Review of Candidate's Night

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Review of Candidate's Night

The following is just one person's humble opinion and is in part to provide a little humor to a town that could use a sense of humor.

The overall rating for Atkinson's Candidate's Night was a "neutral" rating. Not too much to write about but we'll give it a shot.

Let's start with the moderator. Frank started off talking about the food at Candidate's Night. Like it would lead to all of us stampeding down to Town Hall for chow. He mentioned the beans and some people's apparent lack of a sense of smell. Great kickoff Frank. A fart joke. Nothing like a tasteless moment to start the night. I'm sure the Women's Civics Club appreciated it.

We got to hear from a number of people running for offices where they are unopposed. Thank God for the services of these people. Our town would not function without them. The hard part is that it's tough to get excited about the moment. They're running unopposed. They will win. No controversy here and we want controversy! So I will skip the majority of the candidates because the only exciting moment thus far has been Frank's fart joke.

Let's get right to the selectman's race because it was truly the highpoint of the evening. First, I am pleased we have a choice. And the fact there are 3 people running for such a thankless position is amazing to me. I think Frank put it well when he asked them all: "Are you nuts?". Another high point from our moderator. Frank, I don't think you should seriously consider the position of stand up comedian. Just my opinion.

Candidate Rich O'Leary. Will someone please give that guy a cup of coffee or let him get some sleep? Rich, I love ya, man, but you need some nap time. I consider a person's energy level an important trait because of the demands of this position along with one's other life commitments and Rich was low on energy. Rich, while he seemed very open and I felt he was straightforward, was short on details and I think he hurt himself when he admitted he really didn't have a "platform". Rich, ya gotta stand for somethin'. Standing for nothing is like that old Seinfeld episode - about nothing. We need details. Otherwise, we have nothing to complain about and I need material to work with. You're not helping me here. As for answering the softball questions thrown to the candidates, nothing in my mind stands out from Rich's responses. He just kind of went along. Making no waves, here. Kind of the Rodney King of the crowd: "Can't we all just get along?".

Bill Friel: Wow, what an opening statement. I had enough time to make a sandwich. Lots of good content, though. I mean, this guy put some effort into this. And we know for a fact the chief couldn't have written it because it was eloquent and used big words. But what was with the crossed arms? Bill came across as a professional guy, but his body language indicated he was either nervous or maybe just had a fight with the wife beforehand. I think Bill would have done better if he had a cocktail primer and relaxed a little. As for his answers to the softball questions, he tried to convey his business approach to things which was OK. No big surprises. He did seem a bit too willing to expand on existing programs. Again, let's not make any waves. His "voice for all" theme, consistent with his postcard, sounds good, but it wasn't 100% clear to me he conveyed the "how" side of the equation. I got the reaching out part but he didn't directly tackle the toughest issue, head on. He was close, but no cigar. Would he be a good selectman? Probably. I'm just glad his responses to questions were not as long winded as his opening statement. He took a stand on the state law vs. Will of the Voters issue and sided with state law (this issue ties to our aquifer protection ordinance and NH RSA). In my opinon, you could argue either side of this equation until you are blue in the face. Ultimately, the courts are going to have to sort it out. Will Bill win? Vegas line current odds are 1:1.

Valerie Tobin: I thought her opening statement was a bit short on details. She missed an opportunity to really tell her story. I think she agreed with the other candidates too much (although they were all like best buddies that night). Valerie took a stand on the Carol Grant question about the amendment of citizen petitions at deliberative session. While her response probably played well to the Grant faction, reality is, she can't do much about it as a selectman. We give Valerie kudos for making a clear stand on something which demonstrated her willingness to do so. If she was going to go out on a limb, I just wished she had taken the risk on something she could actually impact. Sorry, big swing and a miss, here. Valerie directly addressed the lack of civility in town with the way people treat each other, in particular at selectman's meetings. OK, she said it. She told the town the emperor has no clothes. While this is a real issue in the mind of many, the problem is I think it only resonates with those who are paying very close attention to town matters. And the abusers know this is a small % of the population which is why they keep doing it. Again, kudos for making a stand, however, it remains to be seen how much this will play at the ballot box. Valerie's responses to the softball questions were pretty much in line with the other candidates. She differed from Friel on the issue of following existing state law vs. the will of the voters issue regarding the water ordinance. So if that is a defining issue for you, Val is your gal. Vegas line is 1:1.

Highlights of the evening. There were 2. The first was the banter between Carol Grant and our moderator when she tried to ask questions. Carol, first let me say I know you have done many good things for this town and I appreciate your hard work. However, when you come to these meetings, please, please take some time to prepare written questions, in advance, and read them - and then stop when you reach the period at the end of the sentence. You only give Frank the opportunity to shush you, and I hate to say this, but for the most part, he handled it correctly. You know better and should be prepared for his behavior. I am not condoning the way he handled it as it came across very rudely -yes, it seemed he enjoyed shutting you down. All I am saying, you and Frank know each other, so you should both deal with it better for the rest of us. You two fight like little kids. Just my humble opinion/observation.

The second highlight of the evening was not the selectmen candidates but none other than the Consentino moment where he was captured on video apparently throwing a spitball at Carol Grant.
Whether he actually tossed something or not, it looked like he did (Carol, please check your hair). Phil, it is getting hard to take you seriously. I'm just glad you didn't throw anything at the candidates.

Overall, it was worth tuning into but I didn't see any knock out punches. It seems we have a horse race between Friel and Tobin with O'Leary in third (sorry, Rich, just my opinion). Who will win? Your guess is as good as mine.