Hill Billy Jon Radio Show
The Hillbilly Jon Radio Show is where common sense meets the microphone. Broadcasting from Southwestern Pennsylvania, Jon takes on politics, culture, media spin, and the stories the establishment would rather you ignore.
No talking points.
No script readers. Just real conversations with candidates, business owners, whistleblowers, and everyday Americans who still believe in grit, faith, and freedom.
If you are tired of the noise and ready for straight talk, you are in the right place.
Hill Billy Jon Radio Show
Grassroots Republicans Explain Pennsylvania State Committee Power
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Patriotism isn’t something you buy at a store or slap on a bumper sticker. We start with a faith-forward challenge: if freedom is real, it should show up as truth, courage, humility, justice, and repentance, not pride and performance. That message sets up a straight talk conversation about how regular citizens can stop outsourcing politics to insiders and start earning influence again.
Then we get practical with grassroots politics in Pennsylvania, joined by Kristen Vandermeer and Denise Bridey. We unpack what a Pennsylvania GOP state committee member actually does, how state committee elections work across the 67 counties, and why these seats matter for deciding party leadership, priorities, and the direction of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. If you’ve ever wondered who “steers the ship” behind the scenes, this is the explainer you’ve been missing.
We also dig into the controversy around endorsements before a closed primary, and why that can shrink voter choice and discourage strong candidates from even running. From there, we zoom out to southwestern Pennsylvania’s bigger stakes: the loss of steel, rail manufacturing, and industrial investment, despite rich coal and natural gas resources and a history of powering the country. We close with voter education and election participation tips, including how to handle mail-in ballots and early in-person voting when trust is low but turnout still decides everything.
If this conversation hits home, share it with someone who cares about local power, grassroots organizing, and Pennsylvania elections, then subscribe and leave a review so more voters can find it.
False Start And Reset
SPEAKER_03There. Let's start again. Thank you.
SPEAKER_06I just want to make sure you wouldn't listen to that one too.
SPEAKER_03Okay, let's start again. Go ahead. This is John Marietta, and I want to thank you for tuning in again. This is our podcast and it's um and our flash radio show. And I'm gonna thank everybody once again for tuning in and listening. Uh the views are going crazy. Uh didn't think we would be this far along with this this soon, but it's doing good. Um, so let's get started. I come to tell you something today. True patriotism ain't a bumper sticker, it sure ain't a flag flapping in the breeze. Well, the heart behind it, it's cold. No, sir. True patriotism is earned, earned by men and women who love this land enough to serve her with truth, courage, and humility. You see, too many folks shout
Patriotism As Faith And Repentance
SPEAKER_03out about freedom. While they live like they've their slaves to greed, pride, corruption. But the word of God says, ye shall know the truth, the truth shall set you free. That means freedom don't come from governments or crowds, it comes from righteousness. When our hearts are right with God, our country can stand strong. True patriots don't just wave the flag, they carry the cross, they fight for justice, like David fought Goliath, they speak for truth like Isaiah cried out in the wilderness, and they love this nation enough to repent for their sins. Yes, friends, patriotism without repentance is just vanity dressed in red, white, and blue. But when we humble ourselves, when we fall on our knees and pray like 2 Chronicles 7.14 says, My people who are called by my name to humble themselves and pray. That's when God hears. That's when the land is healed. So don't just talk about love in America. Show it, live it, earn it, stand up straight beneath that flag, and remember, God Almighty gave you freedom to do right, not to do easy. And God bless the United States of America. I want to thank everybody for tuning in once again. This is Joel Marietta, and I am the Hillbully, and uh I got I got several, I got two wonderful people here with me today that have been uh very patient about getting this all put together. I have Kristen Vandermeer and uh Denise. I I'm never gonna say this name right.
SPEAKER_06Bridey.
SPEAKER_03Bridey, Bridey, Bridey, if I want to say everything. Uh I've got to know I've got to know Kristen uh over the years. Uh and we we've uh maybe we can talk about that a little bit. But uh I've uh I've got to know her over the past few years, and uh we've done a lot of
Meet The Guests And Backstory
SPEAKER_03things, uh some things that uh that uh I'm really proud of. Uh I've I've not done nothing with Kristen that I'm not proud of. I want to thank her for all that she does with the Washington County Patriots. Um so let's get started.
