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Speaker 1: The Talk Station.
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Speaker 2: 828-55-KRC. The Talk Station. Happy Monday. Brian Thomas in studio. Eric Conroy. You can find him online.
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Speaker 3: You need to vote Eric Conroy. It's ericconroy.com. That's his election site. You can donate. You can get a yard sign. Apparently some people don't have yard signs out there, Eric. We need to get one in their front yard. But we are fast, fast approaching. And, of course, with early voting going on. Welcome back to the morning show, my friend. How do you feel right now? You've been out in the open. You've been talking to people, going door to door. You've been at town halls. You've been at the visits by J.D. Vance and Donald Trump. You get a sense of things because it's all gloom and doom. Republicans don't even bother showing up this year.
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Speaker 4: Well, Brian, thanks again for having me on. And we are very optimistic. And as I talk to folks around the district and the region, people want that change here. in the Ohio district one congressional seat. And I was very excited to open for president Trump in Northern Kentucky, uh, on, uh, on Saturday. And I showed you his coin that he gave me about the size of a hockey puck.
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Speaker 3: Yeah.
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Speaker 1: It's a huge one.
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Speaker 3: You know, you would expect with Donald Trump, his coin would be bigger than any other prior presidents just because, and of course it's adorned with gold.
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Speaker 4: I think it probably gets direct TV with how big it is as well.
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Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
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Speaker 3: It's certainly a wonderful paperweight things that comes in North of a quarter pound.
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Speaker 4: Right.
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Speaker 1: Uh, But I'll also be opening for J.D.
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Speaker 4: Vance this Wednesday as well, which we're very excited about. And we also released our latest polling last week as well, which shows us tied at 45-45 in the polls. So this race is alive and well, and we're looking forward to bringing back some common sense conservatism to District 1.
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Speaker 3: Well, and anybody can see it, and I recommend they check it out, erikconroy.com. Let us roll through the issues that you are concerned about. One of the things we know. that a simple change of administration can have a profound impact. Open borders, wide open. Oh my God, there's nothing we can do about it. We need to change the law. Change the law in order to address this problem, said Joe Biden eight gazillion times along with all of his Democrat pals. One moment in time, Donald Trump getting sworn in immediately. And that may be an overstatement, I acknowledge, but we are at like zero border crossings now.
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Speaker 4: None.
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Speaker 3: And then if you want to look at it, agree or disagree with the deportations, I think it's a wonderful thing for the American people of any political stripe that we get people who are not lawfully in our country out, who have committed heinous crimes like raping children. You know, I mean, can't we all agree on that? But apparently not, Eric.
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Speaker 4: Well, I think the president in this administration has done a terrific job in securing the border. And you can just look at some of the stats and numbers down there on the border. And what I find ironic about the whole situation is then-President Barack Obama also tried to secure the border in a very similar way. And there was really no controversy around it. But when a Republican president does it, for some reason, it's a bad thing.
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Speaker 1: But.
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Speaker 4: I think he's doing a great job securing the border, and we're going to continue to do that because we can't let drug traffickers and sex traffickers and criminals into this country. And we need people to immigrate in the lawful, legal way. And I've got a lot of friends. I have some friends who I served in the military with who were maybe citizens of other countries, like maybe Caribbean islands, places like that. And they waited 10 years to get their citizenship while they were serving in the military.
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Speaker 1: So really, I think this is.
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Speaker 1: More about fairness more than anything else.
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Speaker 2: No question about it.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, one of the things that I am such a huge proponent of is giving families the ability to send their children to a school of their choice as opposed to one-size-fits-all, which it certainly does in the public education system. I know Greg Lansman, as a former teacher and has two school-age children himself, he was fighting for increased public school spending, better teacher pay. He's also not interested in providing us with any measure of school choice. Denying people the The opportunity for choice when we're talking about the most important thing in any family's life, which is the lives and future of their children. I find that an affront to all things American. And it really irks me to no end that people will run around like the teachers union president and just tell you that they are the only one.
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Speaker 2: And really, they're only.
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Speaker 3: Advocating and fighting for the teachers, not the children. The education scores bear witness to this.
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Speaker 4: Well, look, if you believe America is a meritocracy, and I still believe that, then you should believe in choice, right? Because it creates a lot of competition and fairness across the board. And I think also we need to take a look at the Department of Education, right? I think it's a sad day when you have Department of Education bureaucrats in D.C.
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Speaker 1: Making $ 160, 000 a year.
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Speaker 4: And then we have our teachers here in the tri-state making $ 35, 000 a year. So I think that needs to be rectified in some way. But also I think we need to consider great trajectories for our youth and what their career paths look like. And I'm a huge advocate of trade schools here in the region, right? Trade jobs, whether it's electricians, plumbers, HVAC specialists, these are not going to be automated by AI anytime soon. And oftentimes those career paths are a lot more productive than the typical four-year degree. So- I think we need to do a better job of advertising those career paths, like trade schools as well, which is great for everyone across the board, black, white, Hispanic. These are great career paths for people to have.
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Speaker 1: They really are.
