FLOYD INGRAM: All Politics Is Local | Press Register – Clarksdale Press Register

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.

. . .

I don’t know if you recognize it or not, but at this time next month most of the candidates who are running for county office will have been elected.

The August Primary Election will thin them out real quick.

Yes, we have a number of alleged independents this time around that want to jump straight to the November General Election. That is their right as an American and I have no problem with that.

I do have a problem with people who are running to collect campaign contributions. They take your money and smile and I firmly believe if they are elected, they will take our money and smile.

We need honest, principled and sincere leadership to address the problems we have. We get the leadership we elect to leadership positions. We will get the kind of government we deserve.

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 election results. If we’re lucky we might have the paper out of Jackson do a story or two about Coahoma County.

But the media outlet that keeps you up to date on local politics is the Clarksdale Press Register.

That’s our job.

. . .

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 Coahoma County. It has been interesting to watch the tempest whirl this past spring.

If you want change, you will have a chance to vote for it in a few short weeks.

If you feel we are headed in the right direction, please voting accordingly.

. . .

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.

. . .

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.

. . .

I said earlier that all politics is local. I also said earlier that I am an optimist.

I hope we will see this community come together and work to elect our best and brightest.

I hope that good people will always study the candidates and the issues and make the right choice.

I say that because if you take a hard look at Clarksdale and Coahoma County, the future of our town and community are at stake.

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