SPEAKER_04Well, I I wanted to ask you before we start, uh when uh and where.
SPEAKER_03I believe it was in 2015. Uh uh it was uh everybody was having a trouble getting Trump signs, and uh I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and we we wad neared Trump signs out of the Trump committee, and uh um there's there's a there's a whole story about that someday we'll talk about that, but uh it's probably been 2015.
SPEAKER_04So about tenure and involved in politics in in a lot of different ways.
SPEAKER_05But you have always been the same person today, you're mentioning ethical, and you can change.
SPEAKER_02So I think that's absolutely obvious to say that about elected over the course of we're good, but uh Kristen, you gotta talk into the mic more because what happens is when you move, you cut out. Okay, so I can cut, I can cut where John left off, and we'll start right after John's intro.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So is this you want me to start?
SPEAKER_02Just do like the you're joined by two people, two ladies.
SPEAKER_03Okay, I want to thank everybody for tuning in. And um, the this podcast is going very well. Uh we're we're having a little bit of trouble with the internet, and uh we're we're gonna get that worked out. Um, I want to I want to thank that uh thank all the people that have been involved in this for their patience, and I want to thank the two ladies who are here today with the patience. I have Kristen Vandermeer and Denise Brody. Did I get it right? I did, I did, and I it took it took a while to get that right, but uh it's Denise Bride. And uh I've I've I've known Kristen for a few years. Um I believe um I don't know how long it's been. It's been a while. Uh since uh I think it was 2015 when uh trying to get uh Donald Trump elected.
SPEAKER_05Um and then uh and you got all the signs, which no one else could do.
SPEAKER_03Well, we worked on that. We waddeared them. I'm sure President Trump might not be happy if he found out how we got him, but we'll get but someday he'll we'll sit down and talk about that.
SPEAKER_05But so in the 10 years that I've known you, you have always stayed true to your morals and your ethics and to your soul in all the situations that you are involved in in politics, the good and the bad, and you're still the same person. So that's an outstanding quality.
SPEAKER_03I I like to I like to I want to thank you for them for them kind words, I really do. But you know what? Uh, I've had a lot of good people. I don't want to say it was um, I don't want to say I because I would be the wrong way to do it. I've had a lot of good people help me get to where I need to be. Um, and I that that's my thing. I want to I want to thank everybody. It's always been a we the people, you know, that's the way I look at it. It's always been. Um we we have to take back what's ours. And um uh whether we uh I'm all about paying less taxes, I'm about less government, I'm about all I've I've been that way from the beginning. I want to see us building railroads, I want to see us building steel mills, I want to see us building, and I and I did I'm from Fayette County, and uh, but you know what? We border Washington County, we border Green County, we border Westmoreland County, and you know, if we would do this right, it could be really good here in Southwestern.
SPEAKER_05Everybody work together.
SPEAKER_03Um, but I do thank you both for coming in today and uh being patient for everything. Let's um let's go on. Uh I know you're both running for state committee, and this is gonna be uh a big deal because Denise ran last time and she lost by a couple hundred votes. I did, yeah.
SPEAKER_05I I had forgotten.
SPEAKER_03And you you this is your first your this is your first rodeo.
