From the Desk of Slats MacCune:
I was asked to pen this guest column, no doubt because Mr.
Considerations is busy celebrating what would have been the 115th
Birthday of one Eric Arthur Blair…perhaps better known to history as George
Orwell. Now there was a journalist! He
took a bullet in the throat while covering/fighting in the Spanish Civil
War. That, of course, is unlikely to
occur on Frolicking Hamster Drive or whatever Columbia road Booms lives on.
So tomorrow is primary election day in Maryland. As I have counseled many a younger campaign operative,
including the wayward factotum behind this blog: 1) it is critical to get paid
in full, just like another Eric (Eric B.) once said, and 2) never, ever be in
town on Election Day itself. This used
to be especially true for overseas work in certain nations…where aspiring, or
actual, potentates could prevent your airplane from taking off so you can have
a mandatory, last-minute “meeting of the minds” with their staffers. This could involve anything from a reduction
in fees to not-too-subtle hints on the unpleasantness of imprisonment in
Country X. Either way, it meant dealing
with surly and armed bureaucrats. Always
be out a day or two ahead of time, tell no one about your travel plans, and
only use burner phones.
This advice might come in handy for politicos working
state-wide, and sooner than you think.
The ’18 general election is likely to be fought based on the new rules;
and Trump and company appear to be both unbothered by the rule of law and sore
losers that will use every instrument at their disposal to ensure a favorable
outcome for their side. This will get
ugly. I lived through ’68 and have seen
this before.
I understand the readership of this “blog” to be heavily
engaged, media and policy-attentive types.
With that in mind, I don’t need to remind or cajole you to exercise your
franchise. I am certain many of you already
voted. For those who haven’t, my one
piece of advice is to look for toughness in candidates.
It shouldn’t be their only personal attribute, but, in these times, it definitely
should be in the mix.
How does he sign these things off? Sparty out? God I hope
not. I am not getting paid by the word, or at all, so I am stopping here.
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