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Speaker 3: And the idea that you can earn while you learn, and so many have that apprenticeship journeyman, apprenticeship relationship thing, make decent money as a young person. Even someone right out of high school can make a living wage. Don't go work at McDonald's expecting to make a living wage. That's not what that is for. That's a stepping stone job. Get you a resume built. Show people you can show up on time and then off to the next better gig.
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Speaker 4: But trades, hey, I've got Westside friends who were millionaires by the time they were 30 because they went into the trades. Meanwhile, their peers who decide to do a four-year degree and maybe a master's after that are still in college debt. So I think it's time to bring back the trades and really emphasize that.
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Speaker 2: I agree.
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Speaker 3: And, you know, my son-in-law is in the trades. He works for Fast and Pro Roofing. Does really well. As a young man, and he's got his future. I asked him the other day, I said, do you think you'll open your own business someday? He's like, I don't know if I want to take on the role of being a small business owner. But, you know, it's certainly a possibility. That's the great thing about it.
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Speaker 1: Well, I think small businesses.
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Speaker 2: I've always been a W-2. I point that out all the time.
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Speaker 3: I am thankful for the companies and businesses who have the wherewithal to start one and employ people. These are people that need to be rewarded, not penalized because they're evil or something.
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Speaker 4: Well, I'm also very excited, Brian, to report that I've been endorsed by NFIB, the Small Business Association. I really do believe that small businesses are the backbone to really all Midwest economies, but especially here in Cincinnati. And whether you go to the West Side or Warren County or Clinton County, small businesses are really what makes our community thrive. And having very favorable tax policies and growth policies for those small businesses to continue to operate and thrive, I think, is a great thing as well.
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Speaker 2: It is.
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Speaker 3: We'll talk Social Security, Medicare. We'll talk jobs, the economy, maybe national defense. We've got all kinds of issues to talk about with Eric Conroy. EricConroy.com. He could use your help, and we could... Station. It's 838 at 55KRCD Talk Station. EricConroy.com. Eric Conroy in the studio. He's running for Congress against, of course, Greg Gang of Five Landsmen. I reminded Christopher Smitheman this morning when he was talking about Greg Landsman and how you are a superior vote, and I said, ah, And I knew he was a Gang of Five guy, so I just typed in Greg Lansman, Gang of Five. And, of course, the first article that popped up was going back, I guess it was 2000, whenever this happened, 2001, I think. Greg had to, well, he apologized to Christopher Smithman on the floor of council there for his involvement in the Gang of Five, which we all know was corruption on full display, making the city of Cincinnati look like some sort of backwoods corrupt. administration, which people drew a conclusion that it was. Anyway, Eric Conroy, not to delve too much time on that. Talking about the race, generally speaking, there was recently, and I know you know the article I'm talking about, a newspaper article from a major national newspaper, left-leaning it was or is, suggesting that everybody's pulling the plug on your money. How's the money holding out, Eric, and does that have any resemblance to the truth?
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Speaker 1: So, money is holding out pretty well.
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Speaker 4: We still have seven figures to work with, and I did see the New York Times article, and it's a tough cycle across the country, and There has been some incumbents who have needed a little bit more support than expected, which is where that New York Times article was coming from. But overall, that article was very overblown, right? We still have our new lines here, a 53% Republican district. As I mentioned, we're dead tied in the polls at 45-45, and we still have plenty of resources to get this thing done. So we're very excited. And also, with the Vivek and Husted races on the ballot this year, we're confident we're going to have the turnout that we need to pull this thing off. And I even had a nice brief chat with Speaker Mike Johnson on the phone last night, just catching up on the race and what's going on around the country. And he said, look, Eric, I've seen your polling. We're chalking your race up as a win. You've got it. The numbers are there. So everyone here is very excited and we're going to pull this thing off.
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Speaker 3: So, I mean, boil down since the polls show what the polls show. And I know you have your own internal polling, but poll after poll after poll is showing Democrats way ahead. And, you know, There's a lot of reasons why I and I would think most every one of the listening audience doesn't believe polls anymore. How do you statistically sample? How do you get the right mix of Republicans and Democrats? You don't even really know truly who's going to vote or not going to vote. And how do you deal with the ever-growing legions of people who really will not even pick up a telephone call if they don't recognize who it's coming from? Or the legions of growing members of the Republican Party who don't want to out loud be affiliated with Trump for fear that the Justice Department is going to launch an investigation into him. Broad brush statement, I know, but there is that sort of, I'm not going to say anything out loud, screw you guy factor going out there because I personally hold it. I have never participated in.
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Speaker 2: A poll ever.
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Speaker 4: And that's exactly right, Brian. And polling these days is some kind of hocus pocus. witchcraft science, right? It's not a science. It's not an art. It's somewhere in between. And a lot of Republican voters, frankly, don't participate in polls. And especially nowadays. I mean, how many spam calls do you get a day? It's very hard to get Republicans to not only participate in polls, but to understand that they're even being approached for a poll sometimes as well. And I did see some interesting stats out there that a lot of polls underestimate Republicans by as much as three to five points because of that. So if you are seeing polls that are close, know that that's probably underestimating Republican voters by at least three to five points, especially in these federal in these federal races. So polls are the polls, right? They're typically wrong. And the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day. That's when the votes are counted.
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Speaker 2: And it's so important to get out and vote. You could do it today. You can.
