JT's OPINION
An Alternative News Source
537 N. Washington Ave. # 502 570-342-1033
Scranton, Pa 18509 jtsopinion@gmail.com
May 18, 2011 Joe Talamini-Editor/Publisher

TIME TO SAY THANKS!

It's over....for now, anyway! We are referring, of course, to the 2011 Primary Election in our area. And, of course, there were “winners” and “losers”, but we don't look at it that way!

While the winning candidates will bask in their glory, too many of them forget that it was a myriad of backers, including family and friends, who got them there. Many will pat themselves on the back, but many others will try to lay the blame on everyone but themselves!

A case in point, of good campaigning, is the family and friends of Jason Shrive, a young lawyer, who made his first run at public office. Jason hit just about every fund raiser, for every candidate, and campaigned vigorously. He also benefited from the hard work and effort put in by brother Eric, a budding star lineman on the Penn State football team. Combined with the efforts of other family members, friends and “believers”, Shrive, a political novice, managed to pull off a big win. No, he wasn't alone, but he did gain our admiration and that of others, for waging a tough uphill battle. He was an “endorsed” candidate, but in Scranton, that can sometimes mean the kiss of death!

We stand and applaud this young group fior one hellluva win, and we also applaud the forces of Nathan Barrett, another big winner in the school board race. Barrett and his group played the “game” the right way and established a major base for future elections.

On the other side, there were candidates who believed the political bull that goes along with the territory and chose to let others do the hard work for them! One notoriously lousy campaigner, I choose to call him lazy, pulled off a big win, not because he is any great shakes, but because he had weak opponents and a dedicated crew doing his work for him!

There were other factions, well-known, who continue to let their egos get in their way and push hard, not for their candidates, but for their own edification! They are quick to jump to the conclusions that it was THEY, not their candidates and fellow campaigners, who made the major difference. They are also just as quick, if not quicker, to lay the blame for failures on everyone else. Ah, politics!

Anyway, we applaud all those who participated...,the little old ladies who came out to vote...the “backers” and the volunteer crews...the unheralded people who canvassed voters, handed out fliers, contributed small but important dollars, and the untiring efforts of so many who make the American democratic process what it is! The nameless folks who work so hard, and believe so willingly, in their candidates are the real winners! And lets not forget the maintenance men at the polling places and those who never get that pat on the back for hard work! GOD BLESS AMERICA! JT