We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Rob Long ·
Sep 10, 2010 at 4:29pm
....but it's possible to be too enthusiastic. Phil Davison is running for Treasurer of Stark County, Ohio. And I hope he wins. But I also hope he can take it down, just a notch.
But just a notch. Because you've gotta love the intensity.
- Comment (41)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
Jun '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
He should check out decaf.
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Hahahahahaha! Clearly, Rob, no one's explained to you the guaranteed benefits of the Stark County Ohio Treasurer's post. Remember the scene at the end of The Godfather where everyone comes in and kisses Michael's ring? Well, it's kind of like that. Only, you know, in Stark County, Ohio.
Aug '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
It's only because he cares...too...dang...much. Wow. More power to him, but, yeah, decaf.
Jul '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Well, he does mention that he has a Master's in COMMUNICATION!!!
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
I know we're supposed to laugh at this, and I know the lefty blogosphere is going to have a field day, but I find this guy just totally awesome. I would love to vote for him. There's something about that kind of transported nuttiness that I think just perfectly captures the passions that people have right now about politics.
One of the wonderfully over-the-top things I love about the Tea Party movement is how tightly connected it is to the original founders, to their principles, to the ideas of liberty. To the Gadsen flag, for heaven's sake. And I have no doubt that half of those guys back in 1776 sounded a little bananas. Because they felt these things so passionately. Maybe that's why I like this guy so much: because he's totally unprogrammed, unslick, unpackaged, unmoderated, and unfocus-grouped. He's also a little unglued, but you've got to expect a little of that, in times like these.
If people feel like this about the Stark County Treasurer's office, imagine how they feel about, I don't know, their big spending Democratic senator?
Edited on Sep 10, 2010 at 5:09pmRe: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Wow, thank you Rob. I haven't laughed that hard all week!
Dude seems like he'd make a perfect football coach
Jul '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Where can I donate to his campaign?
May '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Because we are on the world wide inter-webby thingy, let me tell you a bit about the benefits of Stark County, Ohio... I speak authoritatively because I was born there, still live and pay taxes there.
There are no benefits. The Democratic treasurer allowed one of his employees to abscond with $3M. The county is broke. Industry and jobs are scarce and young people are leaving in droves.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is about five minutes from my home. It brings the town alive for one week a year. The other 51 are no great shakes.
Edited on Sep 10, 2010 at 5:42pmMay '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Sorry to tell you, Rob, but he did not win the nomination. So, denied access to the embezzlement bonanza that is the Stark County Treasurer's office, he'll just have to go back to lving in a van! down by the river!
Either that, or he could run on a national ticket with Basil Marceaux.
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Wow! That's what I love about Ricochet! We're only a few clicks away from an expert.
EJHill, what do you think about Phil Davison? I mean, the backstory you gave certainly explains the intensity. Maybe the county needs a little shake-up? Or are we missing something? Is he going to win? Does the county government need a housecleaning? I'm not kidding about loving this guy -- he's nutty in the video, and he looks angry about a lot of things (including, oddly, his own MA in Communication) but maybe nutty anger is exactly the right response to a county that's been run, as you say, by crooks and incompetents.
What do you think, EJ?
Aug '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Rob Long: Maybe that's why I like this guy so much: because he's totally unprogrammed, unslick, unpackaged, unmoderated, and unfocus-grouped. He's also a little unglued, but you've got to expect a little of that, in times like these.
If people feel like this about the Stark County Treasurer's office, imagine how they feel about, I don't know, their big spending Democratic senator? · Sep 10 at 5:08pm
As long as the people of his district are okay with it and it doesn't turn people off from voting for him. He's authentic and no one can deny that. Passion and enthusiasm is great as long as it doesn't make you fear for your own safety in their presence.
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Kennedy Smith: Sorry to tell you, Rob, but he did not win the nomination. So, denied access to the embezzlement bonanza that is the Stark County Treasurer's office, he'll just have to go back to lving in a van! down by the river!
