"This took a lot of soul searching. The timing just seems right." - Joe Oxley

With a power vacuum in the Monmouth GOP, caused by the deaths, retirements and indictments of many long term leaders, the timing should be right for young men and women with distinguished records of service and high popularity to step up and provide the leadership this county and this party needs for the next decade.

Instead, we have all stars in their prime going out on the top of their game; albeit, without a champion's belt. We have an up and coming star not welcome on the team. We have a controversal leader with one hand legally tied behind his back.

We have upcoming races that should have been slam dunks suddenly competitve. Suddenly, the whole county is competive, with the possible exception of one district where the senior candidate plays for both sides.

Things are not looking good for the Monmouth GOP. As my friend Abe has been saying lately, it didn't have to be this way.