And so the silly season, otherwise known as election time, is upon us.
This is the first election cycle in about 30 years that I haven’t been an elected official, a candidate or an in-the-trench activist. Interestingly enough, I haven’t suffered any major withdrawal symptoms or found myself signing up for the various depression medications advertised on television, whose side effects include getting “really” depressed.
Although I’m not complaining, I’m not sure why. It’s not like I’ve had a post-partisan conversion and suddenly believe in that “hopey-changey” thing. I’m curiously watching the Tea Party movement develop and am still uncertain as to where that path will ultimately lead. Will there be “unsweet” (aggressive), “sweet” (more accommodating), “flavored” (certain issues receive more or less emphasis), “hot” (here today, gone tomorrow) and “iced” (going nowhere) divisions of “tea” within the movement?
And, after completely fumbling the ball that had been entrusted to them for eight years on the national level, I’m not fully persuaded that Republican leaders have sincerely repented and seen the light.
So how is this election season playing out on the local level?
Well, we have a veteran Dallas congresswoman getting caught handing out scholarship money to her relatives — the flip side of considering your constituents as family (i.e., considering your family as constituents) isn’t quite as heartwarming.
How about a veteran Garland state legislator who didn’t realize that getting reimbursed twice for the same expenditure — and pocketing one of those reimbursements for himself — was improper? If that’s a reflection of his analytical ability, it’s hard not to question his c