Dayton OH: For Immediate Release: 26 Feb 2024
That 95% of Congress gets re-elected are tough odds to beat, but David Esrati, who is challenging House Intelligence Committee head Mike Turner in OH-10 thinks his activism plus his advertising skills, plus his Army training in unconventional warfare, will show democrats nationwide how to win against the odds.
Since being arrested illegally by Mike Turner back in 1996, he’s been labeled everything from a “ninja” to a “perennial candidate” as excuses to not take him seriously. Potential clients have shied away from hiring his agency, The Next Wave Marketing Innovation, for fear of retribution from Turner and others in the local political establishment he calls the “Monarchy of Montgomery County” which has been implicated in one scandal after another. For the last 3 years, he’s been battling in the courts pro se with a FOIA request to get tapes the feds made in the “Culture of Corruption” investigation of former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and others. Whaley chose not to stand for re-election at the last minute, then ran for Ohio Governor, despite recordings of her by informants that a Grand Jury member called “dirty.” The Feds have invoked the Glomar defense as if these tapes are matters of national security, Esrati claims they are covering up their tampering with elections allowing a caught felon to run for office (Commissioner Joey D. Williams), while he was working as a snitch.
Esrati v US DOJ & FBI, 6th Circuit US Court of Appeals, No 22-3679, 1-17-24
His tongue in cheek response to the establishment? He has the domain agencyoflastresort.com where his alter-ego agency prescribes a twelve-step program for companies failing at advertising.
And failing at messaging is what he believes is the heart of the problem for the DCCC and the rest of the party. Esrati, who served as an Army paratrooper, was particularly entertained by one old Army joke- “What the difference between the Army and the Boy Scouts? The Boy Scouts have adult leadership.” The republicans have been better at taglines/positioning for a long time. It started with running actors for political office, and then reality show hosts, who know how to deliver, from “It’s morning in America” to “Contract with America” to “Death tax” and ending with “MAGA.” The last good line the Dems had was “It’s the economy, stupid” which is still true, and Dems are in denial. Dem party leadership can’t seem to coordinate a campaign with a message that works.
As an agency for underdogs over the years, he’s used to working with smaller budgets and guerilla tactics. He doesn’t bother with small yard signs on empty lots or side streets- instead only placing large signs on main roads- in places where his supporters control the clutter. Instead of a 3-minute anthem video like AOC’s “The courage to change” or “Doors” for MJ Hegar (two of the better into anthem videos). He releases a 9 minute story “The Power of U.S.” and tells us that that America needs to fix America before fixing the world, not as an overture to Trump isolationism, but as a reality check that we’re being distracted, controlled and abused by a system where members of congress have health care and you don’t, where politicians can become rich on the stock market while you can’t afford groceries at the market, yet they’re talking about trans bathrooms and banning books, while the American public can afford the F35, but not our own insulin.
He also attacks Turner for his security leaks, defending Trumps for classified document mishandling and asks why members of congress who voted against accepting the results on Jan 6 2020 are still in office- since they were elected with the same “rigged” votes?
He hits Turner hard on gun control, pointing out that Turner’s own daughter was in the Oregon District the night of the mass shooting in 2019.
One of his strengths is that he manages to get along with everyone (except those he exposes for corruption) and can bridge discussion between Dems and Republicans. He also thinks that creativity would help Dems sell their ideas across the aisle and the nation.
As a small businessman he knows the costs of health care are out of control and are stacking the deck against small businesses. When Amazon can offer health care on day one and $18 an hour, they are setting the wage floor- and competing with an unfair advantage making it tougher on small business. He advocates for starting the switch to a national health care system with allowing buy in to medicare for small businesses, and an eventual move to single payer for all. What can the health insurance industry do instead? Sell gun insurance or learn how to be health care providers instead of rationers he says.
The lack of health care, especially with mental health and addiction treatment is costing our country far more than the fix would. Between prisons and deaths and crime to support addiction- America’s addicts fund the cartels, destabilizing South and Central America which partially causes the immigration issue according to Esrati. If we want to solve America’s problems- let’s build houses instead of walls, and make sure the homeless and the mentally ill are cared for. We have a huge need for assisted living facilities that help with life skills- not necessarily mental hospitals, but something between hospital and prison.
We also are facing a graying America, where there will be a huge need for senior care.
Although it’s not in the video, he supports a year of service to our country- from the military to child/senior care or a civilian conservation corp. Upon the completion of service, higher ed would be paid for.
These are bigger ideas than the Democratic party has been able to share, being beat with slogans like MAGA and Contract with America. Republicans have managed to get people to vote against their own self-interests willingly, Dems need to learn to counter.
He points out that since Turner took office, the number of US Billionaires has quadrupled- and the average billionaires wealth grew 46% since 2020.
It’s time for America to have donor registration and real time reporting if we ever want change. The system is rigged, and this ad man wants to unrig it.
His district is still gerrymandered for a Republican to win. Yet, he knows that there are more independent voters than either party, and frankly, a lot of people dislike Turner and would dislike him more if he was properly challenged.
He figures he can beat Turner with $500K which is half of what Turner spends every cycle. As he points out, he owns an award-winning propaganda factory, and never charges the campaign for his own work.
He hopes that the Dem party will take the time to look at what he’s done on a shoestring this time out (he ran without any party support last time- which he was counting on). He’s worked with so many other local campaigns that he’s guided to victory, this time, it’s his turn. Those that have watched his 9-minute opus say that it kept their attention. Just wait until he has a budget- and hopefully, a place at the table with the DCC positioning more Dems to win, despite the odds.
VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/BPYPqtRCLGg?si=q0ZSA9-_1lhazqkD
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Contact:
David Esrati
937-985-1312