ORP endorses Yost. Duh.

Dave Yost is the most qualified candidate available to run for Ohio Auditor. Period.

• He is the only potential nominee in either Party that has actually served as an Auditor.
• He already has a grassroots Party organization in place throughout the state.
• He has already developed relationships with the appropriate contributors throughout the state that will ensure he is well-funded.

As a CPA, Seth Morgan is qualified to hold the office, but he's not even close to having the organization in place or the fundraising base in place to mount a credible challenge to Democrat David Pepper.

All of the above are indisputable facts.

Additionally, there is no way Dave Yost had any chance to beat Mike DeWine. And that would be the case no matter who was the Chairman of the ORP.

And for the life of me, I can't comprehend the hub-bub surrounding the GOP nomination for the Auditor's race.

I understand many on the right don't support Mike DeWine. Fine, I can respect that. But that doesn't change the fact that Yost simply was not going to beat him. For reasons I've stated time and time again, it simply was not going to happen.

Now, some are saying there were back room deals among the DeWine family to get Mike DeWine an uncontested primary. In order to believe this theory one would have to believe 1) Yost could have won despite being overwhelmingly outraised, 2) that the ORP had a part in Yost being unable to raise money, and 3) Mike DeWine actually thought Dave Yost was a threat to beat him.

To believe (1) means you have zero idea about the reality of the race.

To believe (2) means that you don't comprehend how many connections Mike DeWine maintains after 30 years in politics. Not only was he able to raise what he wanted, but he also was able to toss in his own cash(which he is now doing) to ensure he wins. DeWine's inevitability is even starting to hurt Cordray's fundraising (it was cut in half from the last reporting period).

To believe (3) is just laughable. If true, DeWine would have been out there weeks ago using his loads of cash to knock Yost out.

Once again, I'm not touting DeWine because of any previous support of him. Read the blog archives - I never endorsed either candidate. I'm simply hoping some out there can come to understand the political realities of the situation.

Dave Yost played with the hand he was dealt. He recognized his impossible situation, he saw how well his own experience and organization translated to the Auditor's race, and he made the move of his own accord.

It's just that simple.

Now, if dissenters still want the state Party to feel their wrath, fine. But there are only two ways to do it, 1) Stop wasting your time protesting and start knocking on doors for Seth Morgan, and 2) Find someone else to run against Mike DeWine.

Yelling about conspiracy theories is an enormous waste of energy, especially when true conservatives should be concentrating on what's important - beating the left.