It was a classic battle. Power of the press vs. power of the pocketbook. The result? “Marc” one up for the press.
Of course, I’m talking about Clark County Councilor David Madore’s failed attempt to win the county council chair position. This character threw so much money down the drain in this race, he could have bought all the residents in Clark County their own personal Don’t Do Stupid Stuff mugs instead of gobs of TV ads. He could have bought a couple for himself, as well.
When you add in the money contributed by a couple of his deep-pocket buddies through a PAC, Madore spent well over $300,000 to try to buy the chair position. Marc Boldt, who ran as an independent and came in first in the primary, spent approximately enough to buy a burrito down at a food cart.
So why didn’t all of Madore’s money buy him happiness and this election? Let me count the ways:
• The Benton factor. As in Don Benton. As in state Sen. Don Benton. As in County Environmental Services Director Don Benton. Madore and his buddy Councilor Tom Mielke slipped Benton through the county’s back door when they hired him in his $115,000-a-year county job. Benton couldn’t tell the difference between stormwater and stromboli, but the M&M boys didn’t care. County residents were outraged and never forgave Madore or Mielke. BTW, after this election, Benton — and the county department he runs — will soon be gone.
• The bridge factor. More than a year and a half ago, Madore promised he’d have an east county bridge up and running in five years. Not one dang thing — nada — has happened since then. If he gets this bridge done under his timeline, I’ll personally hand-wash his shiny new bright red Tesla every day — every day, I tell ya! — until the end of time. Or until the floodgates open up and I’m washed away in an economic tsunami. By the way, I won’t even get into how virtually no one really wants this bridge anytime soon.
• In God We Trust. Regardless if you agree or disagree that this saying should be plastered on the county walls, pushing this issue created yet another firestorm in the county. And push, the M&M boys did. At one point, it looked like Madore was going to do the right thing when he said if the vote by the councilors wasn’t unanimous, he would not vote for it. He lied. Councilor Jeanne Stewart voted against it, but Madore still voted for it.
• The press. But more than anything, Madore couldn’t overcome The Columbian’s coverage of him. Mostly, it was simply the accurate and objective coverage by our reporters. We’ve been through quite a few reporters covering the county, and Madore didn’t like any of them. He was never able to figure out that maybe — just maybe — he was the problem, not our reporters.
But it is also fair to say that this Press Talk column was a pivotal factor in his demise. I wouldn’t let the M&M boys slide, and wrote about them often. I was criticized heavily by some conservative pundits for not letting up. But letting up is exactly what the bad boys want the press to do. Too often, the media hits a topic and then moves along. Soon enough, it’s yesterday’s news. I believe, if politicians continue to do bad things, I should continue to write about them. And it was that writing about them that helped enable — empower — our community to stay engaged. And vote.
In the end, politicians who write off the power of the press should think twice. Madore — and Mielke — decided it was in their best interest to quit speaking to us. So they rarely had an opportunity to explain what the heck they were doing. They also opted to not come to our editorial board meeting with candidates.
Not the brightest decision.
Voters want to see how candidates stand up to tough questions. Our editorial board asks the toughest questions of any political forum out there. Avoiding us sends a clear message: They can’t stand the heat. It should be noted that every candidate who opted not to meet with our editorial board — every one — lost. Think about that.
Our critics — my critics — keep saying the power of the press is dead. No one reads anymore, no one listens to the press anymore, no one cares what we have to say anymore. In fact, a few of my conservative friends assured everyone who was listening to them that Madore would win and that would prove how useless The Columbian (and Press Talk) really is. Why, I’d have to pack up my bags and leave, I’d be so embarrassed. The community would back Madore and shun me.
Oh my!
When you think about it, this is Strike Two for Madore. Strike One happened when the charter form of government passed. The Columbian — and Press Talk — actively reported and commented on changing the form of county government through a home rule charter. Madore was vehemently against it and campaigned hard against it because it would greatly weaken his power. The charter’s passage sent a clear message to Madore that he was behaving badly. But he didn’t get the message.
In the end, the community has spoken loud and clear. But Madore likely will still not get the message. And that means, when he’s up for re-election in 2016, he could see Strike Three.
Yes, The Columbian is alive and well. We will continue to be active participants in the well-being of our community. Our community should give itself a hand. Together, we’ll thrive!
