Ohio man extends open invite to presidential candidates

SHERWOOD, Ohio (WANE) - Welcome to Sherwood Ohio. Population 823.

"We know each other here...we take care of each other," said Eddie Boterf, a resident of Sherwood.

Boterf has lived in small towns his whole life and is extending an invitation to President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney to come to an actual small town and see what life is really like.

"I get tired of hearing about small town values and small town people, but they never come to a small town," Boterf said.

So, he and a friend made a YouTube video for the candidates hoping to get their attention.

"After I saw his video, I thought it was one of the greatest ideas we could've had around here," said Robert Werfal II, another resident. "I mean getting a couple presidential candidates around to small towns to say hey we care about you in the small town and to actually get an idea of what other small towns around the country are like right now."

Boterf says the candidates need to see firsthand the issues people in real small towns deal with such as unemployment.

"The two things on my agenda is the healthcare and the jobs," Boterf said. "If they were sitting here, that's what I would ask them."

With Ohio being a critical state in this election, it's an invitation Boterf says the candidates might want to seriously consider.

"That they would care enough to take a few hours out of their busy schedule to come to a small town in Northwest Ohio," Boterf said. "It would change my thoughts of them drastically; it could sway me either way."

Contradictory to the statement Romney made when he said, "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what... [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives," Boterf believes Romney nor President Obama should count anyone out.

"I can't say that I'm one of the 47 percent that Mr. Romney spoke [about], but I'm one of the 53 percent that wants to speak to him…if you're gonna talk the talk, walk the walk," Boterf said.

Boterf has had nearly 200 views to his YouTube video , but he has not contacted the candidates directly and doesn't know if they have seen it or not.