DISCUSSION: DEHOFF WON'T TALK TO MAYOR CICCHINELLI WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS? WHAT'S THAT SARAH?

A point of discussion in the presidential race is whether or not the U.S. should talk to North Korea, Iran, Cuba et cetera without preconditions.

On Thursday, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin finger pointed on the issue at her opponent Senator Joe Biden.

Apparently, we have a version of this debate right here in Stark County.

The question becomes: Is Tuscarawas Township trustee Celeste DeHoff a Sarah Palin act alike?

The city of Massillon and Tuscarawas Township is in a big tiff over who pays for servicing of now divided roads resulting from successful annexation efforts by Massillon of property that was part of the township.

Take this conversation as reported in The Massillon Independent:

DeHoff ... said she would have a hard time meeting with somebody who questioned her credibility.

“I would really have to think hard before doing that,” DeHoff said. “... There would have to be more people in the room than just the mayor and trustees.

There are several troublesome aspects of the DeHoff position. But the main one as far as the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) is concerned revolves about DeHoff's easily injured feelings.

In the political world, one has to have thick skin. People do say things that have a sting to them. But then to say you can't talk to an offending person to do the best thing for one's constituents is unacceptable.

The Report muses: What if DeHoff is elected to the Ohio House of Representatives? (which doesn't seem likely) There will be instances House debates where her credibility gets attacked. Does her posture vis-a-vis Massillon Mayor Cicchinelli suggest that, even when it is in the interest of her 50th District constituents that she sit down and talk with the offending fellow House member that she will refuse to do so unless she can bring uninvolved persons to the conference table - as a precondition?

Or to put the question just a little bit differently: With her propensity to take things personally, is Celeste DeHoff ready for the primetime position of state representative - 50th District?