Huckleberries Online

OpenCDA Sees Threat In Letter

Posted by DFO

Dec. 15, 2009 1:14 p.m. • 10 comments

In case you were wondering what nonsense had the OpenCDA.com crowd’s shorts in a knot this week, Bill McCrory provides the answers. Seems they’re all huffing about David Larsen’s letter in the Coeur d’Alene Press. The money lines that has the conspiracy theorists gnashing their teeth are these from Larsen (pictured): ” … I fear your continued efforts at overturning the election may result in making it more difficult for you to find meaningful employment in the future. You might be perceived as being a disgruntled individual thereby making future employers more cautious about hiring you.” McCrory sees the comment as a “conditional indirect threat” (whatever that is). In other words, he seems to think that Larsen meant to intimidate Brannon and other office seekers. Conversely, I read it as practical advice. Brannon lost by 5 votes. He refused to seek a recount, as almost any other candidate would, and sued instead to overturn the entire election. Some folks might view him as troublesome. Not the OpenCDA crowd, of course. But some.

Question: Do you see a “conditional indirect threat” in Larsen’s letter?

10 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

moscow_minidoka on December 15 at 1:26 p.m.
Good grief - NO! All I saw in it was lots of common sense and practical advice.
Dogwalkmusings on December 15 at 1:46 p.m.
I can see where the Open CDA group would see the letter as a threat but not knowing the gentleman who wrote it nor his affiliations, if any, with the city or the people involved, I would choose to agree with moscow_minidoka’s take.
Sisyphus on December 15 at 1:56 p.m.
Still in the ‘much ado about nothing’ category. The letter summarizes the obvious, that Brannon lost a close race where his supporters clearly thought he exercised good judgment. His actions subsequent to the election are dissuading them from that notion.

But McCrory stretches what is otherwise a valid point, its written by a Kennedy supporter giving unsolicited advice in a public forum. It could be easily dismissed. But nooooo, they gotta make a conspiracy about it.
moscow_minidoka on December 15 at 2:30 p.m.
What I think is funny is that Brannon’s actions since the election almost guarantee that if I new election WAS held, he would lose lose lose by a much larger margin than 5 votes. Who wants a whining sore loser representing them? That’s right: NOBODY.
Sisyphus on December 15 at 2:34 p.m.
Mary would.
IdoDave on December 16 at 11:55 a.m.
Mary and her group not only want everybody to believe the venom they spew they want everybody to love them for it. Fact of the matter is sometimes there are repercussions for strongly held beliefs. If you are dedicated to spreading negativism and you offer no real solutions don’t expect the the community respond warmly.
Joker on December 16 at 12:03 p.m.
What a joke of a letter. David Larsen? If anybody is threatened by this letter they need help. Seriously, this guy would declare war against Japan after Pearl Harbor with a 200 page term paper.

The only threat to Jim Brannon is from him laughing so hard he falls off his chair and cracks his skull open. C’mon people, give us a break.
LarrySpencer on December 16 at 12:07 p.m.
“He refused to seek a recount, as almost any other candidate would…..”

Does “any” include Mike Kennedy, who DID ask for a recount when he thought he could get one for free, then changed his mind when he found out he would have to pay for it?

And then he wouldn’t comment when the press asked him why he asked for it in the first place.

Yep, Jim is the one acting strange here…. not.
Joker on December 16 at 12:20 p.m.
@Larry, Who cares if Mike Kennedy asked for a recount and then changed his mind after he was handed an estimate of what it would cost him?

Really, he’s under no obligation to explain himself to anybody, including you about his motives.

It’s like asking a contractor how much it will cost to do a remodel, getting the price quote, a deciding that it’s too much money to spend. Then a pesky neighbor comes over and wants to know what you were doing and why.
Phaedrus on December 16 at 1:18 p.m.
Larry Logic, go figure.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.