Electoral Hangover

Harrumph.

For the last month, I've had two competing thoughts: 1) Crap! November 7 is coming up WAAAY too fast and 2) Lord, will November 7 EVER get here?

Well, it's come and gone and Jack's going to be staying put for a while; we lost, and even accounting for the opposition's going negative and dirty politicking, he probably would have won, anyway (for the appellate folks, yes there was misconduct but it was harmless error)
He's been in the area 20+ years, part of the local judicial system there almost as long, and a judge for over half that time. I've been in the area 5 years and working in the nearby city, i.e not locally.

So I had an uphill battle. Like the little guy in the picture, I kept all my work above the belt, even though there were some very tempting targets had I been inclined to play dirty. I take the fact that my opponent did go negative and did play dirty as a compliment: In his assessment I was frighteningly close to beating him.

So how do I feel? Really good, actually. I busted my butt for something I believed in and kept my honor clean while all around me others were further tarnishing theirs.

If I made Judge, I was preparing for a rather lonely time on the bench, as a good judge can't have any friends, at least no friends who expect favors or favorable rulings. A good man I will continue to have the pleasure of working with used to be a judge in that jurisdiction, and was ostracized because he ruled on the basis of the law an not on (what he thought were) friendships.

So what do I have to come back to? What have I got here at the office? A family. True friends. Professional, honorable (98% of the time) opponents. A calling to the work and work that has purpose. It's as close to a win-win situation as you can get.

In other news, Janet's candidate lost too, getting outspent several times over. Terri's candidate lost a close, dirty and frustrating race.

Terri?

Yes, Terri.

She may be coming on board to take Chrissy's place - we'll see.

Jack