UPDATED AT 5:30 PM
Vice President Joe Biden came to town (the Babe Stern Center) yesterday and gave his standard stump speech before 854 Democratic loyalists.
Other than referring to the upcoming Canton McKinley/Massillon game this upcoming Saturday and its notoriety across the nation and singling out former Stark County Sheriff Babe Stern's widow, he didn't do very much with the local Stark County factor in his talk.
Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan came to Canton within days of his selection by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and he too gave a typical stump speech.
What was different about the Biden and Ryan Stark County appearances was the difference in according attention to Stark County candidates.
The SCPR interviewed a number of the GOP's candidates (Dordea (sheriff), Grady (prosecutor), Regula (commissioner) and Zumbar (treasurer) at the Ryan rally.
But their Democratic counterparts were nowhere to be seen yesterday. The Report did see Sue Ryan at the event. (she running against Republican Christina Hagan in the 50th Ohio House District). P.S. Murthy (Stark County coroner) is said to have been present.
The Report has confirmed with Mike McDonald (sheriff) and Bill Smuckler (commissioner) that they were not present at the Babe Stern Center.
Yours truly was looking for John Ferrero and other countywide candidates, but didn't see any of them.
Not that it makes much if any difference.
And for the record, Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez tells The Report that the local party had no say in whether or not local candidates/politicians would be recognized. Those decisions, he says, are made by Obama's Organizing for America group.
For the most part, "cameo" recognitions of candidates to the devout party faithful is not going to impact the outcome of the race.
Bill Smuckler tells The Report that he was out doing what candidates ought to be doing: raising campaign funds. Pre-general campaign finance reports are due to the Stark County Board of Elections by Thursday.
Smuckler was also chirping like a very happy bird because of a Repository story yesterday describing his position on being a full time commissioner.
Opponent Richard Regula may have made a fatal campaign mistake when he announced on Ron Ponder's Points to Ponder (WHBC1480 NEWSTALK) earlier this month that he was going to continue to work his full time day job at Mercy Medical Center even it elected as Stark County commissioner.
Regula confirmed his intention to be a part time commissioner in a SCPR video interview (LINK).
Mike McDonald didn't make the Biden event either and said he was uncertain whether or not the national race will impact the local race.
The SCPR believes it may well in the very close races, to wit: the sheriff's race and the county commissioner race. But probably not on the Stark County clerk of courts race, the' coroner's race, the prosecutor's race and the recorder's race.
McDonald is upbeat about the work that Stark County policemen are making on his behalf. He believes that Stark's policing community are substantially more for him than his Republican opponent Larry Dordea. He cites his endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) as being a really big deal.
He says his pre-general campaign finance report will show fund raising in excess of $50,000.
If he is reading the policing tea leaves correctly, then the FOP endorsement (including its providing campaign workers) could be a difference maker.
In general, the SCPR does not believe newspaper endorsements and overtly partisan organizations endorsements (e.g. Votes for Women [GOP] Coalition of Women Voters [Dems] mean much to the typical voter.
Back to Vice President Biden.
For those readers who did not get a chance to make it down to the Babe Stern Center yesterday, here is a video of the entire Joe Biden stump speech.
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