Either that, or he could run on a national ticket with Basil Marceaux. · Sep 10 at 5:26pm
Of course. I knew he reminded me of someone. Chris Farley's Matt Foley.
I'm sorry he lost. But I hope we'll hear more from him.
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Nicely put!
May '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Here, as Mr. Harvey used to say, is the rest of the story.
Gary Zeigler was the Treasurer but an underling embezzled $3M. There was no evidence Zeigler was involved but he didn't detect it either. The political pressure from both parties forced to him to resign, three years before his current term expires. It was too late for the March primary so the executive committees of both parties nominated candidates for the general election. The video of Mr. Davidson was his speech before the GOP committee. He was not chosen. The nod went to Alex Zumbar,, the finance director for the city of North Canton and the former auditor for the city of Alliance.
The Dems nominated the guy who took over and runs as the incumbent, a former banker and auditor for the state.
Both are qualified and are bound to be an upgrade.
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Oh. Well. That doesn't seem very dramatic. Here I was hoping for a story with pitchforks and angry townsfolk and sweaty speeches in the summer night.
I guess there's not much there there, as they say. Still, I hope Alex Zumbar kicks his delivery up a bit -- he's got a tough act to follow.
Jul '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
This is uncharacteristic, I know, but I actually felt terribly, terribly sorry for the guy.
And for his family.
I'll laugh at the elite and powerful anytime. But I just don't have it in me to snark at handicapped children and three-legged dogs.
May '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
We were a vibrant manufacturing hub at one time. We're home to Diebold. You know them, the Dems demonized their electronic voting system after the 2000 elections because the chairman of the company is big in the GOP. After the Dems destroyed the business Diebold sold it for a pittance. Then the Dems claimed the buyer violated antitrust laws!
Our steel works are a shell. The Hoover Vacuum Company is no more. The automotive downturn has hurt the Timken Company, the world's largest manufacturer of ball bearings. The local hospital is now the county's biggest employer.
Sometimes I want to weep.
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Kenneth: This is uncharacteristic, I know, but I actually felt terribly, terribly sorry for the guy.
And for his family.
I'll laugh at the elite and powerful anytime. But I just don't have it in me to snark at handicapped children and three-legged dogs. · Sep 10 at 5:48pm
What have you done with Kenneth?
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
EJHill: We were a vibrant manufacturing hub at one time.
Our steel works are a shell. The Hoover Vacuum Company is no more. The automotive downturn has hurt the Timken Company, the world's largest manufacturer of ball bearings. The local hospital is now the county's biggest employer. · Sep 10 at 5:53pm
Yesterday I went to Fry's Electronics -- there's a huge one in Burbank, and I had a meeting in the afternoon, and killed some time buying useless gadgets waiting for the traffic to ease up. They're selling Dyson vacuums, all sorts of electronic bits and pieces -- it's a tinkerer's dream. So my question is, do you think there's a way for places like Stark County to come back? And if so, how would you do it? I'm a total pollyanna on this stuff -- I go to Fry's and think: people are making things, inventing things, right here in Burbank -- but maybe I'm naive.
Jul '10
Re: We All Love an Enthusiastic Candidate....
Rob Long
EJHill: We were a vibrant manufacturing hub at one time.
Our steel works are a shell. The Hoover Vacuum Company is no more. T
Yesterday I went to Fry's Electronics They're selling Dyson vacuums
Dyson is designed in England, manufactured in China.
Interesting story. Dyson was a mechanical engineer who thought every vacuum cleaner he'd ever owned was plotz, so he decided to do it better. He drove himself to personal bankruptcy.
Hoover came to him and offered to buy his design - with the intent of shelving it, because vacuum-cleaner companies don't make money on the machine, they make money on the bags - and Dyson's design was bagless.
Though bankrupt, he refused, out of fidelity to his vision.
Then he entered his prototype into a design competition in Tokyo and the thing became a Japanese cult item, fetching super-premium prices.
Now Hoover is an empty shell.
And Dyson is the best freaking vacuum-cleaner every made.