Archive: Opinions

EditorialWhen I was young and naive -- well, more naive than I am now, that is -- I had a fantasy that all public figures who were enemies in public were actually friends 'behind the scenes.'  I must have gotten that from movie actors who often actually were friends, despite the fact that their characters were out to kill each other in gory Technicolor.  I still find that to be an attractive fantasy even though I know the world isn't really that way.

In a world where politicians tend to go for the dramatic and forget about the issues, I was encouraged by this year's Supervisor election.  Scott Pinney and Steve Farkas made their campaigns about the issues and never made it personal.  They had different points of view about some issues impacting the town, and they articulated their differences without going on the attack.  In these days of national attack ads, scandals, and political strategy eclipsing actual issues that people care about, the Lansing campaigns were remarkable.


I followed the supervisor candidates to campaign events on three occasions, and while they acknowledged their differences they were openly cordial to one another publicly and privately when the microphones were turned off, or an event was finished.  After their forum on WHCU the three of us chatted about the campaign in the hallway outside the studio.  Both agreed the other's campaign was a clean one, run with integrity and focussed on issues.  After the absentee ballot count yesterday Farkas offered his help during the transition, and recommended things that will help Pinney as he learns the ins and outs of the supervisor job.  Pinney seemed genuinely grateful for the offer, indicating that he would like to get together in a few weeks.

I am sure that each one muttered expletives under his breath at times during the campaign.  But the two (and all the Lansing candidates) managed to keep it professional, about the issues, and cordial.  And in the process they fed my fantasy that politics actually can be about what people care about, a civil, democratic way of agreeing on how to approach the problems we all face and moving forward to address them.

We've already been suffering next year's election for a year already.  The news is filled with a kennel of candidates, lining up to clobber each other like a gang of delinquents in a vicious dodge ball game.  The news is full of political strategy, and how clever was Obama to attack Hillary, and is Rudy too liberal to get his party's nomination.  It's not going to get any better.  I'm not THAT naive!

But it was nice this year to see it done the way it should be, idealistic as that may be.  What can I say?  I'm a softy for intelligent debate.

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