The Long Road to 'Independence'

It has been an extraordinarily long path to 'Independence' for Massillon's once 38 year Democratic elected office holder, and six term mayor, Frank Cicchinelli.

The cynical among our readers may believe the false propaganda that Our Extraordinary Former Mayor found his 'Independence,' merely because he wanted to avoid a Democratic primary against the woman who beat him handily just four years before.

That he wanted to go straight to the November election, where if he scrounged up about 30% of the vote, he could win a four way race.

We say heresy to such outlandish beliefs!

How could his conversion to 'Independence' be anything but a sincere change of political philosophy, even though he was a serial Democratic Petition for Candidate signer just a few months before he was overtaken by the white, hot light of 'Independence.'

We believe him!

And on Throwback Thursday here at the Massillon Review, we examine the slow change of conscience that occurred over his brief dalliance with the Democratic Party.

As we have discussed, Massillon's Eternal 'Independent' Leader briefly flirted with the Democratic Party.

For a short 38 years.

But a speck of time in the context of the cosmos.

When Frank Cicchinelli first ran for Massillon City Council, in 1973, Richard Nixon was America's president.

Frank Cicchinelli held elected office, continuously as a Democrat, from 1974 through 2011.

During the presidencies of;

Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
and Barack Obama

8 presidents came and went during Frank Cicchinelli's brief stint as a Democrat.

But as we know, he isn't a Democrat.

It was just a fad.

A passing fancy.

For he has declared his 'Independence.'

And shame on those who don't believe it was a choice made of conviction, not of convenience.