Just Thinking

Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the House during the Reagan years (1977-1987), once observed that all politics is local. There are almost 7 months till the general election. Most of the media attention is- of course- focused on the presidential race. As it appears today, Barck Obama will be the nominee of the Democratic Party and John McCain the nominee of the Republican party. Nothing new or insightful there. My thinking today is stuck on the word 'change.' All three viable candidates (yes, Hillary Clinton is still a viable candidate) promise change. But what change will occur locally? What changes need to be made locally?

In our county and state there are numerous changes that I would love to see. However, the changes I wish for will not occur regardless of which politician wins the White House. I live in a culturally and politically conservative pocket of people, whose political will is almost always overridden by the larger segment of population in Oregon- they are liberal- culturally and politically and irreligious at best.

Yet I continue to talk up local candidates that I think can make an impact in city, county and state offices. I continue to encourage the folks with whom I have influence to exercise their right to vote- to make change a reality.

I'm not sure where all this is leading, except to vent a little and to try and make some sense in my own mind about the incessant use of the word 'change' in this political season.