Sunday, June 29, 2008

DISCUSSION: STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT MIGHT OFFEND SOME CANDIDATES BY ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS?


Thursday of this past week the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) received a phone call from Dr. (as he likes to be called) and Democrat Peter Ferguson who is running against Republican John Hagan for county commissioner.

Ferguson complained that "someone" had told him that The Report called him a lazy campaigner.

"Not true," The Report told the good doctor.

What The Report did do was publish the comment of an elected countywide official about both Ferguson and Hagan.

The comment: "Whoever was the least lazy campaigner among Ferguson and Hagan would win the election."

The comment was no surprise when it comes to Hagan. The Report knows how utterly lazy Hagan is first hand. He latches on to the likes of Jon Husted (Ohio Speaker of the House) and others (e.g. the folks who created a gerrymandered Republican 50th House District tailored for him) and lives off the host. If Hagan were to be elected county commissioner, The Report is convinced he would feast off the likes of Republican chairman Jeff Matthews and, perhaps, former and the last effective Republican chairman - Judge Charles Brown. John Hagan is in over his head at any level of government he has ever served in.

The Report only has a casual political acquaintance with Ferguson. The Report has no direct basis whatsoever to know what Ferguson's political work ethic is and therefore relies on other knowledgeable Stark County political people who see more of him to assess his industry on the political front.

No one likes to be called lazy. What is probably the most significant thing to Ferguson should be identity of the person has assessed him to be a lazy campaigner.

While The Report was on the phone with Ferguson, there were questions to be asked? What about publicly made claim in January, 2008 that the commissioners had room to make more budget cuts? Ironically, (if one believes the "lazy campaigner assessment") Ferguson begged off saying he had patients to see (remember - Ferguson initiated the call), but that he would call back to answer The Report's questions.

The Report does not believe that Ferguson will be calling back. Why? The Report doesn't think he can handle the tough questions. Hagan, certainly will try to avoid The Report. Why? He only deals with "softballs!"

Just ask Kirk Schuring about The Report's tough questions. That is a story for another time. Stay tuned.

Question: Are candidates who won't take the tough questions deserving of voter support?

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