LocalRambler
Politics Are Local, Just Ask the Mayor
I want to first congratulate President-Elect Barack Obama; his historic race for the Whitehouse will long be remembered around these parts. Our nation needs Obama to be successful, and I wish him nothing but the best as he attempts to lead our country once sworn into office on January 20th.
Gaining over 200 electoral votes more than John McCain, receiving nearly 9 million more in the popular vote, and turning 28 states blue (mine included), the President-Elect won by a landslide, but his coattails did not reach down far enough to help the local candidates in my town. The local race was very frustrating for us Democrats who put so much time and effort into getting our candidates elected.
My town predominantly leans Republican, though registered voters are rather evenly split between Democrats and Republicans; it’s the Independents that made the difference, as they usually do in any election. Independents came out predominantly for McCain, thus Republican candidates down the line won.
In other states, counties, and towns across the country where the populations tended to be slightly more conservative, affluent, and less urbanized, the voters seemed to have chosen McCain over Obama. There were, however, a few anomalies like Greenwich, Connecticut.
Greenwich, the seemingly upper crust, millionaire, and blue-blooded community, voted resoundingly for Obama. It was the first time since 1964 that the voters of Greenwich voted for a Democrat.
Why, you ask? When asked about this seemingly unlikely event, a few locals informed pollsters that even though Greenwich is known for its millionaires and mansions, the wealthy make up less than 20 percent of the total population. A majority of the people that live in and around Greenwich fall into the middle class, making less $100,000 a year.
Another interesting outcome of this year’s election was the results from the little town of Silverton, Oregon, where transgender candidate Stu Rassmusen was elected mayor. That’s right, I said transgender. You see, Mayor Rassmusen is a man who has had breast implants and wears a dress. While it may seem strange to you and I, the people of Silverton love him and wouldn’t change him for anything in the world.
Stu Rassmusen has served the city of Silverton well for 20 years. As a man, he was elected mayor twice before in 1988 and 1990; now, 18 years later, he is the first openly, cross-dressing, transgender mayor in the country. And it doesn’t seem as though this year’s presidential politics had anything to do with it.
So, it just goes to show you that politics are local and perceptions are not always what they seem to be. My town, a town that should have voted Democratic, voted Republican; Greenwich, Connecticut., a town that should have voted Republican, voted Democratic; and the city of Silverton, Oregon shocked everyone but its citizens by voting a cross-dresser for Mayor.
Only in America, you just gotta love !
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Tags: Anomalies, Barack Obama, Coattails, Democrats, Democrats And Republicans, Electi, Electoral Votes, Greenwich, Greenwich Conn., Greenwich Connecticut, Independents, John Mccain, Landslide, Local, Mansions, Middle Class, Millionaires, Politics, Pollsters, Popular Vote, President Elect, Presidential Election, Ramblings, Registered Voters, Republican Candidates, Republicans, Silverton Oregon, Stu Rassmusen, Total Population, Upper Crust, Whitehouse 
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November 15, 2008 at 7:40 am
[...] Politics are local, just ask the Mayor I want to first congratulate President -Elect Barack Obama, his historic ...
November 15, 2008 at 9:45 am
[...] post by WP-AutoBlog Import var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF'; var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000'; var [...]