You might not have noticed, but the TV is starting to become a breeding ground for political promises again. Yards are being littered with signs for people promising to “finish the job” or “bring change” and your mailbox will soon be flooding with cards from politicians and their adherants offering you the moon and stars … if only you’ll put them into office.
We saw this same barrage of crap last year. We’ll see it again next year. And yet, the same promises will need to be made. The same people will need to “finish the job.” The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Politics, you may know, is an old Greek word. It comes from Poly – meaning many. And ticks … which, of course, are blood sucking insects. Granted it’s an old joke, but it’s truer every year.
Now I’m not sure what it’s been like in the rest of the world, but in Niagara County, this year has been marked with court case after court case of people trying to get other people thrown off the ballot. There’s always a little bit of electioneering, but this year has been overwhelming … and unusual.
In Niagara Falls, for example, the chairman of the Democratic party fought to get the incumbent Democrat mayor thrown off the ballot … and succeeded. There are still two Democrats running in a primary for the right to battle Republican Candra Thomason in the general election. And the incumbent mayor – now the fourth consecutive one-term Niagara Falls mayor – isn’t endorsing aneyone.
In Lockport, the 2nd Ward Alderwoman is moving to the 1st Ward where she is taking on a political novice. That novice, however, is being supported by the big wigs in the Republican party. They’re trying to oust the long-time alderwoman. Wouldn’t be so strange if she weren’t a Republican, too.
Then there’s the sleepy burb of Cambria, where the long-time Republican supervisor is being opposed by a former county legislator who is also a Republican. Who’s the GOP supporting? The former legislator over the incumbent.
In the Town of Niagara there’s a county legislator running for re-election. He’s a registered Democrat who caucuses with the GOP. The Democratic Party would love to get rid of him. But they’ve sworn off their own candidate cause he had a little run-in with the law (DWI).
And finally, in Niagara Falls, the GOP has endorsed another registered Democrat over a true Republican cause the Democrat has carried their water over the past two years. The Republican candidate was endorsed by the local committee, but the county committee overrode and gave the nod to the Democrublican.
All this before a single vote has been cast by the people.