March 11, 2006 9:44 AM

Picking the easy fights means we end up with mediocre leaders

My Primary Thoughts

In politics it is far easier to pick the easy fights, the conventional wisdom, and attitudes that have determined elections in the past rather than to challenge any of these things and risk losing face, credibility, or suffer defeat.

It’s easy to get behind the “name” candidates, those with a realistic chance of winning an election. Everyone likes to win, and it might seem to be difficult to justify busting one’s butt for a candidate destined to merely crash and burn. Nonetheless, there is something to be said for devoting one’s time and energy to a cause that’s speak to one’s beliefs and aspirations. Sure, it’s nice to come out on top, but sometimes fighting the good fight means not immediately realizing the victory you chase. If all we did was fight the easy fights, we’d end up with a lazy, ignorant former Texas Governor in the White House. Uh, wait….

It might be fashionable to denigrate that who give of themselves in ultimately “futile” campaigns, but that’s the beauty of a democracy. And every now and then, the seemingly unthinkable does happen- take Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Venture, f’rinstance. Both of these Governors won by hanging on to the belief that they could buck the odds, they could take their message to the people and convince them that they could make adifference. While backing Bob Gammage in Texas’ Democratic Gubernatorial primary may have proven unsuccessful, I salute K-T for working for the candidate he felt was best suited to defeat Governor Goodhair in November. I’m no fan of Chris Bell myself, but he is now the only option Texas Democrats have left, and I image K-T and others will get behind Bell if for no other reason than to assure we can boot Rick Perry’s sorry ass out of the Statehouse.

Backing an unsuccessful candidate doesn’t make one a loser. It merely means that one was exercising his or her right to support the candidate that best reflects their values and aspirations. Such is the nature of democracy. Let’s not lose sight of that, shall we??

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 11, 2006 9:44 AM.

Besides, you're now a second-class citizen was the previous entry in this blog.

Good riddance...I just wish I could have pulled the switch is the next entry in this blog.

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