Romney HQ Opens in Columbus

Today, the first Ohio headquarters for Mitt Romney's campaign held its grand opening in Columbus.  The event was a part of today's "Buckeye Blitz", with volunteers in all 88 counties going door-to-door to speak with voters.  

Even before the official opening time of Noon, the building was packed with supporters as others waited to get inside.  Around 250 people sent an RSVP to attend, and the overflow crowd that filled the offices was even larger than anticipated.

People congregate outside of Romney HQ in Columbus, waiting to enter.

Several speakers addressed the crowd gathered inside, including Congressman Steve Stivers, State Auditor Dave Yost, and Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo, in the lead up to the remarks of the day's featured speaker, Senator Rob Portman.

Portman drew a clear contrast between the failed policies of the Obama administration and the pro-growth agenda a Romney presidency would install.  Portman highlighted the remarks by Obama about how the private sector's 'doing just fine', and highlighted what a disconnect from reality this statement was.  "If you don't understand the problem, it's very hard to come up with the right solution", Portman declared.

But the message that was carried throughout the day by speakers and volunteers alike was the importance of getting involved.  While many see campaigns as a marathon, Portman described what's to come as "a 150 day sprint" to those gathered.  The whole program lasted just over an hour by design, with Portman and the other officials present joining people leaving headquarters to go out & knock on doors after.  The volunteers who had greeted people as they arrived were now ready to equip people with walk lists and campaign lit.

The recent victory in Wisconsin was the product of a massive grassroots effort.  Over 4 million voter contacts were made by the Walker campaign, and they were vital to victory.  Defeating the Obama machine will require an effort even greater than that here in Ohio, and every bit of time and effort people can give is vital.  

If you're in or around Columbus, you can help make sure Obama's a 1-term President by stopping by Romney headquarters at 1335 Dublin Rd., Suite 110F in Columbus.  Phone banks are open from 9am-9pm Monday through Friday, and 9am-5pm on Saturdays.  For those not in Central Ohio, there will undoubtedly be other locations opening around the state in the coming weeks as well as many party victory centers operating near you.  

The next 5 months will go by faster than any of can imagine.  With the kickoff of the general election efforts today, and the news that Romney and Obama will be visiting Ohio next week, the battle for the Buckeye State has begun in earnest.  The time to get involved and help rectify the mistake from four years ago is now.