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Speaker 3: You can't wait until election. They keep reminding people. It's like, come on. And the Republicans are voting early in much greater numbers than they were, although I saw the statistics the Ohio Press Network released.
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Speaker 2: I think it was the Ohio Press Network. It doesn't matter.
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Speaker 3: But tracking the number of people who've early voted, Democrats are ahead, but not by as much as in prior years.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, I think we're going to see a high turnout midterm this year on both sides, right?
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Speaker 1: And hopefully.
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Speaker 4: On the Republican side, it's higher than the Democratic side, which is ideal. But I think people are really starting to get the message that this is a very important midterm and quite possibly the most important midterm of our lifetime. We now have a Democratic Party where 60% of people believe socialism is a good thing. And this is not just another election. This is a fight for the heart and soul of this country. And if you believe in America and what we stand for, freedom, capitalism, and not socialism— You really need to get out and vote because my message is that America is on the ballot this year.
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Speaker 2: Without question.
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Speaker 3: And if you haven't gotten a memo on that fact right there, my listening audience, then you really need to start paying more attention because we are on the brink of something very serious here if we don't right the ship. And I was commenting earlier this morning, you don't need to embrace my perception on this, Eric Conroy, but my perception is if you see what's going on in France, they're like a baby step, maybe one full step ahead of us. swirling out of control. The populace has no ability to deal with the fires, the burning of buildings, the riots in the streets. It's like the BLM anti-fog got together and it's on steroids in France. But the one thing I did note, and one way you can contrast yourself, I presume, Eric Conroy, is on the issue of the Second Amendment. I was recalling the shop owners, the Korean shop owners during the LA riots. What were they able to do? Protect themselves and their property because they were sitting up on top of the buildings.
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Speaker 1: The Koreans on the rooftops.
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Speaker 2: Yeah.
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Speaker 3: Yeah.
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Speaker 2: With AR-15s.
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Speaker 1: You got it.
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Speaker 3: Among other firearms. Greg Lansman, however, to contrast, is interested in background checks, red flag laws, age restrictions, and a ban on what he calls assault weapons, the modern sport rifle, widely popular it is. So he's an anti-gun guy, so you can count on that. He wants to take away your ability to defend yourself.
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Speaker 4: Well, look, I'm pro-Second Amendment, right? I'm a proud gun owner myself. I own a Glock pistol. It's what I carried when I was in the CIA as well, so I'm very comfortable with it. And people need to have the right to bear arms, right? It's right there in the Constitution. It can't be any more clear. And I'm a huge supporter.
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Speaker 2: I'm glad to hear that. And I did not have any doubt in my mind.
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Speaker 3: We'll stop right now. We'll bring Eric Conroy back for a couple more topics. He can go across contrasting himself with the lesser candidate that is Greg.
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Speaker 2: Gang of five, Lansman. See, I keep bringing that up. Don't go away. It's 845-55-KRC, the talk station. 55-KRC.
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Speaker 3: Click station. 848-55-KRC, the talk station, ericconroy.com. Eric running for the first against Greg Lansman. And, you know, we were talking off air, and I keep, and I know whether it's people appreciate it or not, or even remember the whole gang of five antics on Sensei City Council. You said to me something in passing that you don't view that whole Gang of Five thing as as bad as this current issue involving his stock trading.
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Speaker 4: Well, don't get me wrong. The Gang of Five issue is damning. And I think we all know it pretty well here in the city. But his stock trading sins the last couple of years, I would argue, are worse.
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Speaker 1: He was.
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Speaker 4: caught and punished for insider trading and breaking the Stock Act back in 2025, which is a federal law.
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Speaker 1: And not only that, he went back and rewrote three.
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Speaker 4: Years worth of financial disclosures to hide it from the hardworking people of this district. If you're unfamiliar, if you are a candidate or an elected official, you're required to fill out a financial disclosure, which describes your holdings and your net worth. And he went back and rewrote three of those, covering up dozens of trades worth over a million dollars. Brian, his net worth has literally tripled. tripled in less than four years on the Hill. Does this sound like a guy who's there for the right reasons?
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Speaker 2: I want to know who his financial planner is.
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Speaker 4: Hell of a financial advisor, right? I think it's probably Nancy Pelosi. Is she a CPA, Nancy Pelosi?
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Speaker 2: I don't know. Maybe. Maybe he's getting advice from whoever's giving her advice.
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Speaker 4: But look, we need people there for the right reasons and who also represent common sense conservative values because that's what this district reflects right now. And getting people there for the right reasons who actually represent the values of this district are important.
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Speaker 3: Well, you did serve your country. After graduating, I might know from Westside Institution Elder High School. Good morning, my elder friends out there and folks on the Westside.
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Speaker 2: You went to the U.S.
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Speaker 3: Air Force Academy and then went on and worked for the CIA for a long time. I think that demonstrates your commitment to our country.
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Speaker 1: Well, I think so, right?
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Speaker 4: And I served 14 years in the Air Force and the CIA, and I'd like to say that I've dedicated my life to service. And serving this great community and region, I consider that next chapter in a life of service. And I do believe that I have the leadership skills and perspective to not only do this job well, but to be a substantial upgrade over career politician Greg Lansman.
