Politicians don’t get much credit in this day and age. If the approval rating for the Republican-controlled Congress was measured in glass half-empty or half-full, another category for “shattered” would have to be created. The approval rating for the president fluctuates between glass half-full to bone-dry.
Our Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly needed a special session to get the important work done because Sunday alcohol sales was too critical an issue to let go during the regular session. Priorities?
But the Hancock County Republican field this primary cycle is heads above the grim examples set by their counterparts at the state and national levels.
Every candidate I’ve met is indefatigably moving toward his or her higher calling. It takes conviction of one’s purpose and concern for the greater good to work as hard as they are. Many of the candidates I’ve talked to this primary cycle are going door to door, in addition to the debates, forums, meet-and-greets, fundraisers, and community gatherings they attend to improve visibility. This is retail politics at its best.
And this is as it should be. I went door to door in my unsuccessful bid to represent my district on the Greenfield City Council, and sadly, many I met had never had a candidate knock on their door. The candidates didn’t need to, as there was generally no competition.
But this election cycle the candidates are facing competition, so the personal sacrifice and hard work a campaign generally demands is multiplied for them if they are to have a chance. This is democracy at its best. The candidates are earning our votes, as they repeatedly face questions about issues writ large in our county, the opioid crisis and the proposed jail being foremost among them.
I must correct myself: Democracy at its best would be Democrats having the same robust primary competitions among candidates. In this perfect world, the diamond in the rough would prevail, and the better candidate would win the primary. Ultimately, the voters would have a choice between the best Republican and best Democrat or independent candidate in the general election.
This is why redrawing our political map by an impartial body is so important for a better democracy. Everyone benefits by competition. When a candidate doesn’t face it, you, the voter, won’t know as much about that person’s positions. You won’t have heard him or her field hard questions at debates. Candidates won’t have had to earn your vote; they can simply count on it.
I believe the candidates are better prepared for office when there is competition, as their critical thinking about the issues is more finely honed and as their motivations become clearer, even to themselves.
I applaud all of the candidates in this primary cycle, because I’ve seen them do the work. They each deserve kudos for answering a higher calling. These competitive races are making each candidate better, as people, and as potential leaders.
Here, at the local level, politics is as pure as it ever will be, and candidates and winners are more accessible than they ever will be to the average voter.
At a recent educational forum about financing the jail, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Hancock County, one of the panelists was particularly derisive about politicians and crossed the line from humorous to disrespectful.
His remarks made me wince, revealing how lack of respect diminishes not only the jokester but also the office he derides. Candidates and politicians are more than a punchline, whether you agree or disagree with them. And in this primary election, respect is due to the candidates for showing up at the dance and putting their best foot forward.
Donna Steele, a retired educator, hails from Alabama and made Hancock County her home in 2011. She can be reached at [email protected].
