BACK DOOR CAMPAIGNING; KIDD TO FACE A PHANTOM OPPONENT

Readers, Sunday as I was coming home from church services, City Council Candidate Cherie Kidd stopped me along the way complementing me on the article I posted in Saturday's edition of the Port Angeles Digest. She said she appreciated how I put it that Bateham didn't make any sense in suddenly quitting his campaign without so much a reason for him walking off the stage of this election. Then turn around and say that he will serve if he gets more votes than Kidd. To me that is underhanded, for Bateham to pull on not only on Kidd, but the voters! It's called back door campaigning readers! A dirty trick to pull!  Sitting back and waiting for the out come of an election, while your opponent is left holding the bag, having invitations from groups doing these candidate forums and debates be withdrawn, because you decide to quit just two months away from the election, clever!  Oh on the contrary readers! As I see it what Bateham is doing here is avoiding the public, and media coverage of his campaign which now is a phantom or back door campaign. This brings up many questions, why is he hiding? This is a guy who all but got an endorsement from the Port O Call, which they have yet post a story on Bateham's withdraw, so they too gotten the shaft from Bateham.

Kidd expressed her concerns of not being allowed to speak at these functions now because of this, and the first such group to withdraw their invite was from the league of Women Voters. Kidd shared the following email with this publication:

Dear Ms Kidd,
With Mr Bateham's withdrawal from your race, you are now running unopposed, so you're off the hook for the upcoming League of Women Voters forum on Wednesday, September 30.  One less commitment for you in what I'm sure must be a busy schedule.   Please confirm that you're received this message.  Thank you!
Paula Barnes, Co-chair Voter Services Committee

She responded with the following letter:

Paula,
I request that I be able to speak at your forum on Wednesday, September 30.
It is legally too late for Mr. Bateham to quit as a legal candidate - his name is already printed on the ballots, in the vote guides and any vote for him is still a legal vote.  He has stated that if he should receive a winning number of votes that he would gladly take his council seat.  Therefore, I need the people to know that I am still in this campaign to win and that I definitely need people to vote for me so that I can return to the Port Angeles City Council for another term.
Please allow me to speak at your forum even though my opponent has refused to speak in public.  This is no reflection upon my campaign.
Thank you, Cherie Kidd

Now the question is will the league of women voters allow her to speak? Or tell her to stay home?
Another question, will other groups withdraw their invites?
This isn't the first time Kidd faced a phantom opponent. Cody Blevins, her opponent for the Position 7 council seat in 2011, also pulled out too late for his name to be removed from the ballot.

And she isn't the only one facing a phantom opponent. I have yet to see or even meet the Opponents of Marolee Smith who is running for another position on the city council Michael Merideth, or  Connie Beauvais opponent for Port Commissioner, Michael Breidenbach, Or   Jim McEntire's opponent Mark Ozias for County Commission, I have yet to see any of these guys attend meetings.

So it looks like Kidd will have to do the old talk to a empty chair routine if she even gets the opportunity to do so.

Kidd as other avenues to employ she can issue press release to the media, do opt eds in publications and so on.

What fries my beacon  those who were counting on a no vote on fluoride will now most likely be a yes vote.  Is it fair now that Bateham get's into office without so much as a by your leave from the public or media? I would say not. In my book when he walked off the stage of this election all bets are off at this point.