- "I was targeted for destruction by the Jews."
As the June 24 filing deadline approaches, 120 candidates have already pulled petitions for the 11 newly created county council seats. Perhaps no campaign is more quixotic than that of Michael Troy Watson, one of 12 candidates for the 10th district, which includes Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Bratenahl, and parts of Cleveland.
A 58-year-old disbarred black lawyer, Watson is best known for the inflammatory talk show he co-hosted on WERE-AM with friend Abe Ayad seven years ago. The station refused to renew their contract after they were accused of anti-Semitism; they denied the charges and unsuccessfully sued the station.
On his Facebook page, Watson says that his disbarment occurred because “I was targeted for destruction by the Jews.” He refers to the Cuyahoga County Bar Association as the “Jew Bar Association.”
“I have never had any type of even alleged anti-Semitism,” he helpfully adds.
Although calling himself a Democrat, Watson says it’s time for the Tea Party to rise. That makes him the longest of long shots in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. So does his No. 1 platform plank: county funding of gun training classes.
