Democracy in Action

At a meeting I attended last week in which I was NOT wearing my Political Consultant hat, I had to watch the small-town political equivalent of a slow, ugly car crash with my eyes wide open. It was U-G-L-Y and I had not an alibi. I was DYING to stand up and fix the situation, but was not in a position to do so.

Picture a very, very small New England town.  No, smaller.  Now picture two of that small town's Selectboard members (they are white men, if that helps) sitting at the head of a large oak table.  Now remember that in a small town, everyone knows everyone, and everyone has known everyone for EVER. Some folks get along, and some folks don't. These relationships are the same in the governing body of a small town, a medium city, Beacon Hill and our House of Representatives.

The decision made that summer evening had a profound impact on the town's future economic development, and the choice, unfortunately for the town's future, was colored inside the lines because the decision was driven largely by personal histories.  This is DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. Every single selectboard, town meeting, or city council gathering is a ringing, singing example of how the personal is always political and sometimes the political is personal.  If you are not getting what you want politically, I recommend getting an outside perspective to help you color outside the lines.