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Speaker 3: Well, I have to broach the subject, right? Artificial intelligence. You knew this was going to come. Data centers, people are angry at them. They're protesting them. And, you know, I'll say it again. You can't unring the bell. Artificial intelligence is here. It's not going anywhere. It may be devastating. It may kill us all. It may make our lives better. But we have no idea what lies in store. The question is who's going to be responsible for it? Who is going to, well, be responsible for development? Is it going to be us or is it going to be some foreign country like the Chinese who seem to be our only major competitors in the field of AI? To do AI, you've got to have data centers. So they're going someplace. They do bring revenue and job creation. Construction job creation is amazing. Those things employ a ton of, might I point out, union jobs. But the risks and the problems that people seem to be carping about are all surmountable up front. Vivek Ramaswamy's got his plan up front. This will be the rules in place. You must bring your own power, noise issues, water issues, all must be addressed and satisfy the community. And plus, don't build them in a neighborhood.
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Speaker 2: And that seems.
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Speaker 3: To be the best possible way to move forward with this because I think we would like those jobs here in the state of Ohio.
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Speaker 2: And if we can address those challenges.
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Speaker 3: I think people out there protesting are victims of not only propaganda, but also to the misguided impression that if they don't build a data center right there, then AI is going to go away.
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Speaker 4: Well, look, I'm a fan of small government first and foremost. And I think that this is a local issue first or foremost. So if a local community decides that they would like to have a data center, I'll support them and help them do that. If they decide that they don't want a data center, I'll also support them and help them do that. But At the same time, I think big tech needs to foot the bill on the majority of the costs that affect the community in the surrounding region. But at the same time, like you said, I think we need to keep an open mind to it. We do need to win the AI race against China. Losing it would be the equivalent of losing the internet race 20 to 30 years ago. So I'd encourage people to keep an open mind in terms of these data centers because we do need them. AI is here and it does a lot of great things. I mean, the advances just in the medical field alone is pretty phenomenal. But at the same time, I believe it's a local issue, and I'll support a community's decision either way.
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Speaker 2: I'm sure you will.
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Speaker 3: And another thing you support, which I know you know I support, and you're being a veteran, suggests you would have big support for the American veteran. I know that's an issue on your campaign website. It really is truly important to support the American veteran. And in what ways will you, well, follow up on that promise?
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Speaker 1: Yeah, of course.
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Speaker 4: Well, I'll fight for their benefits and what they need to live a happy and successful life after their service. And as a veteran myself, someone who served seven years in the Air Force, I understand the challenges of being a veteran, whether it's a career transition or making bills meet after you leave the service. And I think by doing our veterans right throughout their life is important, and we need to make sure we take care of them.
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Speaker 3: Any other topics you want to dive on into before we part company today, Eric?
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Speaker 4: Well, I think one last thing I just want to ping is trade schools, right? We talk a lot about the economy and affordability. And I think finding our youth great career paths is very important. And I'm going to be a huge advocate for trade schools in this region because I think it works for just about everyone, right? And as I mentioned, the trades are not going to be automated by AI anytime soon. These are great and successful paths. And I'm really looking forward to finding some great common sense solutions and legislation for paths like trade schools to make sure our youth have a great opportunity moving forward.
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Speaker 3: Well, you know, with the work requirement, I think logically and reasonably included in any– if you're an able-bodied adult, don't have any disabilities, you should at least try to get a job. And I just think of so many people out there who aren't even bothering looking for a job, who are on public assistance, receiving SNAP benefits or something else. You know, maybe a little nudge in the right direction, they will, too, find that these trade opportunities are out there, that they can get paid while they learn, or even for a small six-month commitment of time, they can find a great position of employment. And what's more, there are thousands and thousands of these jobs that right now are currently unfilled.
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Speaker 4: Well, look, I think part of the battle is just getting the word out, right, and teaching young people about these great career paths and these great options so that they know that they're out there. And if we do that, hopefully it falls in line.
00:20:17
Speaker 2: EricConroy.com. Check out the website.
00:20:19
Speaker 3: Check out where he is on the issues and consider donating or at least getting a yard sign, maybe even doing a door knock for Eric. Eric, I truly wish you the best of luck. I think you are indeed a far superior candidate and just hope that folks out in the listening audience will encourage, will not only be enthused enough to get up and vote, but also bring their friends with them or tell their friends to vote as well.
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Speaker 4: Hey, Brian, thanks for having me again. And as a quick reminder, this is a top 10 race for control of the House. So not only do local voters have a chance to have a new Republican representative, but they have a hand nationally in deciding who has control of the House. So get out there and vote. Vote Eric Conrad for Congress. And let's bring some common sense conservative values back to Southwest Ohio.
00:20:57
Speaker 2: Amen to that. Eric, I hope to talk to you again
Speaker 1: The Talk Station.
00:00:04
Speaker 2: 828-55-KRC. The Talk Station. Happy Monday. Brian Thomas in studio. Eric Conroy. You can find him online.
