Published September 26, 2004 in the Hibbing Daily Tribune
With just over a month until voters actually vote, things are getting heated. It’s been said that polite conversationalists should avoid the topics of politics and religion, but when The Most Important Election of All Time™ is just around the corner, well, that’s a little like avoiding religion at a tent revival.
I’ve observed our local political climate from many vantage points. I’ve been a voter, a newspaper reporter covering the elections, a radio announcer broadcasting live returns and a campaign worker. In all of these roles, I reached a point in the campaign where I blurted loud expletives during some heated political argument – and I’m a person who doesn’t swear much. My friends prone to colorful language usually stop using clean words altogether.
Elections are designed to cause arguments. If no one cared who was elected, we’d draw names out of a hat to appoint our elected officials, or even let the Supreme Court decide. There’s nothing wrong with a nice political argument.
Some people just take it a little too far. Four years ago, a friend of mine would walk around the lunchroom asking random people whom they planned to vote for. If they said any name other than his candidate, my friend would argue with them. We’d have to pull him off the table, kind of like how stagehands used to escort James Brown off stage wearing a boxing robe, only to have Brown fling off the robe and go back to work. That’s how it was with this friend of mine, only he focused on environmental policy instead of being the Godfather of Soul.
Another example comes with the display of campaign lawn signs and bumper stickers. Every election year, I hear tales of stolen or vandalized signs and things done to a vehicle displaying political bumper stickers of all ideologies, apparently by people opposed to whatever is on the signs and/or stickers.
This is something I don’t have to worry about. I have political bumper stickers on my car right now, but never seem to have any problems. This may be because my car already looks like it’s been vandalized. If a stealthy political operative snuck through the night to damage my car, he’d see mine and think, “Oh. Already did this block.”
Still, I’ve already heard stories from supporters of both major presidential candidates that the dirty hands of the opposition sullied their signs, stickers or whatnots in an apparent attempt to intimidate them.
I have a couple thoughts on this issue. First, if you happen to be so wrapped up in your political beliefs that you feel it necessary to physically attack graven images of the opposing candidate, get a grip. You’re not helping your side and you’re only strengthening the resolve of whoever owns the stuff you’re messing with. Do you honestly think that stealing a sign or doing something unpleasant to a vehicle will get people to vote for your person?
“I was going to vote next month, but they took my sign. I guess I better play ball.”
Not likely.
Second, and this is for victims of campaign-related misdeeds, check first. Every year I hear from somebody in a campaign convinced the Evil Other Party is stealing their signs, only to eventually learn that the signs are all sitting at a MnDOT garage because they were set up in the right-of-way.
It’s OK, why, it’s downright democratic to argue politics this time of year. Just remember to avoid those pesky petty misdemeanors. Those don’t help anyone.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist for the Hibbing Daily Tribune.