Wow, I had to post this transcript I made of Phil Davison's words to the Executive Committee, and infamously to the rest of us through video. What a crazy speech that was. It was like watching Matt Foley turned Treasurer Candidate from his normal role as a motivational speaker...in other words, like watching a train wreck. But it makes for some good entertainment now, thanks to YouTube! If only Chris Farley were still around to have seen it.
If you've yet to see it, click the YouTube link (the article title), and follow along in the text.
Phil Davison's words on September 8th, 2010:
Ladies and gentlemen,
of the Star County Republican Party Executive Committee,
good evening,
And thank you,
not only for your attendance,
but for allowing me the opportunity to speak.
My name is Phil Davison,
and I am seeking our party's nomination,
for the position of Star County Treasurer,
on November 10th...November of 2010 excuse me.
In terms of my background,
I am from the village of Minerva,
where I am serving my 13th year of elected service,
as a Minerva council member.
In terms of education,
I have a bachelors degree in sociology,
a bachelors degree in history,
a masters degree in public administration,
and a masters degree in communication.
In terms of elections across Star County,
I have represented our party twice on the county ballot,
in both the primary and the general elections,
when I ran for Star County Clerk of Courts in 1996,
and Star County Commissioner in 2000,
and I will not apologize for my tone tonight.
I have been a Republican in times good,
and I have been a Republican in times bad.
Albert Einstein issued one of my most favorite quotes,
in the history of the spoken word,
And it is as follows:
In the middle of opportunity...oh...excuse me...
"in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity..."
I'm going to repeat that so I have clarity tonight:
"in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
This is the opportunity we've been waiting for,
The Star County Treasurers Office is a mess,
It is in dire need of structure and guidance
And now is the time to seize this opportunity,
With an aggressive campaign,
and an even more aggressive campaigner.
If nominated tonight I promise each and every person in this room,
I will hit the ground running,
come out swinging, and end up winning!
Let's send the message tonight
To the people of Star County,
and to the people of the Star County Democratic Party,
We're tired of business as usual.
Drastic times require what?...
Drastic measures! YES! Who said that??
Thank YOU!
Drastic times require drastic measures!
We will not tolerate incompetence,
and irresponsibility any longer,
Now is the time to snap
the democratic stranglehold on the treasurers office. ?
And I hearken back to what my friend Alex just said.
He ran against the Treasurer in 1996,
It was a problem then,
Its a problem now.
Infestation
Politics is not touch football,
Politics is winner take all.
It always has been,
And it always will be.
If nominated tonight, I want to develop and expand my campaign,
For what I believe is the greatest strength of the Star County Republican Party,
and that is its people.
I believe, in the axiom,
That all politics is local.
And because of this belief,
I want to harness the thoughts and ideas,
That individuals in our party have.
Concerning Star County and its political subdivisions...
and use that to its fullest extent.
Knowledge is power.
Lets tap into this knowledge,
and use it as a tool to win the Treasure's Office.
Lets use this knowledge not only as a tool,
but as a weapon.
We must win this election,
If nominated tonight I will win this election,
And I'm going to say that again so there is no miscommunication tonight,
If nominated tonight I WIN!
Tell your Friends
Tell your neighbors,
Tell Randy Gonzalez,
I'm coming, both barrels, guns loaded.
I believe in the entities in the principles,
of the National Republican Party,
The State of Ohio Republican Party,
And the Star County Republican Party.
And if nominated I will not hide those beliefs,
On my march to victory on election day.
If nominated today I can guarantee with 100% certainty,
that what you are seeing from me tonight,
Is what everyone else outside those doors is going to get over the next eight weeks.
I used to be an idealistic figure,
I am now a pragmatic figure.
Government may be about service,
politics is about winning.
Tonight as a candidate, seeking the Republican nomination for the position of Star
County Treasurer, I humbly ask for your vote as members of the Star County Republican
Party Executive Committee.
Thank you!