SPEAKER_05Yep, my first rodeo.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but but it really isn't because I mean I've I I remember in 2000 and um yeah, it was 2015. I I went down and picked up uh door hanger things and uh you had made and and it was like 10 o'clock at night, and I'm down in Charleroi, and I and my wife's like, sure, this is where they it's like you know, we're down in Charleroi, and and you know, you know, uh let's say one thing about that. I remember when I was a kid going to Charleroi. Oh yeah, and Charlotte was a beautiful city, it was awesome. I mean, it was I mean, restaurants open, and and you know, and and I'm sure there was dark areas of Charlotte, Montgomery Wards was down there. Uh there was the AMP was down there. Uh um uh you you think about all, but we were down in Charlotte and I picked these up. We'll get back to that. Uh and and I said, Her printers are running, she has these printers running, and like and there's paper spewing out of it. It she's like the Benjamin Franklin for for West uh for Washington County. And uh we we when I picked up the mail, she had all of them folded up and hang in plastic bags and hangers, and uh I I think I took 2,000 of them, and uh they were uh um they were for uh I can't I can't remember who for Larry. It might have been Larry ran a 19 though, I think. But anyways, anyways, and then you go into her kitchen and um uh uh which uh I've been told uh doesn't I've been told it doesn't cook things in the kitchen, but but but there's but but there's papers all over the counters and we're getting ready and and and but anyways, uh I don't think and I I really want to tell everybody this about you, I don't think anybody realizes how dedicated you have been to to to the grassroots effort. I'm gonna say grassroots because uh uh when you when you say Republican, it doesn't want to roll off your tongue anymore. Like the I want to I want to say the grassroots effort here in southwestern Pennsylvania. I mean, I mean we've gone to I've uh went to dinners, we went to different things, and we've been and we we've seen each other, and uh it's it's it's it's really good, it's it's a good thing that we have people like you that are willing to do this. And um, I Denise has been uh I've got to meet her uh over the last couple years, uh different things uh and different things going on. One of the things that I really want to tell everybody, I gotta tell this story. I gotta tell this story. So Kristen says we're having a meeting and uh a Patriots meeting. Would you come? Yeah, I said I'll come. It said it's for the Washington County Patriots. So I get down to Washington and there's a tavern down there. I forget the name of the tavern, but I uh when I when I got there, um I forget who was with me, but uh my wife went with me once, but uh it was the second time somebody says, Where are we going? I said, I'm gonna go upstairs to that tavern. And and they there's a hall up there, and it's and you felt like you were going into the Green Dragon Tavern. And and uh you know, like the Thomas Jefferson and and and Benjamin Franklin and all these and Samuel Adams was sitting there and they're talking about all these things, and uh, she always had she always had a good speaker, uh and um but it it was it was it was a call to arms, really it was. I mean, and it was really good. It was really good, and I I really appreciate being invited and being part of that. I really do. So, anyways, let's get on. What's a state committee member do?
SPEAKER_05Well, so a state committee member um is selected from a county, it's elected from a county, and they represent their county at the state party level. So uh a state committee candidate is a candidate that is elected in anyone in the 67 counties, any voter in the 67 counties can vote for that uh that state committee or that state person. So an example of a state committee
What A State Committee Member Does
SPEAKER_05candidate would be Stacy Garrety. Anyone out of the 67 counties can vote for Stacy. Um her lieutenant governor is Jason Ritchie. Another example of a statewide candidate was Maria Batista and Josh Prince. They each, anyone out of the 67 counties could vote for them. So there are four state committee meetings per year. The current chair of the state GOP is uh Greg Rothman. I believe Mr. Rothman is from Cumberland County. Um, but he wants to hold the four state committee meetings throughout uh Pennsylvania. He wants to move those through the different counties. So in each of the 67 counties of Pennsylvania, there are X amount of state committee members elected. And that election or that number is then based on the number of Republican voters in that county. Uh so for example, Washington County has six elected committee members plus the chair. So we have seven in all. Fayette County has three, I believe, plus the chair. So Fayette has four. Green County has one member plus the chair. So theirs is two. Um, and each of the chairs in each of the county Republican parties automatically it's state committee. So out of the 67 counties, then those 67 counties are split into six areas or six caucuses. Um and ours is the Southwest caucus. That would be a part of that is Fayette, Green, Washington, and Westmoreland. And of course, there are other counties in there. So to become an elected state committee person, though our petition signing period and petition filing period is over. Uh, but you just need to be a registered Republican living in Pennsylvania, make the decision to run, um, and then you get a petition, get your signatures on the petition, you need 100 signatures, file the petition for $25 in Harrisburg, get on the ballot, and then hopefully the voters vote for you on May 19th. So the state committee position is a four-year position. Um and uh as I say to people, if you feel that you want to be on state committee, you can go to one of the meetings as a guest and sit there and listen so you can see what goes on at the state GOP level. The position is very important because it determines um who runs the Pennsylvania GOP or the Pennsylvania Republican Party. So basically, um the state committee, if we get more grassroots people in there, then we have the grassroots steering the ship. If we get more of the Republican Party in there, then we have the politically connected of the Republican Party steering the ship. So state committee is very important. But I think the best explanation of state committee is on John Marietta's website, which is johnmarietta.com.