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Speaker 3: You need to vote Eric Conroy. It's ericconroy.com. That's his election site. You can donate. You can get a yard sign. Apparently some people don't have yard signs out there, Eric. We need to get one in their front yard. But we are fast, fast approaching. And, of course, with early voting going on. Welcome back to the morning show, my friend. How do you feel right now? You've been out in the open. You've been talking to people, going door to door. You've been at town halls. You've been at the visits by J.D. Vance and Donald Trump. You get a sense of things because it's all gloom and doom. Republicans don't even bother showing up this year.
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Speaker 4: Well, Brian, thanks again for having me on. And we are very optimistic. And as I talk to folks around the district and the region, people want that change here. in the Ohio district one congressional seat. And I was very excited to open for president Trump in Northern Kentucky, uh, on, uh, on Saturday. And I showed you his coin that he gave me about the size of a hockey puck.
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Speaker 3: Yeah.
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Speaker 1: It's a huge one.
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Speaker 3: You know, you would expect with Donald Trump, his coin would be bigger than any other prior presidents just because, and of course it's adorned with gold.
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Speaker 4: I think it probably gets direct TV with how big it is as well.
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Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
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Speaker 3: It's certainly a wonderful paperweight things that comes in North of a quarter pound.
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Speaker 4: Right.
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Speaker 1: Uh, But I'll also be opening for J.D.
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Speaker 4: Vance this Wednesday as well, which we're very excited about. And we also released our latest polling last week as well, which shows us tied at 45-45 in the polls. So this race is alive and well, and we're looking forward to bringing back some common sense conservatism to District 1.
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Speaker 3: Well, and anybody can see it, and I recommend they check it out, erikconroy.com. Let us roll through the issues that you are concerned about. One of the things we know. that a simple change of administration can have a profound impact. Open borders, wide open. Oh my God, there's nothing we can do about it. We need to change the law. Change the law in order to address this problem, said Joe Biden eight gazillion times along with all of his Democrat pals. One moment in time, Donald Trump getting sworn in immediately. And that may be an overstatement, I acknowledge, but we are at like zero border crossings now.
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Speaker 4: None.
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Speaker 3: And then if you want to look at it, agree or disagree with the deportations, I think it's a wonderful thing for the American people of any political stripe that we get people who are not lawfully in our country out, who have committed heinous crimes like raping children. You know, I mean, can't we all agree on that? But apparently not, Eric.
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Speaker 4: Well, I think the president in this administration has done a terrific job in securing the border. And you can just look at some of the stats and numbers down there on the border. And what I find ironic about the whole situation is then-President Barack Obama also tried to secure the border in a very similar way. And there was really no controversy around it. But when a Republican president does it, for some reason, it's a bad thing.
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Speaker 1: But.
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Speaker 4: I think he's doing a great job securing the border, and we're going to continue to do that because we can't let drug traffickers and sex traffickers and criminals into this country. And we need people to immigrate in the lawful, legal way. And I've got a lot of friends. I have some friends who I served in the military with who were maybe citizens of other countries, like maybe Caribbean islands, places like that. And they waited 10 years to get their citizenship while they were serving in the military.
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Speaker 1: So really, I think this is.
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Speaker 1: More about fairness more than anything else.
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Speaker 2: No question about it.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, one of the things that I am such a huge proponent of is giving families the ability to send their children to a school of their choice as opposed to one-size-fits-all, which it certainly does in the public education system. I know Greg Lansman, as a former teacher and has two school-age children himself, he was fighting for increased public school spending, better teacher pay. He's also not interested in providing us with any measure of school choice. Denying people the The opportunity for choice when we're talking about the most important thing in any family's life, which is the lives and future of their children. I find that an affront to all things American. And it really irks me to no end that people will run around like the teachers union president and just tell you that they are the only one.
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Speaker 2: And really, they're only.
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Speaker 3: Advocating and fighting for the teachers, not the children. The education scores bear witness to this.
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Speaker 4: Well, look, if you believe America is a meritocracy, and I still believe that, then you should believe in choice, right? Because it creates a lot of competition and fairness across the board. And I think also we need to take a look at the Department of Education, right? I think it's a sad day when you have Department of Education bureaucrats in D.C.
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Speaker 1: Making $ 160, 000 a year.
00:04:32
Speaker 4: And then we have our teachers here in the tri-state making $ 35, 000 a year. So I think that needs to be rectified in some way. But also I think we need to consider great trajectories for our youth and what their career paths look like. And I'm a huge advocate of trade schools here in the region, right? Trade jobs, whether it's electricians, plumbers, HVAC specialists, these are not going to be automated by AI anytime soon. And oftentimes those career paths are a lot more productive than the typical four-year degree. So- I think we need to do a better job of advertising those career paths, like trade schools as well, which is great for everyone across the board, black, white, Hispanic. These are great career paths for people to have.
00:05:10
Speaker 1: They really are.
00:05:11
Speaker 3: And the idea that you can earn while you learn, and so many have that apprenticeship journeyman, apprenticeship relationship thing, make decent money as a young person. Even someone right out of high school can make a living wage. Don't go work at McDonald's expecting to make a living wage. That's not what that is for. That's a stepping stone job. Get you a resume built. Show people you can show up on time and then off to the next better gig.
