Aginners

My favorite local politics story happened during a particularly contentious mayoral race in MyFormerTown, MO -- a city of about 14,000. The candidates were polar opposites: MrE was a progressive, forward-thinking, get-er-done kinda guy and MrK was a get-back-to-our-roots traditionalist. In a city that hung its hat on "tradition and progress," these two candidates were as quentessential as they come. You can imagine how hot that race was!

One morning at the local coffee shop (where the real business of the town got done early in the mornings over a cinnamon roll and a cuppa joe), MrE was talking with a woman, laying out his platform, etc. The end of the conversation, as he told it, went something like this:

MrE: ...so I was wondering if I could count on your vote, ma'am?
Ma'am: Nossir...I believe I'm going to be voting for MrK.
MrE: Well, I'm disappointed, but I respect your honesty, ma'am. Do you mind if I ask you why?
Ma'am: Not at all. I'm votin' for him because he's against stuff......and so'm I.

I have no idea if politics around here are that amusing (I tend to keep arms-length these days), but I passed a sign the other day for this guy. Now, he looks like a perfectly nice man...but, just the same, no way am I going to ask him what he's against!