GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 08 July 2024)

THE DEBATE

Last Thursday the world had the opportunity to catch a 90-minute glimpse of our nation’s two likely presidential candidates. As 51 million others, I thought it my citizen’s duty to tune in, although Peg and I considered getting a couple of chores done around JPeg Osage Ranch instead. We should have done the chores.

When it comes to politics I tend to concentrate on my own personal experiences and pay less attention to the behavior of other candidates. For example, my first political campaign involvement was on behalf of my boss who was the Vanderburgh County, Indiana Prosecuting Attorney. The year was 1972 and I was an appointed, part-time deputy prosecuting attorney. I was married, had a son and needed the job. However, I really did think my boss was a good and honorable office holder and I eagerly accepted his “invitation” to go out early on election day and put up signs for him.

One of my colleagues on the staff was another idealistic young deputy prosecuting attorney who was teamed up with me. Neither of us knew anything about our boss’s opponent but we did fear he probably would not ask us to stay on if he won. My friend was also married with two children. Our enthusiasm was real.

The evening before election day we met at the office and made about 50 signs touting our boss and his political party. We did not make any mention of his adversary. Then at 7:00 a.m. the next morning we loaded the signs in my old car and headed for a large inner-city precinct; the polls had opened at 6:00 a.m.

When we arrived in our only three-piece dark suits, white shirts and black ties we eagerly jumped out of the car carrying two signs each. We were happy to be working to preserve our jobs while engaging in the great democratic experience.

As we approached the polling place a very large woman approached us with fire in her eyes and flame on her tongue and screamed at us, “Are you from party headquarters?” Neither of us had ever been to any party headquarters, but, before we could respond she loudly demanded, “You better get some money out here, these people ain’t voting right!”

My fellow traveler and I, both of whom had prosecutorial powers, quickly grabbed our signs with our boss’s name and party name on them, and hustled back to my car. I took my co-political operative home and I went to my home and cogitated over my many ethically oriented philosophical political discussions. But we just returned to work the next day glad we still had jobs.

One thing my first political experience did for me was it jaded me about many aspects of our great democracy. I am far less likely to just accept what I see and hear from any of our politicians and certainly hardly anything I see and hear from the news people who observe their behavior and analyze their motives.

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

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