00:05:34
Speaker 4: But trades, hey, I've got Westside friends who were millionaires by the time they were 30 because they went into the trades. Meanwhile, their peers who decide to do a four-year degree and maybe a master's after that are still in college debt. So I think it's time to bring back the trades and really emphasize that.
00:05:52
Speaker 2: I agree.
00:05:53
Speaker 3: And, you know, my son-in-law is in the trades. He works for Fast and Pro Roofing. Does really well. As a young man, and he's got his future. I asked him the other day, I said, do you think you'll open your own business someday? He's like, I don't know if I want to take on the role of being a small business owner. But, you know, it's certainly a possibility. That's the great thing about it.
00:06:10
Speaker 1: Well, I think small businesses.
00:06:13
Speaker 2: I've always been a W-2. I point that out all the time.
00:06:15
Speaker 3: I am thankful for the companies and businesses who have the wherewithal to start one and employ people. These are people that need to be rewarded, not penalized because they're evil or something.
00:06:26
Speaker 4: Well, I'm also very excited, Brian, to report that I've been endorsed by NFIB, the Small Business Association. I really do believe that small businesses are the backbone to really all Midwest economies, but especially here in Cincinnati. And whether you go to the West Side or Warren County or Clinton County, small businesses are really what makes our community thrive. And having very favorable tax policies and growth policies for those small businesses to continue to operate and thrive, I think, is a great thing as well.
00:06:54
Speaker 2: It is.
00:06:54
Speaker 3: We'll talk Social Security, Medicare. We'll talk jobs, the economy, maybe national defense. We've got all kinds of issues to talk about with Eric Conroy. EricConroy.com. He could use your help, and we could... Station. It's 838 at 55KRCD Talk Station. EricConroy.com. Eric Conroy in the studio. He's running for Congress against, of course, Greg Gang of Five Landsmen. I reminded Christopher Smitheman this morning when he was talking about Greg Landsman and how you are a superior vote, and I said, ah, And I knew he was a Gang of Five guy, so I just typed in Greg Lansman, Gang of Five. And, of course, the first article that popped up was going back, I guess it was 2000, whenever this happened, 2001, I think. Greg had to, well, he apologized to Christopher Smithman on the floor of council there for his involvement in the Gang of Five, which we all know was corruption on full display, making the city of Cincinnati look like some sort of backwoods corrupt. administration, which people drew a conclusion that it was. Anyway, Eric Conroy, not to delve too much time on that. Talking about the race, generally speaking, there was recently, and I know you know the article I'm talking about, a newspaper article from a major national newspaper, left-leaning it was or is, suggesting that everybody's pulling the plug on your money. How's the money holding out, Eric, and does that have any resemblance to the truth?
00:08:11
Speaker 1: So, money is holding out pretty well.
00:08:13
Speaker 4: We still have seven figures to work with, and I did see the New York Times article, and it's a tough cycle across the country, and There has been some incumbents who have needed a little bit more support than expected, which is where that New York Times article was coming from. But overall, that article was very overblown, right? We still have our new lines here, a 53% Republican district. As I mentioned, we're dead tied in the polls at 45-45, and we still have plenty of resources to get this thing done. So we're very excited. And also, with the Vivek and Husted races on the ballot this year, we're confident we're going to have the turnout that we need to pull this thing off. And I even had a nice brief chat with Speaker Mike Johnson on the phone last night, just catching up on the race and what's going on around the country. And he said, look, Eric, I've seen your polling. We're chalking your race up as a win. You've got it. The numbers are there. So everyone here is very excited and we're going to pull this thing off.
00:09:04
Speaker 3: So, I mean, boil down since the polls show what the polls show. And I know you have your own internal polling, but poll after poll after poll is showing Democrats way ahead. And, you know, There's a lot of reasons why I and I would think most every one of the listening audience doesn't believe polls anymore. How do you statistically sample? How do you get the right mix of Republicans and Democrats? You don't even really know truly who's going to vote or not going to vote. And how do you deal with the ever-growing legions of people who really will not even pick up a telephone call if they don't recognize who it's coming from? Or the legions of growing members of the Republican Party who don't want to out loud be affiliated with Trump for fear that the Justice Department is going to launch an investigation into him. Broad brush statement, I know, but there is that sort of, I'm not going to say anything out loud, screw you guy factor going out there because I personally hold it. I have never participated in.
00:09:53
Speaker 2: A poll ever.
00:09:55
Speaker 4: And that's exactly right, Brian. And polling these days is some kind of hocus pocus. witchcraft science, right? It's not a science. It's not an art. It's somewhere in between. And a lot of Republican voters, frankly, don't participate in polls. And especially nowadays. I mean, how many spam calls do you get a day? It's very hard to get Republicans to not only participate in polls, but to understand that they're even being approached for a poll sometimes as well. And I did see some interesting stats out there that a lot of polls underestimate Republicans by as much as three to five points because of that. So if you are seeing polls that are close, know that that's probably underestimating Republican voters by at least three to five points, especially in these federal in these federal races. So polls are the polls, right? They're typically wrong. And the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day. That's when the votes are counted.
00:10:44
Speaker 2: And it's so important to get out and vote. You could do it today. You can.
