Winners and Losers

Election day is a time of winners and losers.  The winner goes to a new job or continues on in his present job.  The loser goes on as well to whatever.  But Election Day 2000 was unique.  In the biggest prize of this Election Day is still unresolved.  The next President is still not known and probably will not be known for days. 

But that does not mean that Election Day did not have winners and losers.  A lot of other candidates won and lost, but I would like to go beyond the candidates and look at other winners and losers not relating to the ballot box. 

The media were again losers.  They seem to never disappoint us.  They not only got it wrong once but that wasn’t enough they got it wrong again.  With their track record they will likely get it wrong again.  The networks and cable outlets were the big losers, newspapers a little but they do not have the immediate impact on the election that is still ongoing.  When will they start to learn?  When will we start to turn them off?  Maybe we are and that is why they act so desperate. 

The system of democracy was a winner.  A mess now, but it will sort itself out.   We have a system, it will work, it just may take time. 

The election system was a loser.  We have exposed the sloppiness of the system.  We are concentrating on one county, Palm Beach.   But if you turned the same spotlight on other counties around the nation you would see the problem is widespread.  In many ways we have invited it.  The drive to make it easier and easier to register to vote, throwing way check and balances to know that the voter is legitimate has invited fraud.  The right to vote is a privilege that should come with some responsibilities.  As we reduce these responsibilities we lessen the value of the vote and we see the results.  We all voted for a new supervisor of elections this year.  Did we take it as serious as we should? 

The political leaders of Palm Beach County were losers.  They approved a ballot that may have been confusing.  They did not represent their constituents very well.  But on the other hand, it is hard to see why a voter was confused.  As I said, voting should come with some responsibilities.  Too many wanted to avoid that part of the equation. 

Our schools were a losers.  We voted for the Republican School Superintendent.  As a Republican I might say Great, but get real.  When the school superintended, the sheriff and the congressional candidate get about the same percentage of the vote, it was not a decision based on what was best for the schools system.   And, I have said time and time again… we settled for second best because we elect not appoint.  We are saying to our kids, settle for less.  We did. 

Our school system again was a loser.  Two voucher plans (California and Michigan) were voted down.  An idea that may work, is discarded before it has a chance to be tested.  

Polk County and the 12^th congressional district were winners.  We may have seen the beginning of a wonderful political career in the election of Adam Putnam.  You kind of feel it, you kind of have that expectation.  I have confidence that Adam will fill the shoes of Charles Canady with distinction and preserve the tradition of sending fine candidates to the congress.    But we were winners in another way.  The election also exposed the district to another fine citizen, Mike Stedem.  We did not know Mike very well.  Now we do and what I see is very fine.  I am sure he will continue to serve well his and our community. 

Another potential winner is Al Gore and George Bush.  It is a unique moment in our history.  It is a unique opportunity for the building a reputation that will go down in history books for the next century.  Our system will produce a winner, eventually. But only George Bush and Al Gore can seize the moment into something that will raise up the country in pride.  They can choose the high road or the down and dirty road of litigation, mud slinging and worse. We will be watching. 

We have given much to both.  We have offered them the chance to be the President of the United States, a great honor in itself.  Now they have the opportunity to be great, to lead, to make a mark.  Let see it they are up to the opportunity.