It gave me the time to relax and read the paper this morning, and since there was still more time to do nothing in, I picked up one of the weekly freebie locals I never normally read. In fact I don't read any local news anymore, it's just been too trite and embarrassing.
But here, from Community News, coverage of the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections race, where Democrat Phyllis Busansky suprised and delighted us by beating incumbent Republican Buddy Johnson:
"Some of Johnson's staff did not include the second page of the ballot to an unknown number of voters. Johnson, never one to take personal responsibility, said it must have been volunteers who slept through training....Johnson made a short concession speech....He said that the office would help with the transition to Busansky's command. Whether Busansky wants some of the bumbling help remains to be seen."
Reports of problems at local polls include one where "poll workers required voters to line up alphabetically, instead of the normal first-come-first-served basis. One voter told the media that she was one of the first in line...around 6:30 a.m. and that she had to wait a couple hours because the poll workers took people alphabetically."
Buddy himself managed to avoid all the controversy last Tuesday night with a simple strategy.
"Throughout the evening, Johnson remained mostly out of sight and did not make himself, his staff or even officials from Premier Elections Services available to answer questions."
Oh, what a riot this county is. Too bad it's too important to be really funny. But important too is the slightest tilt toward the middle now that we have a second Democrat on the County Commission. Let's hope Kevin Beckner encourages Kevin White to act a bit more like a Democrat. And how great that we don't have to wait more than another week to be rid of Brian Blair, the holy roller wrestler who tried to get the county to continue down the destructive path Ronda Storms worked so hard to forge. Ronda is mean but somewhat smart; Blair is too dumb even to know how to campaign. His relection campaign consisted of billboards illegally paid for and ads in which his wife waxed eloquent about his strengths as a family guy, and by the way, there was nothing at all to that old domestic abuse charge.
Now it's just two little bits less embarrassing to live in this county. And a big blue bit less embarrassing to live in this state. Who knows, I may even pick up a local paper again one of these days.
Lots of people stopped by to celebrate, library, school, sailing friends, even a neighbor stopped by -- she saw our party decorations outside and said, hey, it's my celebration too! The biggest surprise was a big McCain supporter, Mark's sailing captain, who said he was in mourning but showed up anyway.
All the dogs had a great time, they were so social and really well behaved. But they are exhausted today; we are pretty tired too. And still basking in the glow of this best election ever.
Then Mark got dressed for some trick or treat door opening. He has experience with this costume, having worn it earlier at school for the "book character" parade (since you can't officially celebrate Halloween in the schools and libraries of the south). The boys, having just been groomed, decided to pull up their little "I've been groomed" bandanas and became little old Russian ladies.
Daisy didn't want to be left out. She's the big babushka.
