by Betty Jean Grant
Betty Jean Grant
As we meander toward the November General Election, we are reminded that all politics is local and that the level of government closest to our households is the one that affects our family the most. That is why voters need to pay attention to who are running for positions such as councilmembers, county clerk, legislators, mayor, governor and even schoolboard members.
It is also important to know what the needs and concerns of each family are, and how those concerns align with the values, platform and issues that the candidate who is asking for your support, champions. In the olden days (1960-1990s), that dialogue of shared ideas and concerns used to be satisfied by the person running for office who campaigned by walking the streets and distributing political literature in targeted neighbor hoods, holding town hall meetings or by calling (phone banking) the constituents on their standard land line telephone. Another way the political candidate used to engage the potential voters was by hosting huge, energetic Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rallies and noisy, multi-cars motor cades. Sadly, those types of community engagement, politicking have gone the way of the now absent campaign lapel buttons and political T shirts.
The political, U.S. Senate races in the states of Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Missis sippi and several other states whose senators are up for re-election, are critical for the Democrats to win if they are to regain control of the U.S. Senate. The forecast for the Dems to regain the majority of seats in the House of Representatives seems solid but it is going to take massive voter registration drives this year, and over the next two years, for the Democrats’ dream of regaining control of both houses of Congress to become reality.
Local government and the campaign to convince good, intelligent and honest residents to run for some of those city and community based elected political positions is needed to garner the people’s support and willing ness to put their trust in government and its ability to provide for what they need and are entitled to. Many voters do not engage in politics now because they have listened to and voted for some elected official who ran, got elected and then forgot or ignored the campaign promises that got them where they are, in the first place!
Early Voting ends Sunday, November 1st. I have already voted. This writer voted for all Democrats including Mickey Kearns who was unable to secure the Democratic endorse ment and Line even though he is and has always been, a card- carrying, registered Democrat who has been our Erie County Clerk since 2017.