The only good thing about the election of Republican Todd Sniticher (Ohio House - 50th) is that he will be in the minority where he can do no harm.Although Snitchler is brighter than "termed-out" John Hagan, he still is a "true-believer" type, notwithstanding his training as a "critique-enabled" attorney.
Snitchler will genuflect before the right-wing Republican sacred cows of the chambers of commerce as econmic strategists, market forces solve every enconomic/financial problem and the way to reform public schools is to step up the competition through charter schools and vouchers. And, if that is not enough on education, throw in a dash of "creationism" in the curriculum to season the Brennan "let's fix public education" stew.
When the Republicans gerrymandered the 50th to defeat Stark County Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier in the early 90s, they gave birth to a haven for political Neanderthals.
John Hagan, the current lame duck representative, has been the personification of a "Know-Nothing" who merely held the office and followed orders from headquaters.
Snitchler is smarter than Hagan but has an uncanny ability to suspend his rational faculties and kneel at the sight of right-wingish Republican politics.
Stark Countians pretty much ignored Hagan when in office and rejected him countywide in his race against Pete Ferguson.
For veteran Stark County politician Hagan (supermajority/majority member of the Ohio House) to lose by five percentage points to a political neophyte (Ferguson) might suggest to Snitchler that right-wing politics might play well in the 50th, such is not the case in a county won by presidential candidate Barak Obama.
The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) will be watching Snitchler closely and reporting/analyzing his actions in the Legislature. He does have the cover of being a part of the minority. Anything he does won't matter because Democrats will being moving on their own agenda.
One more thing for Snitchler to ponder, it is very likely that Democrats will be in a position - post 2010 elections - to be in charge of redistricting. It could be a short run for Republican dominance in the 50th?
What relevance does the newly elected Todd Snitchler have to solving the problems of everyday Stark Countians?
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