A wise old politician once told me all politics is local. After watching campaigns, elections and political shenanigans for 25 years, I’ve come to the conclusion this is true.
When you look at the national picture, you have to remember that it all filters down to people heading to the polls and marking a ballot.
Yes, you can debate the merits of the national media, the two-party system and massive political machines, but I’m always impressed at how it is a man or woman quietly walking into a polling place that determines who is in charge of the greatest and most powerful country on earth.
And it is local people who team up with a particular candidate early on in a campaign that make things happen. They put signs in their yard, bend the ear of family and friends and then make sure their people get out and vote in the primaries and General Election.
It’s not a perfect system but it’s the one we’ve got.
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Your Clarksdale Press Register has a Page Five advertisement listing candidates running for political office this Spring.
Primaries will be Tuesday, April 6, party runoffs will be April 27 and the general election – if needed will be June 8.
I said earlier that all politics is local. Well, all media is local, too.
We'll have the Memphis TV stations run down here and then run back to the Bluff City to air a particular story. If we're lucky we might have the paper out of Jackson do a story or two.
But the media outlet that will keep you up to date on local politics is the Clarksdale Press Register.
That's our job.
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The winds of change are blowing across this community -- and that is not a bad thing.
I am an eternal optimist and I couldn’t do this job if I didn’t think things would get better.
People are fed up with the buying and selling of power in Washington, Jackson and even Clarksdale. It will be interesting to watch the tempest whirl this spring.
If you want change, you will have a chance to vote for it in a few short months.
If you feel we are headed in the right direction, please voting accordingly.
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I admire people who are willing to throw their hat in the ring.
It takes courage, commitment and lot of blood, sweat and tears to run for political office.
The problem is getting good people to run for office.
Those with business savvy, a strong work ethic and good common sense usually have a real job making real money somewhere else. Like I said, it's hard to get good people to run for public office.
Part of the reason is the job is public. It's difficult for people, who are used to making big decisions, to have their every vote scrutinized and berated at the coffee shop every morning.
The second reason is it takes a lot of time. If you think being elected to a local board is meeting once or twice a month – think again. There is homework – lots of it – at all of these jobs.
Last but not least, these jobs really don't pay very well. I've always felt if you are doing it for the money you are doing it for the wrong reason. I also believe if this is the best paying job you have ever had, we don't need to vote you into office.
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For years if you wanted to get elected at the national level you ran as a Democrat. That changed with the Reagan Revolution.
Mississippi is a scarlet red Republican state and has been at both the state and federal level for years.
But in the Delta, if you want to get elected at the local level you have to run as a Democrat.
That trend is slowly starting to change.
We had Republican candidates on the November ballot. No Republicans have qualified for city races in Clarksdale this spring.
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We have the Mayor’s race this year and that always brings out people to cast a ballot. The post of Mayor does more to set the tone for your town than most of us realize.
We also have some interesting Commissioner races this spring. Please understand it takes three votes to make anything happen in Clarksdale. They are the ones who can spur jobs, business and a high quality of life in a community.
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I said earlier that all politics is local. I also said earlier that I am an optimist.
This is year we will see this community come together and work to elect our best and brightest.
This is the year that good people study the candidates and the issues and make the right choice.
Because if you take a hard look at Campaign 2021, it is the future of our town and community that is at stake.
Floyd Ingram is the Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. He will vote in this spring’s election and he urges you to do the same.
