I earlier reported that the choice between Mark Solomon and John DeMattia for Place 2 on the Richardson City Council was my hardest voting decision of all. And it was. Judging only by their performances during the series of candidate forums, I tended to tilt, ever so slightly, towards DeMattia, with some reservations. But looking at the total picture, including not just forum performances but everything I knew about the candidates outside the forums, I finally came down on the side of Solomon. You can read my reasons here.
After the jump, a second look.
After I made my decision, I read Andrew Laska's independent analysis of that particular race. For him, the decision appears to have been much easier, or at least the tilt towards Mark Solomon was much stronger. As I read his reasons, I found myself learning more about Solomon -- good things. I also received some unsolicited testimonials in Solomon's favor as well. All that made me feel better about my ultimate endorsement of him.
Reading Laska's opinion, I also found myself agreeing with things he said about John DeMattia, things I knew already but had never lined up end to end. I won't rehash everything Andrew Laska says. You can read it yourself at the link above. But one thing he said stood out above all others. It's descriptive not only of John DeMattia, but of the Richardson Citizens Alliance PAC as a whole, of which DeMattia is a co-founder. And that's this:
"I know more about what he opposes than what he is for."
-- Andrew Laska, of John DeMattia
When I think of Richardson, my home, I think of a pleasant place to live with positive, forward-looking people. I even consider John DeMattia, neighbor and acquaintance, to fit that description. But the candidate for Place 2 with the same name does not. Why would I ever consider supporting a slate of political candidates who are better known for what they oppose than what they are for? Looked at in that light, I can't remember why my decision was so difficult.
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