Choices are two sides of a counterfeit coin

Friday, Sept. 24, 2010

Every four years, through a process of proven imperfection, a portion of the county's registered voters chooses our elected officials for the next four years.

Politics is a profession for which no qualifications are necessary, except to convince or confuse enough gullible people to vote for you. A politician may know nothing, but that is not an impediment to being elected. "Dumb-as-a-door-handle" does sometimes get elected.

The other inherent fallacy in elections is the concept of a so-called "informed electorate." Some people will mindlessly vote for only the candidates of one political party, an excuse for being uninformed. Some people will simply vote for the candidate with the most name recognition, an insight largely gained from the observation of campaign road signs. Ultimately, an election simply becomes a popularity contest with the winner having the best phony smile and the most false promises.

The problem with two-party politics is that of how do you get rid of what you've got without going back to what you've had? A perfect example of this predicament is the choice of either Jackie Russell or Tommy McKay for commission president. With both we have been there and done that with disappointing results. Neither Russell nor McKay is a real choice because they are two sides of a counterfeit coin. Both are counting on voters having short memories.

Accordingly, on Election Day, I am going to write in and vote for Randy Guy.

As for the other four county commissioner seats, I am going to vote for Larry Jarboe, Cindy Jones, Art Shepherd and Mary Washington, with the hope that they will do the least harm to the people of St. Mary's County over the next four years.

It is also my hope that the four of them, plus Randy Guy, will best serve public interests rather than having politics as usual after the election and a continuation of government for the benefit of personal, political and special interests.

Mary Broadhurst, California