Candidates who didn’t win showed courage, should resist parting jabs
Editor:
My hat goes off to all of the candidates who put their hearts, their will and their reputations out there for the world to dissect. I couldn’t imagine the courage it would take, not to mention the energy expended, to battle for my personal beliefs on such a public platform.
As the height of the election results begins to wither, so do the spirits of those who came in behind the winners. This is a told tale through the many letters to the editor displaying disharmony in the tallying votes.
It appears that fallen candidates, and their supporters alike, can’t help but get that last “jab” in when posting their concessions. It’s coming across as contradictory, and to be honest, a bit condescending. Not to mention that this type of behavior has the possible effects of alienating voters for future elections.
In my personal opinion, the only post that would qualify as a gracious bow, to his or her ascended competitor, is a simple and straightforward “congratulations.” I believe that the first words of a candidate who took second today, could very well be the foundation for his or her next campaign – if he or she chooses.
As far as the statement goes, “That any Republican primary winner is virtually guaranteed victory in Orleans County” … Hogwash!
Yes, it’s public record that “normally, a Democrat is working with an enrollment base roughly half that of his/her Republican opponent” in Orleans County. But in reality, there’s little doubt in my mind that there are just as many, if not more, Democrats as Republicans within our community. The hard truth is: There are just more Republicans registered.
The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results. If the registered Democrats of this county plan on winning upcoming elections by changing the minds of the registered Republicans, well then, quite frankly, they deserve to fall short.
Attention Orleans County Democratic Party: It’s not rocket science why your despair is falling on deaf ears; you don’t have enough registered voters to listen. Instead of standing on a podium to grumble about how things are, why not spend your time enlisting change for potential success? Educate people on the importance of their ideals. Help get potential voters registered within your party. And please, stop blaming the other side of the ticket for your plight.
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” (Napolean Hill)
Richard Klaver
Albion
