State Rep. & Printer
Pat DeWine (R) - Hamilton County Commissioner, Ex-Cincinnati Councilman & Son of US Sen. Mike DeWine
Peter Fossett (R) - Teacher
August Geier (R)
Bob McEwen (R) - Ex-Congressman, Ex-State Rep., Consultant & Lobbyist
Eric Minamyer (R) - Symmes Township Trustee, Attorney, Ex-Congressional Aide & Navy Veteran
Douglas Mink (R) - '02 State Rep. Candidate
Jeff Morgan (R) - Postal Worker & Youth Minister
Jean Schmidt (R) - Ex-State Rep., Ex-Miami Township Trustee & Pro-Life Activist
David Smith (R) - Financial Analyst & Mechanical Engineer
I'm sure Brinkman isn't the only conservative in the field, and if the conservative vote is split DeWine can sneak in with 35% or less of the vote. We need conservative candidates who can't win to drop out and endorse Brinkman if he's going to have a chance against DeWine. This is beginning to look like the GOP primary in Nick Smith's CD in Michigan, in which pro-abortion gun-grabber Joe Schwarz was able to win with under 40% because the conservative vote was split 4 or 5 ways.
Brinkman will win by emphasizing his conservative credentials. He is the only one of the 4 main candidates who has never voted to raise our taxes.
Schmidt voted to raise the Sales Tax by 20%, raise the Gas Tax by 6 cents/gallon, raise 151 fees, and sponsored legislation allowing Cincinnati and Hamilton County to raise their hotel taxes. Bob McEwen, who has lived in Virginia for the last decade, voted to cut the Reagan tax cuts. Pat DeWine voted to nearly triple Cincinnati's hotel tax as part of a package where Hamilton County also raised its hotel tax.
We have 2 choices in this race. One is Tom Brinkman. The rest are tax hikers.