Is a smear on one’s character negated by a similar smear on an opponent?

We’ll find out this weekend when incumbent state Republican chair Ryan Call seeks a second term against challenger Mark Baisley, a former chair of the local Douglas County GOP.

Supporters of the two have each publicized unflattering personal frailties against the other — Call’s arrest in Idaho Springs on a failure-to-appear warrant for a speeding ticket two years ago, and Baisley’s foreclosure on his home over the last few years.

Please read Ernest Luning’s entire story and you’ll see that Call resolved his traffic matter in May 2011 after posting a $1,500 bond following his arrest for failing to show up for a court date on March 5 for going 74 mph in a 55 mph zone in Chaffee County.

And Baisley, you’ll also note, said it was old news that he’d faced financial difficulties during what he termed “the Obama economy,” adding, “If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, a lot of folks have been struggling, especially small business entrepreneurs who put their house up to fund their company. We pulled out of that, thank God, and the future looks bright.”

A repentant Call said, “We are all imperfect people, we’ve all made mistakes.” And indeed he is correct. We’ll see which of these imperfect candidates comes out on top this weekend.

Meanwhile, over on the Democratic side, chairman Rick Palacio has apparently sidestepped detractors, at least publicly. No one, at least none that we’ve heard of, has publicly come out with unflattering glimpses from Palacio’s past. We expect this almost-perfect Democrat to easily win reelection on Saturday.

— Jody@coloradostatesman.com