Ambition Trumps Truth in Mandel Ad

The Columbus Dispatch certainly isn’t a Democratic mouthpiece, and it’s taken plenty of shots at public schools and educators over the years; but the newspaper recently analyzed some Josh Mandel campaign ads that seem to show the Ohio Treasurer candidate to be a liar.

This is pretty sensitive to me since it seems Mandel has been able to get a free pass; evidently a lot of people assume that a Marine wouldn’t say anything dishonorable, but that overlooks the effect of ambition. I’m told by friends who screened him years ago when he sought the OEA endorsement for Ohio House that he said then that he was opposed to school vouchers. That was before he was elected, after which he promptly began doing the bidding of his party managers and supported vouchers and Ohio’s runaway charter schools. So educators have reason to question Mandel’s veracity, especially when there are votes to be won.
The Dispatch article documents a series of lies contained in a recent Mandel campaign ad. In addition to misrepresenting a bidding process which The Plain Dealer says saved Ohio taxpayers $7.3 million, the campaign ad introduces islamophobia by stretching a connection between Boyce and a friend’s mosque.
I’ve met Kevin Boyce and found him to be bright and personable. Perhaps more important, he actually knows what the Ohio Treasurer’s office is for and can articulate a clear vision for that office.

Author: StgCoach

Retired teacher and public education leader. Pastoral musician, community activist, parliamentarian, and photographer.