Sunday, June 22, 2008

DISCUSSION: IS COUNTY SHERIFF CANDIDATE DORDEA DEVELOPING A CAMPAIGN CREDIBILITY PROBELM?

The very first commenter on the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) was Republican candidate for Stark County sheriff - Larry Dordea (a retired Alliance police chief).

The Report did a piece on Dordea suggesting that, perhaps, he was too provincial to be a county wide official. Dordea showed up at Alliance City Council when Commissioner Jane Vignos appeared asking for a resolution in support of county wide 9-1-1. An important public figure on the Alliance political landscape, he asked Council to defer on the resolution.

The Report suspects that Dordea is geographically challenged and is more interested in protection police, fire and EMS turfs than in moving Stark County emergency services into the 21st century.

In this email to The Report, Dordea chastised yours truly for writing in such a vein in light of the fact I did not personally know him and his public policy positions.

Dordea made a good point. The Report is open to changing views. But, despite making several requests of Dordea for a sit down interview, he gives The Report the silent treatment. Moreover, Dodea's website heralds "assessability (sic)" as a strength that he possess that, impliedly, his opponent Sheriff Tim Swanson does not have.

Well, all The Report can say is that Swanson has already sat down with The Report this past Friday, June 20th. The Report summarized all of Dordea's negatives on Swanson (direct and implied) and pressed Swanson for a response.

The Report is ready to go with its series on the Stark County sheriff's race and will do so with or without Dordea. It will run between now and November 4th. If Dordea persists in running from The Report and he does make publicized public appearances, he can be sure The Report will be there with camera in hand to ask questions.

Stark Countians are in for a treat. The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT is and will continue to be the primary place to get information on the candidates running for any Stark County based office.

Question: Will fair minded Stark County voters allow (in the sense of voting for or against) Dordea to "cherry-pick" the media he will talk to?

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