SPEAKER_03We try to put it as much out there as we can.
SPEAKER_05Um I I think that the website, your information on the website is really good. And also for precinct committee people, which which is another elected position, you can also be appointed for both positions, but but I think it's very important to get elections, get um involved with the precinct committee people and of course state committee.
SPEAKER_03Um it's an important thing. Uh I believe the the state committee uh we need to change directions. Absolutely. Um we we had a chance to do that in uh uh got we got that uh railroad got kind of got railroaded changed uh chairman. But we'll we'll we'll we're moving forward. I think the way to take over the Republican Party is from the grassroots grassroots people were gonna um they they've showed uh that they're willing to do over and over and over and over again. I mean, you think about it, I think about when I think about you, I think about Matty Cruz, I think about Nece, I think about um the the girl that um oh I can't think of her and her husband, they they they worked so hard uh Copolas. They worked so hard over there in Washington County. People don't realize they really don't realize that there's a group of people out there that are trying to do good for for everyone, not just themselves. And then that's the difference between uh a true, I want to say a true elect, uh not say elected true leader. Uh they're they're trying to they're trying to fix it for everybody. And and you know, that's where that's where our elected go wrong. They worry more about getting re-elected than worry about taking care of what they what they need to.
SPEAKER_05Um I always say it's like a fly at a picnic coming back, they can't get rid of us.
SPEAKER_03Um Denise, uh, I uh I'm I'm gonna give you the turn to talk a little bit. Uh and I guess one thing I want to ask you is why? Why do why why do you want to do this? I mean I'm like dungeon she's gonna put me on another committee and discover another assignment.
SPEAKER_06Um I see it as a point where we can be the voice for the voters. Um I wasn't happy at the last meeting that I attended. Um they were trying to take and ask if everybody wanted to
Endorsements And The Primary Fight
SPEAKER_06endorse someone for lieutenant governor, which they had already endorsed for our governor position, excuse me. And I mean, we have close primaries in this state. That's where the voters get to choose. And I understand that their logic is, oh, we had so many candidates before and we don't want that to happen again. But I think the voters need to have the ability to have their voices heard. And when we sit at state committee and say, yep, we're gonna go ahead and endorse this candidate, the next great person who may want to run isn't gonna run because they know that they're not gonna get the funding from the GOP because of gender endorsement. And to me, that's taking the voices from the people. And I think we need to stand tall and continue to fight at the state level to make sure that they understand if you don't want closed primaries and you want to endorse before a primary, then let's get rid of them. But as long as it's there, we need to use that and give the voice back to the people.
SPEAKER_03This is the the the this is the constitutionalist coming out at me. And then and uh people um I was at a I was at a uh grassroots meeting, uh, it was a Patriots meeting in Indiana, and I spoke. And then after I got done speaking, um, and I always tell everybody before I speak, I said, if you if you think uh you come here to hear me speak and you were expecting a great order, I said, uh, you're gonna be disappointed. But uh I I spoke and then after I got done, uh I said I said to the the the crowd, which 100 in Indiana, I said to him, I said, Do you have any questions? Lady said, What party do you represent? And and uh I told her, I said, um, I'm a Christian constitutionalist. She looked at me and said, I just walked back in a chair, and then she didn't know what to say. And then this other lady said, What he gets it, he understands, he gets it. But what I was gonna tell you about what I really wanted to say was primaries are actually unconstitutional, whether anybody realizes that or not. There are it it it doesn't serve the public. I mean, um it's it's it's kind of a it's kind of a having a championship football game, but we're only going to invite two teams. I mean, so so that's that so that's kind of it's a I mean we're not gonna give nobody else a chance to play. But and that and that's kind of where we're at. I I look um um I'm I'm not a big fan of um John Fetterman at all. I think that uh he he's trying to he's trying to manipulate the system right now soon good. But uh I don't know, maybe it'll turn out, maybe it won't. I pray that it does. Um but one of the things that he made a statement the other day which was really correct. He said, you know, he said, I think I might run as an independent candidate because I'm just tired of the parties. And and I'm seeing this everywhere. Yes, and but we're getting away from the state committee because uh uh but I I think that we need to, you know, why we we never we have good candidates out there, but they're they don't want to they don't want to spend a whole bunch of money just to beat a Republican candidate or a Democrat candidate, depending on which side you are. And and believe me, I I think that there's lots and lots in our area, our southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, there's lots of good Kennedy Democrats. I mean there is I mean I mean you know the they worked in the mills and they they they they they they get it, they understand. They worked in the coal mines, and uh that I think that's where we're we have to start thinking about all these things. And uh but anyway, we were getting off the well you know in the Republican Party too.