00:10:48
Speaker 3: You can't wait until election. They keep reminding people. It's like, come on. And the Republicans are voting early in much greater numbers than they were, although I saw the statistics the Ohio Press Network released.
00:11:00
Speaker 2: I think it was the Ohio Press Network. It doesn't matter.
00:11:01
Speaker 3: But tracking the number of people who've early voted, Democrats are ahead, but not by as much as in prior years.
00:11:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think we're going to see a high turnout midterm this year on both sides, right?
00:11:12
Speaker 1: And hopefully.
00:11:13
Speaker 4: On the Republican side, it's higher than the Democratic side, which is ideal. But I think people are really starting to get the message that this is a very important midterm and quite possibly the most important midterm of our lifetime. We now have a Democratic Party where 60% of people believe socialism is a good thing. And this is not just another election. This is a fight for the heart and soul of this country. And if you believe in America and what we stand for, freedom, capitalism, and not socialism— You really need to get out and vote because my message is that America is on the ballot this year.
00:11:46
Speaker 2: Without question.
00:11:47
Speaker 3: And if you haven't gotten a memo on that fact right there, my listening audience, then you really need to start paying more attention because we are on the brink of something very serious here if we don't right the ship. And I was commenting earlier this morning, you don't need to embrace my perception on this, Eric Conroy, but my perception is if you see what's going on in France, they're like a baby step, maybe one full step ahead of us. swirling out of control. The populace has no ability to deal with the fires, the burning of buildings, the riots in the streets. It's like the BLM anti-fog got together and it's on steroids in France. But the one thing I did note, and one way you can contrast yourself, I presume, Eric Conroy, is on the issue of the Second Amendment. I was recalling the shop owners, the Korean shop owners during the LA riots. What were they able to do? Protect themselves and their property because they were sitting up on top of the buildings.
00:12:38
Speaker 1: The Koreans on the rooftops.
00:12:39
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:12:39
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:12:40
Speaker 2: With AR-15s.
00:12:43
Speaker 1: You got it.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: Among other firearms. Greg Lansman, however, to contrast, is interested in background checks, red flag laws, age restrictions, and a ban on what he calls assault weapons, the modern sport rifle, widely popular it is. So he's an anti-gun guy, so you can count on that. He wants to take away your ability to defend yourself.
00:12:59
Speaker 4: Well, look, I'm pro-Second Amendment, right? I'm a proud gun owner myself. I own a Glock pistol. It's what I carried when I was in the CIA as well, so I'm very comfortable with it. And people need to have the right to bear arms, right? It's right there in the Constitution. It can't be any more clear. And I'm a huge supporter.
00:13:17
Speaker 2: I'm glad to hear that. And I did not have any doubt in my mind.
00:13:20
Speaker 3: We'll stop right now. We'll bring Eric Conroy back for a couple more topics. He can go across contrasting himself with the lesser candidate that is Greg.
00:13:26
Speaker 2: Gang of five, Lansman. See, I keep bringing that up. Don't go away. It's 845-55-KRC, the talk station. 55-KRC.
00:13:31
Speaker 3: Click station. 848-55-KRC, the talk station, ericconroy.com. Eric running for the first against Greg Lansman. And, you know, we were talking off air, and I keep, and I know whether it's people appreciate it or not, or even remember the whole gang of five antics on Sensei City Council. You said to me something in passing that you don't view that whole Gang of Five thing as as bad as this current issue involving his stock trading.
00:14:03
Speaker 4: Well, don't get me wrong. The Gang of Five issue is damning. And I think we all know it pretty well here in the city. But his stock trading sins the last couple of years, I would argue, are worse.
00:14:12
Speaker 1: He was.
00:14:13
Speaker 4: caught and punished for insider trading and breaking the Stock Act back in 2025, which is a federal law.
00:14:19
Speaker 1: And not only that, he went back and rewrote three.
00:14:21
Speaker 4: Years worth of financial disclosures to hide it from the hardworking people of this district. If you're unfamiliar, if you are a candidate or an elected official, you're required to fill out a financial disclosure, which describes your holdings and your net worth. And he went back and rewrote three of those, covering up dozens of trades worth over a million dollars. Brian, his net worth has literally tripled. tripled in less than four years on the Hill. Does this sound like a guy who's there for the right reasons?
00:14:48
Speaker 2: I want to know who his financial planner is.
00:14:50
Speaker 4: Hell of a financial advisor, right? I think it's probably Nancy Pelosi. Is she a CPA, Nancy Pelosi?
00:14:56
Speaker 2: I don't know. Maybe. Maybe he's getting advice from whoever's giving her advice.
00:15:00
Speaker 4: But look, we need people there for the right reasons and who also represent common sense conservative values because that's what this district reflects right now. And getting people there for the right reasons who actually represent the values of this district are important.
00:15:12
Speaker 3: Well, you did serve your country. After graduating, I might know from Westside Institution Elder High School. Good morning, my elder friends out there and folks on the Westside.
00:15:20
Speaker 2: You went to the U.S.
00:15:21
Speaker 3: Air Force Academy and then went on and worked for the CIA for a long time. I think that demonstrates your commitment to our country.
00:15:26
Speaker 1: Well, I think so, right?
