5.9 magnitude earthquake that lasted about 50 seconds hit our area. The Epicenter was 9 miles from Mineral, Virginia.
Walls and ceilings shook and rattled here. It was a terrifying experience. It took me a second to realize what was happening.
Where were you when it happened? Did you suffer any damage? I still can’t dial out on my land line or my cell phone.
The primary election is very late this year. Usually all primaries are over in the late spring and the emerging candidates have had an opportunity to campaign all summer. This year the candidates for the general election sat back, if they were not challenged in their own party, and let the primary candidates duke it out. The delay was caused mainly by the redistricting that occurs every ten years as a result of new census numbers.
The primaries have brought about the usually cases of devouring one’s own young, with some campaigns being more vicious than others. The Internet is a powerful tool. It allows some a louder voice than one would normally have and it gives those who oppose a candidate an even louder voice, if they so choose, because they can spew venom at will without detection. The Internet political enemy can change identities or they can clone themselves into multiple villains all with the same target. In a democracy, disagreement is normal and even healthy. The anonymity of the Internet creates a situation where attackers do not have to assume responsibility for their words and deeds.
Normally nice people can cause hurt. However, bullies love the Internet because they can become bigger than life and can inflict pain and political damage on people with very little effort. The bullies don’t just emerge at election time. They are always lurking in the shadows, ready to hurl some nasty invective at someone who has displeased them or at some perceived enemy. However, an election can become a feeding frenzy for the bully. Bullies can keep decent folks from even wanting to run for office.
People of good will and decent character need to shun these bullies and refuse to associate with them. We know who most of them are. It is critical to a democracy to keep good people who bring a wealth of talent to public service wanting to serve. They will not if we allow meanness and character assassination to drive them away.
Editors note:
Results:
Covington wins Brentsville
Candland wins Gainesville
Nohe wins Coles
Stirrup loses 13th to Black
Ramadan wins 87th
Jon Huntsman cautions Republicans against becoming “the anti-science party.”
Washington Post 8/22/11
From the New York Times:
The former governor, who served as ambassador to China under President Obama before quitting that post this year to pursue the presidency, has tried to stake out a middle ground in a contest where the loudest voices have come from what he referred to on Sunday as “the fringes.”
Mr. Huntsman insisted that the American public was “crying out for a sensible middle ground.” He described the United States as a center-right country and said that was precisely where he stood.
Mr. Huntsman fared poorly in the Ames straw poll last weekend in Iowa, a state to which he had devoted little attention. He received less than 1 percent of the vote; Mrs. Bachmann won with 29 percent.
So what does this mean? Independents and moderates from both parties are embracing Jon Huntsman and breathing a sigh of relief that there really is a Republican who calls for sensible middle ground. Meanwhile, hard core Republicans have turned up their respective noses like a skunk is in the barn. Read More
