Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley is "the dude" when it comes to campaigning. Nobody but nobody outworks or out "negative" campaign ads Todd Bosley.
Former Stark County Richard Regula found that out when it came to his 2006 campaign against Bosley. Only the folks in Nimishillen Township had ever heard of Todd Bosley before he decided that being township trustee was enough after three years and had the chutzpah to take on the son of the then sitting congressman Ralph Regula.
Richard Regula is known in the political world as being more than a tad lazy when it comes to campaigning and therefore made him highly vulnerable to the frenetic campaigner Bosley. Moreover, Bosley has no hesitation whatsoever to bring out political dirt on his opponents via political ads to bolster his on-the-ground aggressive campaign style.
The SCPR knew all about Bosley's style of campaign and yet yours truly was surprised that Bosley beat Regula. The Report thought it would be relatively close. But for an obscure township trustee to defeat a Regula?
Bosley was so euphoric after defeating the son, he was heard to say in the full blush of victory words to the effect: "Bring on the father!"
After being one of three Stark County commissioners (joined by Jane Vignos and Tom Harmon) to impose a 0.50 county sales tax designed to provide funding to fix the broken Stark County 9-1-1 system and to put a cash infusion into the county general fund and then having to sit and watch as the Vote No Increased Taxes forces demolished the retention of the tax in November, 2009; Bosley could not hope to be re-elected Stark County commissioner.
Like manna from Heaven, Ohio Speaker of the House Armond Budish showed up on Bosley's Marlboro county estate doorstep (he moved from Nimishellen) in January, 2010. Budish to Bosly: (paraphrase) "We (the Ohio House Democratic Caucus) had done some polling. Bosley, you are by far the strongest candidate of the field presented to prospective voters. We need you to run against incumbent Republican Todd Snitchler. Will you do it?"
Ultimately, Bosley said yes.
There should have been "wailing and gnashing of teeth" in the Snitchler camp for they were about to experience a campaign that had to be beyond their wildest imagination.
Bosley's "go for the jugular" style should have been apparent to the Snitchlerites as soon as the now famous "the rat" flyer began showing up in the mail boxes of 50th District residents.
Bosley was quick to disassociate himself from the flyer (see video below for confirmation) saying that he has no control over the Ohio Democratic Party which put out the ad.
The SCPR does not buy such disclaimers, Democrat or Republican. Local campaigns work "hand-in-glove" with their state supporters. A simple command: "I want to see the draft flyer before it gets published and sent out" would suffice.
But this is not how the process works. What candidates do is turn a blind eye to what the state folks are doing in a "hear no evil, see no evil, do no evil" vein. This is done to set them up to utter statements of "plausible" deniability.
Snitchler does the same thing.
So now both Bosley and Snitchler have filed or caused to be filed elections complaints before the Ohio Elections Commission (OEC).
In the accompanying video, Bosley is seen saying that the Ohio Elections Commission will sort it all out.
No, they won't
Slaps on the hands at best is all that will come out of the OEC.
In fact, the SCPR thinks the filing of complaints and counter complaints is an campaign tactic itself.
The larger question is whether or not 50th District (Ohio House) exact a penalty on the one of the two that is perceived to have been the "dirtier" campaigner?
If the voters are tuned in on the back and forth on the negative ads, the SCPR believes that there could be voter recrimination against Todd Bosley.
This is going to be a very close election. The Report believes that Bosley has the edge.
But the negative ads (which The Report believes trump the Snitchler negative ads effort) could turn a close victory into a narrow defeat.
Only if it becomes apparent to candidates that the voters themselves factor in negative advertising, will they think twice about using the ads in the future.
Here is a video of Snitchler and Bosley speaking on the topic of negative ads at their October 13th League of Women Voters debate.
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