A CHANGE OF SEASONS
A Widow Bit – Oct. 31, 2010
By Mary Koch

            Most trees this autumn appear reluctant to shed their brilliant array of autumn colors – like a belle of the ball who can’t bear to take off her elegant gown after the dance is long over. Last Tuesday though, on my daily walk with the dog, I discovered the poplar trees on Ash Street had dropped their leaves, and I indulged in my favorite fall activity – leaf  shuffling. To thoroughly enjoy fallen leaves, you don’t just walk through them; you slide and kick, slide and kick, rejoicing in the dry, crisp rustle.

            Another change of season will be noticeable soon with the disappearance of political yard signs. Most people, I suspect, will greet the end of this campaign’s negativity with relief, no matter who wins.

            For the first time after a career of journalistic neutrality, I’ve been deeply involved in a partisan campaign. My daughter-in-law, Becki, is running for county commissioner. Both she and I are a little surprised by how involved I got. I’d intended to give a donation and let it go at that. But early on, as she discussed issues and ideas with me, I became convinced that she was not only the most capable candidate, but could bring some exceptional abilities and foresight to local government.

            When I say partisan campaign, in Okanogan County that’s not necessarily Democrat vs. Republican. Democrats are almost as rare here as boilermakers at a tea party (I mean the old-fashioned kind of ladies’ tea party). Consequently, under Washington state’s strange election laws, all but one county race this year is between two Republicans.

            That may be one reason why our campaigns are less raucous than the state and national free-for-alls. Most of the county candidates – I say, most – have campaigned on their personal qualifications and not their opponents’ alleged ineptitudes. We know, at the local level, that negativity will come back to bite us. Sure, there are the whisper campaigns and petty sniping. My own emotions have ranged from deep appreciation for many demonstrations of support to momentary anger and pain over occasional nastiness. Becki keeps me on track. Win or lose, she says, the campaign experience itself was worth it all. She hated the fund-raising but loved meeting people at forums and door-belling.

            “I’ve met a lot of beautiful souls that I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” she says.

            A number of years ago, the then-president of Omak Stampede would gather volunteers for a “kiss and make-up” party after the heat and dust of our big annual rodeo had settled. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert would have helped the nation far more had they held off and, instead of Saturday’s “return to sanity and/or fear” rally, held a kiss and make-up extravaganza after the campaign. As Stewart himself said, “An opponent is not an enemy.”

            If we as a nation can’t find a way to kiss and make up, we’re doomed to keep shuffling through the echoing rancor of campaign insults, like so many dead and fallen leaves. That’s not as fun as the real thing.