I don't know Wes Godwin and can't speak to the circumstances behind his recent actions. However, I think his ploy to eliminate Marietta Councilman Van Pearlberg from the race was a stupid and futile gesture likely to fail on appeal. I hear plenty of outrage from my Ward 4 neighbors over this kind of tactic. Most people look at it as some form of cheating or at least dirty politics.
I feel sure there are plenty of Obama fans that are among the Godwin critics. In case they didn't pay attention to the background of someone they voted for last November, here is how Obama got to where he is today. Looks like our Mr. Godwin went to the same school of politics.
Obama has only run in four elections. His first victory in 1996 led to him gaining prominence in Illinois, and 13 years later, we have the current situation with a novice ultra-liberal screwing up the country beyond belief. Even state elections matter.
Obama's first and third elections are most relevant to what is going on in Marietta's ward 4. In 1996 Obama decided to run for the Illinois State Senate. He ended up as the only Democrat on the ballot. How did that happen? There were three other candidates on the Democrat side, including the incumbent (like Van), but with Godwin-like tactics, Obama attacked all of his opponents on the validity of their petitions to be on the ballot. Obama and his lawyer friends got all three eliminated on technicalities and Obama was unopposed by any Democrat - which basically assured him victory in his district. So, the man who supposedly sacrificed a lucrative legal career to do "community organizing" which involved registering thousands of people to vote, denied these same people the opportunity to vote for their own state senator.
It is also interesting to note that Obama obviously understands the practice of challenging candidates on documentation in elections. And people wonder why Obama did not and will not allow people to see his potentially troublesome birth certificate?
Later, after a crushing defeat in a fair race for Congress in 2000, Obama was the Democratic nominee for the 2004 U.S. Senate race against a strong Republican candidate, Jack Ryan. Then, with only months to go before the general election, Obama's partners at the Chicago Tribune petitioned the courts to unseal the "sealed" records of Ryan's private divorce. Portions were released against the objections of Mr. and Mrs. Ryan and soon after, Ryan's candidacy was over. The Republican Party was only able to muster an out-of-state candidate, Alan Keyes, to run at the last minute. Obama won - again virtually unopposed.
Wes Godwin for president? Even local elections matter. Character matters. Pay attention to who you vote for. They might just weasel their way to the top.
Mickey King
Marietta
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And I do know Mr. Godwin. And let me just say that I'm VERY surprised that he would be, according to backbencher, an Obama supporter. He must have been trying to engender the favor of someone more powerful who also supported Obama.
Mr. Rhinehart - I always enjoy reading your thoughtful and intelligent posts. I agree, Obama is grossly unqualified. I'm not a mindless Obama supporter and would be as intrigued as you as to the turn of events should his U.S. birth be proven invalid. We have had unqualified presidents before. It's a shame the Republican party could not come up with a more vote-worthy ticket and more effective campaign.
Many people that voted for Obama were mindless, but you underestimate the number of voters with minds and well above average cognitive skills that voted for him also. Take the latter to the Rep. side and McCain might have won.
What I find pathetic is that Republicans and conservatives seem to be clinging to this birth certificate issue instead of taking corrective action amongst themselves to regain respect, control, and power in Washington D.C. which is what I have hope for. Some of our military, of which I have the highest respect, have already brought the birth certificate issue to the courts and have lost. Clinging to the birth certificate issue will be about as productive as buying a lottery ticket to provide financial security. If that is the strategy the Rep. party should employ to retake power, then the party is in worse shape than I perceive them to be.
As for the article, any wonder that Mr. Godwin was a vocal supporter of Mr. Obama last year?
To Mad one,You may be right about how long Obama is president, but it is amusing the way the mindless supporters of the man get on their high horses at the very mention of the fact that he just might not be qualified, by birth. He sorely lacks all the other qualifications, so it would not surpise me to hear that you would have voted for him, even if you had known for sure that he was not qualified by birth. Such folks are so pathetic.
Wrong, there were two other candidates on the final ballot. In Godwin's case, it would have been only Godwin and no others. Nice try though Mr. King.
One of the theories behind the Chicago politics is that legally eliminating opponents at qualification saves money. I am sure that is a concept you understand.
It is however an interesting article but I'm afraid the mention of the birth certificate conspiracy theory indicates that you have gone "over the deep end" with the anti-Obama sentiment. Here's a fact, Obama will be the president until 2012. He will make some mistakes..he won't be the first. You really should direct your energy towards the mess in the congress. This is where our local interests - and your tax dollars - meet Washington D.C., much more so than the president. How about an anti-Pelosi article? You will have a little less ammo since she apparently does not have "birthers" after her.
You probably have an earful of drugged out Rush Limbaugh or choir by Hannity ( who I used to watch stagger out of bars when he was in Atlanta )
The Republicans and "conservatives" have their closets full of skeletons, too, so don't be so one sided in you tirades, you guys are too easy !