Tuesday morning on Always Right with Bob Frantz, weekday mornings on AM 1420 The Answer, host Frantz welcomed Ohio senate candidate Josh Mandel to the show to announce how he’s been endorsed by Ted Cruz and taking on the Republican bosses in the US Senate.
Frantz: I want to get back now into the Ohio senate race now. Now, it’s been a few days since we’ve talked with any of the candidates about this. We’ve been giving equal time to every candidate who wants to talk about this, particularly the five that were on the debate stages in recent events.
And one of them, of course, is Josh Mandel. Josh Mandel was the leader in the polling for a good portion of this primary fight. He has since been overtaken by Mike Gibbons in a number of polls.
Now, it’s pretty much a neck-and-neck race. But of course, Josh famously got into it with Mike Gibbons on a debate stage just a few short weeks ago, and since then has engaged in an ad campaign that has a lot of people talking, including yours truly.
And Josh Mandel joins us now to talk about that and to talk about a pretty big name endorsement that just went into his column from the United States Senate. Josh Mandel, thanks for joining us back on the air again. How are you, sir?
Mandel: Hey, Bob, always good to be on. And thanks for all you do to stand up for our personal freedom and liberty.
Frantz: You bet. That’s what it is all about, no question. And I know we see eye to eye on that. Before we get into what we don’t see eye to eye on and some things that I’ve said on the radio, and then I’ve told you personally as well, let’s talk about the big-name endorsement. I won’t even give the name. I’ll just let you make the announcement.
Mandel: Sure. Yesterday, Ted Cruz endorsed me. I’m proud to have the support of Ted Cruz. Listen, when I look at the US Senate, I see that a lot of the Republicans there, unfortunately, are wimps. They are soft and squishy, and they go to Washington and I don’t know, they drink the water and they just become wimps and they lose their spine.
Ted Cruz is the opposite of that. Ted Cruz has a backbone, spine, and a fighter mentality. And that’s the kind of fighter I’m going to be in the US Senate. Yes, we’ll take on the radical left. Yes, we’ll take on the secular left.
But just as quick, Bob, we’ll take on the Republican Party bosses if they’re acting like Democrats or if they’re giving cover to the Democrats. And my personal feeling is now is not the time for bipartisanship.
Now is the time for fighters. That’s what Ted Cruz is. That’s what I am, Josh Mandel. We will do everything we can to elect steel, spying fighters to the US Senate.
Frantz: Well, I got to tell you, I’m not going to lie. A Ted Cruz endorsement does carry weight with me. I have long been an admirer of his. As a matter of fact, in 2016, in the primaries, he was my first choice.
And in fact, he was the only guy to win double-digit caucuses and primaries in that primary phase, which, of course, Donald Trump won and changed the country. But I was a huge Ted Cruz fan and I continue to be one to me.
He’s one of the smartest members of the United States Senate in my lifetime. I think he is an absolute encyclopedia when it comes to the Constitution. He’s an encyclopedia when it comes to the US code as well.
I think he just really gets it and understands it and is a true dyed-in-the-wool conservative. So I have to say that carries a lot of weight for me. And I’m guessing you’re hoping it carries a lot of weight with a lot of voters.
Mandel: We heard from voters all over the state yesterday, obviously a ton here in northeast Ohio. But frankly, we heard from voters all over Ohio yesterday who said they were on the fence in this race for US Senate.
But once they saw that Ted Cruz was endorsing me, they said, you know what, Josh? We’re going to support you as well. And I think this endorsement from Ted Cruz, signals to the voters of Ohio that I’m the true conservative fighter in this race and not to take anything away from my opponents.
But out of seven people running for US Senate, there’s only one of us who actually has the scars from taking on John Kasich, the scars from taking on the teacher unions, the scars from taking on big Democrat leaders, but also Republican bosses when they’re acting like Democrats.
And that’s me. And I think if the voters put one of my opponents in office, they’re taking a big risk. They’re taking a risk that whoever they put in office might just lay down or take a knee for Schumer or Pelosi and the squishy establishment Republican bosses.
Whereas with me, Bob, they know in the US Senate I’ll be a fighter because past his prologue, I’ve got a proven record. I took on John Kasich when Kasich was trying to do Medicaid expansion, I led the charge against it.
I said we don’t want Obamacare in Ohio. When Kasich was trying to stop the Heartbeat Bill, I led the charge to try to pass the Heartbeat Bill to stop abortion in Ohio. When Kasich was trying to keep the state’s finances in the dark, I took the entire state of Ohio’s checkbook and put it online.
I said the taxpayers have a right to know how the tax money is being spent. And time and time again, I’ve stood up for the Constitution, for personal freedom, for individual Liberty.
And I didn’t care whether I was taking on Republican bosses or Democrat bosses. For me, it’s about standing up for the Constitution and for our freedom, not some political shirts for skins type of game.
Frantz: Congratulations to you on winning the endorsement from Ted Cruz. As I said, I know that means a lot to a lot of people. One of my other favorite members of the United States Senate, by the way, Rand Paul, of course, is in the camp of your lead, I shouldn’t say your lead opponent, the other guy who’s at the top of the polls with you, Mike Gibbons.
So it is kind of interesting there. You got two very strong-minded Conservatives. I know Rand Paul considers himself a libertarian but you got two very strong conservative Patriots there who are backing the top two horses in this race. So Congratulations to you for that.
Mandel: One of the things that I like about Rand Paul one of my favorite Rand Paul quotes is I love when Rand Paul says Republicans have to learn the word no. And it’s so true.
These Republicans go to Washington to do good and then they stay in Washington to do well. Well for themselves, well for their lobbyists, cronies well for their family members, and they stuff money in their own pockets because they get the carrot and the stick.
The Republican bosses convince them to vote for these garbage bills and Rand Paul says it well, Ted Cruz does it well. Mike Lee says it well. Republicans have got to learn the word no.
No to the reckless spending, no to the big government, no to all the earmarks and all the garbage. Basically, this is the tax money of the people of Ohio. This is the tax money people of America and we need Conservatives who are willing to say no to the big spenders and stop it.
Listen to the full interview here:
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Photo “Bob Frantz” by Bob Frantz, “Josh Mandel” is by Josh Mandel, and “Columbus Skyline” is by Kārlis Dambrāns CC2.0.
