There is no reason for John Koster to run against Aaron Reardon.
The Republican county councilman’s disadvantages against the incumbent Democrat county executive are glaringly obvious – too little money and absolutely no momentum.
John’s got $50,000 in his campaign wallet. Aaron’s billfold is bulging with $165,000, and that’s before he stuffs in checks pocketed at a fundraiser this week.
John’s going to find it hard to squeeze some old friends for cash because they’re tapped out to Aaron, whose donor list reads like a seating chart for a Republican gala with all the names on it of developers, real estate agents and business owners.
Time is no friend of John’s, either.
He’s at the starting line of a marathon and will need to sprint the entire way to catch Aaron, who began running this race the moment polls closed on election night 2003.
John doesn’t even have a campaign team. Aaron’s got a machine, and it’s humming along quite nicely.
All the evidence points to John suffering an electoral mugging should he go up against Aaron.
So John, please run.
Seriously.
No match-up would be more interesting for voters, and don’t voters deserve something interesting this November besides a debate on roads and rail? No Republican is as well-known and has such strong political credentials to run a countywide race as John.
No Democrat is as gifted, has as bright a future and is blessed with more powerful political pheromones than Aaron.
John is a country farmer who doesn’t delete his expletives.
Aaron is a young emperor who’s never been heard uttering a cuss word.
John is the leather, Aaron is the silk.
Bottom line, John, you know you want to go mano-a-mano with Aaron. He wants the same with you, and folks around the county are already gathering at ringside to watch.
Maybe this will help make up your mind: Aaron can lose. It happened when he ran for the county charter review commission a few years back.
On the issues, Aaron can rightly crow about guiding the county to higher revenues, no new taxes and job growth. Life ain’t bad under the Reardon regime.
John, you are a co-conspirator in that success. You just never sent out a press release confessing your complicity in it.
John, even if you lose, you won’t be out of office. Your term on the County Council doesn’t expire until 2009. By then, most voters will not recall the details of this year, leaving any of your future plans safe.
Think about it.
No doubt, it’s masochistic. But admit it, there’d be a bit of pleasure in smudging Aaron’s shiny crown, if not knocking it off altogether.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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