00:15:28
Speaker 4: And I served 14 years in the Air Force and the CIA, and I'd like to say that I've dedicated my life to service. And serving this great community and region, I consider that next chapter in a life of service. And I do believe that I have the leadership skills and perspective to not only do this job well, but to be a substantial upgrade over career politician Greg Lansman.
00:15:49
Speaker 3: Well, I have to broach the subject, right? Artificial intelligence. You knew this was going to come. Data centers, people are angry at them. They're protesting them. And, you know, I'll say it again. You can't unring the bell. Artificial intelligence is here. It's not going anywhere. It may be devastating. It may kill us all. It may make our lives better. But we have no idea what lies in store. The question is who's going to be responsible for it? Who is going to, well, be responsible for development? Is it going to be us or is it going to be some foreign country like the Chinese who seem to be our only major competitors in the field of AI? To do AI, you've got to have data centers. So they're going someplace. They do bring revenue and job creation. Construction job creation is amazing. Those things employ a ton of, might I point out, union jobs. But the risks and the problems that people seem to be carping about are all surmountable up front. Vivek Ramaswamy's got his plan up front. This will be the rules in place. You must bring your own power, noise issues, water issues, all must be addressed and satisfy the community. And plus, don't build them in a neighborhood.
00:16:52
Speaker 2: And that seems.
00:16:54
Speaker 3: To be the best possible way to move forward with this because I think we would like those jobs here in the state of Ohio.
00:17:01
Speaker 2: And if we can address those challenges.
00:17:03
Speaker 3: I think people out there protesting are victims of not only propaganda, but also to the misguided impression that if they don't build a data center right there, then AI is going to go away.
00:17:12
Speaker 4: Well, look, I'm a fan of small government first and foremost. And I think that this is a local issue first or foremost. So if a local community decides that they would like to have a data center, I'll support them and help them do that. If they decide that they don't want a data center, I'll also support them and help them do that. But At the same time, I think big tech needs to foot the bill on the majority of the costs that affect the community in the surrounding region. But at the same time, like you said, I think we need to keep an open mind to it. We do need to win the AI race against China. Losing it would be the equivalent of losing the internet race 20 to 30 years ago. So I'd encourage people to keep an open mind in terms of these data centers because we do need them. AI is here and it does a lot of great things. I mean, the advances just in the medical field alone is pretty phenomenal. But at the same time, I believe it's a local issue, and I'll support a community's decision either way.
00:18:05
Speaker 2: I'm sure you will.
00:18:07
Speaker 3: And another thing you support, which I know you know I support, and you're being a veteran, suggests you would have big support for the American veteran. I know that's an issue on your campaign website. It really is truly important to support the American veteran. And in what ways will you, well, follow up on that promise?
00:18:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, of course.
00:18:25
Speaker 4: Well, I'll fight for their benefits and what they need to live a happy and successful life after their service. And as a veteran myself, someone who served seven years in the Air Force, I understand the challenges of being a veteran, whether it's a career transition or making bills meet after you leave the service. And I think by doing our veterans right throughout their life is important, and we need to make sure we take care of them.
00:18:50
Speaker 3: Any other topics you want to dive on into before we part company today, Eric?
00:18:53
Speaker 4: Well, I think one last thing I just want to ping is trade schools, right? We talk a lot about the economy and affordability. And I think finding our youth great career paths is very important. And I'm going to be a huge advocate for trade schools in this region because I think it works for just about everyone, right? And as I mentioned, the trades are not going to be automated by AI anytime soon. These are great and successful paths. And I'm really looking forward to finding some great common sense solutions and legislation for paths like trade schools to make sure our youth have a great opportunity moving forward.
00:19:27
Speaker 3: Well, you know, with the work requirement, I think logically and reasonably included in any– if you're an able-bodied adult, don't have any disabilities, you should at least try to get a job. And I just think of so many people out there who aren't even bothering looking for a job, who are on public assistance, receiving SNAP benefits or something else. You know, maybe a little nudge in the right direction, they will, too, find that these trade opportunities are out there, that they can get paid while they learn, or even for a small six-month commitment of time, they can find a great position of employment. And what's more, there are thousands and thousands of these jobs that right now are currently unfilled.
00:20:05
Speaker 4: Well, look, I think part of the battle is just getting the word out, right, and teaching young people about these great career paths and these great options so that they know that they're out there. And if we do that, hopefully it falls in line.
00:20:17
Speaker 2: EricConroy.com. Check out the website.
00:20:19
Speaker 3: Check out where he is on the issues and consider donating or at least getting a yard sign, maybe even doing a door knock for Eric. Eric, I truly wish you the best of luck. I think you are indeed a far superior candidate and just hope that folks out in the listening audience will encourage, will not only be enthused enough to get up and vote, but also bring their friends with them or tell their friends to vote as well.
00:20:38
Speaker 4: Hey, Brian, thanks for having me again. And as a quick reminder, this is a top 10 race for control of the House. So not only do local voters have a chance to have a new Republican representative, but they have a hand nationally in deciding who has control of the House. So get out there and vote. Vote Eric Conrad for Congress. And let's bring some common sense conservative values back to Southwest Ohio.
00:20:57
Speaker 2: Amen to that. Eric, I hope to talk to you again
