Monday, August 25, 2008

DISCUSSION: SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE "STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT" THINKS LARRY DORDEA IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR?


When a person seeks to be Stark County sheriff, it is absolutely essential that such person be perceived as a "fundamentally fair person."

Larry Dordea has bristled at the suggestion of the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) that Dordea is being unfair when he makes vague, sweeping insinuations against sitting sheriff Tim Swanson's administration of the sheriff's office without providing specifics.

Moreover, Dordea refuses to subject himself to "in the line of fire" questions of The Report. Apparently, he is so used to being the "man in charge" (i.e. police chief of Alliance), that he thinks he is above being scrutinized and asked to provide chapter and verse for his statements and actions.

More and more, The Report views Dordea as the "home cookin" candidate. If a candidate can control his comfy turf (ref: search for Is Dordea too provincial to be sheriff), then he can feel good about himself while sailing towards electoral disaster.

The Report has criticized Sheriff Swanson for remaining on vacation while the Cutts/Davis matter was in full bloom. The Report has criticized Sheriff Swanson for his "retire/rehire" plan. And, The Report will continue to take the sheriff to task on programs, policies, statements and actions on which he is blameworthy.

Dordea thinks he can marginalize The Report's hard-hitting analyses by implying (apparently a skill he trying to hone into an artform) that because in The Report's pre-blogging days there was a political connection with Swanson.

The Report has made over 200 posts since the inception of this blog in March, 2008. Ask Stark County office holding Democrats and candidates if they think former political connections exonerate them from the scrutiny of The Report.

The Report extracted portions from a letter to the editor to The Repository (today's edition - see lower-left graphic). Is this person biased too, candidate Dordea? What connections is Dordea going to drag out about the historical relationship between Director Budgake and Swanson?

Dordea still has an opportunity to show that he is a "grown-up" politician notwithstanding that this, obviously, his first foray into the rough and tumble world of politics. Stark Countians want candidates who hold their opponents accountable with specificity but who also transparently hold themselves up to public examination.

Will Dordea ever stand front and center in this campaign. Or, will continue to distract and obsfuscate and be vague?

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