Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Marc Boldt's last day as commissioner.

According to the democratian, it's finally arrived.

There's a lot of emotion expressed in the article in the rag.

I have a lot of emotion as well, but it's not what most people might think it would be; given the tone, tenor and posts of this blog, partially detailing why he should have been defeated for re-election... and, in fact, becoming the only incumbent in Clark County to actually lose his re-election bid.

My emotion is based on the waste of it all.  My emotion is anger that Marc lost touch with those who believed in who he use to be and loathed what he became.  My emotion is that Marc seemed to be completely co-opted by those who used to hate him; using him and then discarding him now that he's gone... all to get what THEY want no matter what WE want.

And, as Marc now knows, it's all about what WE want.

Tom Mielke, who spent cab-fare on his campaign, won with 21,000 more votes then Marc lost with in the last election... even though Mark spent (badly) 5 times as much.

Tom didn't win because he was a nice guy and Marc was not.  My political differences with Marc notwithstanding, he's one of the best people I know.  He had to be to put up with me for 6 years or so in his front office.

Tom won because like most of us, he despises the CRC rip off.  Marc lost because only the special interests and their supporters like the CRC rip off.

But when you pledge to be a "servant leader" as Marc did; you must always, always, ALWAYS remember that the word "servant" comes first.

Sadly, co-opted by the downtown special interests, Marc forgot that promise, and began to work diligently against the will of the people of this county.  The result?

He lost almost everywhere in the county as he was abandoned by the democrats he was counting on but refused to acknowledge, as he continued to cling to a Republican identity in the face of a fringe-left voting record.

And yes... all of that angers me.

Had Marc mirrored Tom Mielke's Republican positions, David Madore would not have announced and Marc would still be commissioner.

Those surrounding Marc managed a strategically horrific and poorly executed campaign.  Marc failed to poll, so he never knew he was in as much trouble (70% of his own commissioner district rejecting him in the primary notwithstanding) as he was until the first numbers hit on election night.  Those who supported him were, in large part, confirmation of everything I've said.  Their support... the leftist, pro-bridge/pro-loot rail/pro-toll scammers and the cloying, sickly-sweet support of the cancerous rag of a newspaper... were ultimately responsible for his downfall.  When combined with a completely inept campaign obviously ran by someone, or a group of someones lacking any clue... there was just no way he could win... a thought that never occurred to him until the first numbers dropped.

He knew then it was all over.  And all of that angers me.

Because it was so, very, unnecessary.

It's likely that he and my sister-in-law and the rest of her family will never forgive me.  But since they never listened to me before any of this started, I expect I'll find a way to get over it.  But I had no choice except to treat Marc like any other political enemy of the people... the way I'll treat Steve Stuart, should he decide to run, since he is likely to suffer the same fate as Boldt.

Marc's political days are likely done.  The CRC issue will likely be decided long before this term is up... and hopefully, be long over and a distant memory.

But Marc will forever be known as the man who willingly and repeatedly violated Republican tenets and worked to serve the special interests who seemed to own him like the 13th Amendment was never passed... instead of the people who he was sworn to serve.

Had he remained true to what made him such a great legislator, you would not be seeing this post and we would not have been seeing this article in the paper.

Had he governed much more like Tom Mielke and much less like Steve Stuart... all of this would have been different.

I take no joy in it.  But it was necessary.  And now there's a new sheriff in town.  The only question is this: has the message been received, and has it made any difference?

And that's my emotion on this very emotional day for the Boldt family... but not for most of the rest of the county.

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