SPEAKER_05This is what we got into the buttons we're seeing a trend of less and less people coming off the vote now. But what is the method of the Republican Party? I mean, what is the well you think about it?
SPEAKER_03Let's let's roll this into now. Now you started something, so let's let's think about this. You you're county commissioners, um our county commissioners pay a county. There's no vision. There's no vision at all.
SPEAKER_05Not for the people.
SPEAKER_03No, there's but there's no vision. Think about it. Uh um I often go back to uh the down at uh before you get to Charleroi, I can't think of the name of the town, Allenport. There's a mill down there that made made rails. Why is it why are we bringing rails in from China when I mean our commissioners from Fayette Green and Washington ought to be doing something to help us out? They let U.S. Steel,
Industry Decline And Local Vision
SPEAKER_03this is my big thing, they let U.S. Steel go spend 12 billion dollars in Arkansas. Well, I don't blame U.S. Steel. I mean, they got the governor, the governor in Arkansas supports industry. Our governor doesn't, he wants to close it down. He wants to do all we want to do is is pretty soon well, anything will be we can't even make potato chips. They close potato chip factory down in in uh Berlin, uh Pennsylvania. I mean, well, you know, what are you gonna come to Pennsylvania for? A picnic? I mean, do think about it. Yeah, I mean, we we we we are the ones, we are southwestern Pennsylvania and in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They won World War II. We were the ones that made the steel. We we mined the coal, we made the coke to win make steel to win World War II. And I mean, we there was other parts of the country. I mean, you know, but think about it, we've lost that.
SPEAKER_06We've lost that. Now we have gas and oil, and we could be building again, but we're not.
SPEAKER_03No, yeah, you're right. We're standing on, we're standing on yes, still, still, we're standing on 200 years of coal.
SPEAKER_06We are, and some of the best coal outside.
SPEAKER_03Some of the best coal in the country, and we're we're we're I'm getting goosebumps talking about where we're we got more natural gas than they can produce anywhere in the world, right here. And we're closing power plants down. We should be building power plants and running coal through them and the energy to air else. They want to run a line through southern southern part of county because if they're gonna run power, why I can understand a little bit about running a line through uh our county to to help to help produce electric for other places if we were making a power here, but we're not.
SPEAKER_08Right.
SPEAKER_03We're not. It's coming clear from Illinois. I mean, I mean, and in what we're off with. I mean, this is the I I I get it. You ladies are running for state committee, and maybe that that isn't what uh maybe that isn't what the realm of things are going to talk about state committee, but Jins are gonna help try to get the people elected. They should be thinking about it. You know?
SPEAKER_05Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03Um I give you all the credit in the world because you're standing against the storm, there's no doubt about it. I mean, the the the elite in the party, in the Republican Party, don't want nothing to do with you, they don't want nothing to do with Al Buckton, they don't want nothing to do with Harry Cochran. Because they know that if when they get into office, they're gonna start upsetting tables. And that's gonna cause trouble. Um, Fayette County, we have Faye Pen. That the the money's going. We don't know how the money's going. We don't know where the money's going. We know we know that there's been elected officials sign NDAs and and do things uh for fake pen. It's time we it's time we we put all this out on the table. I mean it's it's our money, it's our tax money that's uh funding these uh these uh NGOs.
SPEAKER_05And that is a difference between uh the grassroots, which is basically in my opinion, it's truth and common sense. That's what the majority of those people stand for. The Republican Party is our money and getting re-elected. And I think that is what causes this split. I don't see how we can bring that. I really don't see how we can bring that together.
