An Extraordinary Stalking Horse

Stalking Horse -

From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary -

"someone or something that is used to hide a true purpose; especially: a candidate for a political office or position who has no real chance of winning but is being used by a political party to weaken the support for an opposing party, to find out if another candidate might be successful..."

Perhaps they should add, "See J. David Ress."

Massillon's Once & Future Mayor for Life, the Extraordinary One, King Francis the Eternal, Lord Sovereign of the City, served as Mayor of Massillon for 24 years. It has long been argued his entire identity has been tied up in being the mayor. It is what he is. It is how he sees himself.

And even though most everyone, except his fanatical loyalists, agree he financially decimated the City of Champions in his final years, he is coming back to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his.

And make no doubt about it, this was no spur of the moment decision. It is believed by many that he has been plotting his return since the day he left the mayor's office at the end of 2011.

He knew he couldn't defeat Queen Katherine the Usurper in a Democratic Primary.

She already whooped him once.

The odds of convincing over 50% of Massillon's voters to support his attempt to snatch a seventh 4 year term as mayor were long indeed.

Most of Massillon realizes who busted the city's piggy bank.

But Frank is a man with a plan.

He would run as an Independent, forsaking the 38 years he served Massillon as an elected Democrat.

It wasn't that his political philosophy had changed. Many around town believe his political philosophy has always been an adherence to whatever political ideology will best suit his political ambitions.

Perhaps in a three way race, against the Republican and Democratic Party nominees, he could eek out a win with a little over a third of the vote, and return to the mayor's office through the back door.

Leaving nothing to chance, he and his lackeys decided that he would utilize the Democratic Primary as an opportunity to beat up Queen Katherine the Usurper. Make her spend money she would otherwise spend in a campaign against them, and soften her up in May before The Extraordinary One takes her on in November.

A preliminary bout before the main event.

But who to get to do his dirty work?

A real Democrat would have scoffed at the opportunity to help elect an 'Independent' as mayor.

So he didn't find a real Democrat.

He found a patsy. A stalking horse to do his dirty work.

He found J. David Ress.

J. David Ress' claim to fame is that he "broadcasts" a local public access television show on MCTV. He gets the airtime for free, and then sells sponsorships to local businesses.

J. David Ress is no Democrat. According to the Catazaro-from-Perry campaign, he hasn't voted in a Democratic Primary "for decades."

As "decades" is plural, we will assume it is more than one decade.

The Catazaro-from-Perry campaign further argues that the nominating petitions Ress must circulate for signatures of Massillon citizens were circulated by none other than the Mrs. Once and Future Mayor for Life, Joy Cicchinelli, and Mike Loudiana, former Safety Service Director for the Extraordinary One.

And the first "citizen" signer for J. David's petition?

The Extraordinary One himself.

If Cicchinelli intended all along to run for mayor, and we assume he did, why would he assist J. David Ress, if he thought Ress would win.

He never thought Ress would win.

It would appear Ress' job is to attack the incumbent mayor.

And soften her up for the main event.

And lose the Democratic Primary.

And set the wheels in motion for an Extraordinary Main Event in November!