Moser: We’ve Never Resorted to Name Calling

In case you were on space travel to Mars and missed it, Eric Cantor, the Republican House Majority Leader, lost the primary to his opponent, David Brat.

If you read my columns, you know I don’t frequently discuss politics. There are lots of great reporters and political analysts who can pick apart the nuances of political discourse. I try to stay in the practical venue of my community, where I can speak with authority and possibly convey some good information while getting you to think about topics you might not discuss without my nudge.

Still, this snagged me! The Washington Post had fine coverage of the Cantor/Brat saga here. The story piqued my interest because one well-funded candidate who seemed to be the clear front-runner lost the primary to a likely dark horse.  As I read the various news sources and blogs, everyone had an opinion regarding how that upset occurred. I was just interested there WAS an upset!

This page is great for novices to follow the election cycles, to see what offices are being filled and when.
There are tabs for local, state and federal elections. There are overviews and reports you may find interesting and you can even search by year (2014) to see what races will be upcoming or passed recently.

The Virginia State Board of Elections is easy on the eye and to navigate. The Prince William County Office of Elections page contains lots of information and forms at the local level. This office is run by a gentleman named Doug Geib who is the Registrar. I recently met Mr. Geib at a local League of Women Voters meeting. Both the League and Mr. Geib not only have a wealth of information to share, they could use some assistance disseminating that information. If you have a little time to volunteer, click the links I provided and get started!

I don’t know, really, what makes anyone decide to run for office. Lord knows whether you are a candidate or an incumbent you are bashed about by the citizens who may love you today and hate you tomorrow. I guess it’s too much to ask that we treat all candidates with respect and keep the insults off the air and the internet.

Two of my friends, Bill Golden and Al Alborn usually see eye to eye on the big topics, but often disagree on the fine print. Some of these discussions can get pretty animated, but never has any one of us insulted the other. We’ve never resorted to name calling or belittling the others’ opinion. Sometimes we just can’t reach an agreement, but we still like and respect each other.

I’m pretty sure that’s what most friends do and I wonder how hard it can be to inject the same into politics.