Name:
Location: Granite Falls, North Carolina, United States

I'm an ordained United Methodist minister no longer pastoring churches, a former media producer with skills ten years out of date, a writer trying to sell my first novel, and a sales associate keeping body and soul together working for the People's Republic of Corporate America. I'm married to the most wonderful woman in the world, who was my best friend for 17 years before we married.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

On living in a Pocket Borough

In England, members of Parliament who represent a district whose voters can be counted on to reelect them regardless of what they may do are said to represent "pocket boroughs." The Tenth Congressional District of North Carolina is a pocket borough for the Republican establishment. No matter what idiocy our Congressman may pull he can count on being reelected.

Now, this year, since Bush is so unpopular nationwide, and there are rumblings even in this thoroughly Republican district, another Republican or two started to test the waters to mount a primary run. One was the mayor of Hickory. He got some very firm phone calls from the Republican establishment leaders telling him to step away from the idea.

Garrison Keillor spoke in one of his radio shows about "Second Coming Republicans." They would not vote for a Democrat if he came down from heaven blowing a trumpet. That describes the majority of voters in this district.

That is why the Democratic candidate for Congress this year has to tout his conservative credentials to be taken seriously, even in this era when conservatism is falling apart nationwide.

Well, we who oppose the incumbent Congressman will need to keep the pressure on, pointing out his shortcomings and offering better alternatives than cloning Bush.

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