SPEAKER_03We can put it in real simple terms, and and you you're we need people that are willing to go cut the multifloral rose down. I mean, and get rid of it. That's what we need. We we we got it because um most people, I don't know if people know if the it multiflow rose is a farmer's nightmare. It's just it it it the the the uh the thorns on it are backwards, so when very happy rose boys, yeah. Well then the only thing that I know that eats it is goats. I don't even the deer the deer will tromp it down and they'll eat the flowers off of it, I think. But uh the only thing that I know that'll eat eat it is goats. Uh but uh um this this is where we're at. We we need we need people to get in there and and get rid of the the it was well to separate the chaff from this is what we gotta do. We had a chance, uh, and I thought we had a really good chance with the gentleman who was running for state chairman. Uh I guess that was that last year. Oh, Balkenberg. Oh, yeah. I thought we had a really good chance. And um uh I think that uh I think that the that uh what happens is in politics and people don't realize this that people are in power, they'll do anything they can to keep. Yeah. And that's what happened. I mean it's uh we we we look at things. Um and and yeah, I I I I don't know. Uh Washington and Franklin both said that the end of the country. We're seeing we're seeing where we're at right now. Um so there'll be six ovens elected from Washington County. And hopefully it's the six it's the six grassroots people we're working on. So we're gonna order signs, we're gonna go stay standard to polls. Yeah, we're gonna uh we're gonna we're gonna do all this try to get elected. Um uh whatever whatever it takes, I guess.
SPEAKER_05Well, I you know, I'm very I know in politics some of it is definitely negative, but personally, I think it's a great period of time. I see this grassroots movement growing. There are a lot more people coming to the meetings. We have younger people getting involved. In our Patreon group, we've held uh monthly meetings for six years, and and at those monthly meetings, I always say we we try to educate each other. Uh people
Grassroots Strategy And Civic Education
SPEAKER_05come in the door for the first meeting. Some know a lot about politics, some don't know anything about politics, but it doesn't matter because we all work together and we have the common thread of the thought of trying to we will make things better. But I I just think this well, I mean, I know it's a fight, but so what? What isn't? It's a fight worth fighting.
SPEAKER_03Well, here's the way I look at it. We're not if you if we're not gonna be able to do it in the time of Trump, we're not gonna be able to do it. And uh, and that's that's and I and I believe that the uh the way we change the course of the country is with politics and gossip. Absolutely. I mean that that's that that's that's how uh I really believe we've got to do things. Um election is May the 19th, and uh we're gonna get out there and uh what we're gonna and I know we're just gonna be door hangers. I mean this lady's like I don't know if I said it or not, but this lady's like the Benjamin Franklin of Washington County. She has more printers and copiers and things. They're probably running right now while we're speaking. Um they're they're probably they're probably stacking papers up and uh until they run out of paper.
SPEAKER_05We've made a lot of calls. But it was worth it every single one.
SPEAKER_06And I've been trying to educate the uh public using town hall forums because you know, civics isn't taught in the class any longer. And it hasn't been taught in for so long that, and I'm not saying that our voters aren't educated, but what I'm saying is our voters don't understand. They they they miss that, and so they don't understand how important the primaries are, how important every single election, every single year, twice a year, and how important those races are. And they think that only the presidential is important, but I'm trying to educate them to understand that you know there are people that get elected who play with your money. There are people who get elected who make decisions for the the well-being of your children in schools. And so I take that personally because I think that educated voters make a better decision than just those who make a phone call and say, hey, tell me who to vote for. You know, and and those who don't understand won't vote. And, you know, whether it's mail-in ballots, because that's I hate them, and I'll tell you that now. But right now, if that's the only way I can get somebody out to vote, then you know what? Then that's how they gotta go.
