Is Allen Weh a politician? Is he violent? Is he honest?

A central theme in Col Allen Weh's campaign is that he is not a "politician" but rather a business owner and a war hero.

If you wanted to argue the point, I am sure that he would say that what he means is that he has never served in political office "in government". Weh was the Republican Party State Chairman for five years.

According to the dictionary, a politician is a person who is "active in party politics".

By any reasonable definition he is a politician (who is claiming he isn't a politician in order to deliberately mislead voters).

He is also apparently, in hiding. He hasn't shown up for a political debate or forum since the Tea Party event at Smith-Brasher.

He is trying to shed the image he created when he promised to clean up the Roundhouse with a baseball bat. That image was substantiated when he, allegedly, physically attacked a member of the Republican Party staff, link.

Is he being honest? The parsing of terms over what it means to be a politician is only one aspect of his unwillingness to be completely honest with voters. His steadfast refusal to acknowledge the assault allegation is another.

He is a successful businessman; so what? Apparently he expects voters to accept that because he can run a business, he can run a government. The argument is specious; it sounds good but melts away under examination.

He is a war hero; so what? While a Governor needs courage, s/he doesn't need it in the amount necessary on the battlefield. His courage on the battlefield more than forty years ago, doesn't play.

Even if it did, his one time courage on the battlefield is lost behind his lack of courage in stepping up to the allegation that he lost control of his temper, and committed an assault and battery. He has yet to deny, defend, explain, or even acknowledge the alleged assault.

He has yet to step up and accept the consequences of his actions.

There are at least two reasons to pretend it never happened; a willingness to be less than honest with voters in order to be elected, or a lack of courage to step up and accept the consequences of his conduct.

Either is reason enough to disqualify him as worthy of election to the state's highest office.