SPEAKER_03Well, we um I'm gonna have the data for the mail-in ballots uh for Fayette County here in the next when we get to when we get the initials initial one. They had uh for uh Republicans. Usually in Fayette County, uh, I don't know how it is in Washington County, um there's like 11,000 people vote by mail. But they're but uh the the big thing is is uh there'll be probably like 8,000, 7,500 to 8,000 people on the Democrat side by mailing ballot and uh and the other 2500 or 3,000 will be Republicans that that asked for. Uh we gotta get them to film back out. So what we're gonna do, but uh I I I got I got something planned for the this year that I'm gonna we're gonna try to see if it works out to get some more people to at least send them all back. Uh I I I want people to go vote in person. I definitely and one of the things I will tell you, if you have to vote with a mail in ballot, please, please, please take it to the election bureau and hand it to them. Correct. Don't trust the U.S. mail. I I I love I love them, I love my mail carrier. She's a great lady. She snow, ice, and sleet and the whole thing. She did she's always make sure my mailbox is shut. But it's it we need to make sure that they get back to the election office and uh they can be counted for yes. Absolutely. Uh I don't I don't know. Uh there's so you your population is twice as big as what Fayette County's is. So I'm I'm sure that that there's what 15 to 18,000 people to vote with mail and ballots.
SPEAKER_06We had 11 Democrats and um less than 5,000 Republicans.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so so that's pretty close to guessing. I was saying 18,000.
SPEAKER_06But my thing is we have three weeks of in-person voting. So if you're
Voting Tactics And Mail Ballot Trust
SPEAKER_06not going to make it to the polls and you're that adamant you're not gonna go on election day or whatever, you've got three weeks that you can go to the courthouse, fill out the paperwork, do your ballot right then and there, and it'll put it in a lockbox and it doesn't get opened until election day when they count them. I mean, at this point, we're never gonna get rid of mail imbalances if we don't get the right people involved and elected, and we're not gonna do it if you're not gonna vote. If they're gonna sit at home and they're not gonna vote because they don't like mail imbalots or they don't like in-person voting and they're not gonna come out on election day. We got to get them to vote somehow. So a vote any way you can is what I'm fighting for. I just want you to vote. That's my that's my answer.
SPEAKER_03So do we have any contact we can put out there for people?
SPEAKER_06Contact?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, for for you, for uh get a hold of you or oh, for state committee?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, we have our Facebook page. I think we have a website okay now. Um that's yeah, that's about it. I think that's being worked on right now.
SPEAKER_03Okay. We the people.com is what you're gonna do. Yeah. I I I I really like that. Uh I've done uh when we started out, uh did we the people did we we the people uh I I think that that's important. If we're about ourselves, we're doing it's wrong.
SPEAKER_06Doing it for myself. I'm like wrong business. I want the cruise. It sure isn't gonna be into going into politics.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, I get it. I get it.
SPEAKER_05Uh you get the cruise at the end of your next you yeah.
SPEAKER_03Keep putting that carrot out there at the next committee next week. Well, see you but we we but we can all do the gateway clipper. Maybe that'll think maybe we can you know what you're laughing about that, but maybe we get the gateway clipper to come back come to Brownsville and we all get on it and we we have a dinner cruise up the up the yeah, that might be good idea. Yeah, we could do that for a big fundraiser for for uh we the people.
SPEAKER_06There you go.
SPEAKER_03That's a well um I'm not gonna be in charge of that one. So you're on the committee. Hey uh uh I will tell everybody and I I'll get this right uh because uh um we s we started our TikTok uh campaign too with uh a couple different things over the weekend it was was very, very amazing. We didn't we didn't intend to do it, but we got a video. There was videos that got out there that wasn't supposed to get out until today. And uh one of the videos, I think we got like almost 10,000 views on it.
SPEAKER_06Oh, that's wonderful. Wonderful.
SPEAKER_03And uh from the the it's just it it amazes me. Um I I love radio, I do. Uh but the the I was
Contact Info Social Media And Closing
SPEAKER_03at a I was at a a lot of people were saying how come you left, but uh the reason is is we hit a we hit a plateau and we just couldn't get no farther. And uh this has enabled us to do so much more. I mean, we're gonna have candidates on from all over the country, which is which is yeah, we're going up, which is good.
SPEAKER_06Wish you the best.
SPEAKER_03And I thank you all for what you're doing. Really, I do. And uh we'll get you back on again and uh when things get really hectic and you don't have time. So uh hey, thank you so much for coming on, and then we're gonna close like we always close on this road called life. You have to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you got, remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. People change, things go wrong, but just remember the ride goes on. God bless each and every one of you, and God bless America. I am John Mariana, and I am the hillbilly.