The election is over

By Jeff Poole
Review Managing Editor
Published: June 19, 2008

He said. She said. They said. You say. I say. We say, “Enough already.”
It’s been seven months since our county election and we’re pointing fingers so fast we’re liable to put somebody’s eye out. It’s beyond embarassing and bordering on comical.
Last fall, you may remember, (how could you forget!) Orange County elected three new supervisors, as well as three school board members and a slate of constitutional officers. It was, and remains, one of the most contested and contentious elections in recent memory.
There were Election Day winners and losers. Regardless of how our candidates fared, many of us feel like we’re still losing seven months later because this is the election that won’t go away.
Each week seems to bring a new slate of attacks. Then, there are the counter-attacks and/or defensive maneuvers. The campaign is over but candidates (who won) are still campaigning?
Some candidates and their backers have been accused of making technical missteps and misdeeds. They’ve been investigated or will be investigated. Some have even asked to be investigated themselves. Fines may be levied, or they may not be.
It’s enough to make your head spin.
It reminds us of the situation baseball found itself in after the Mitchell Report suggested star players were possibly steroid users.
Some players took their medicine, acknowledged they may have acted inappropriately, sought forgiveness and returned to the game a little more humble. Fans appreciated their honesty, acknowledged their humanity, sympathized with their weakness and welcomed them back.
Other players pursued a more defiant approach, professing innocence while blaming others. Their arrogance alienated fans willing to forgive them. The time they could spend on the field is instead tied up in courtrooms and in the media. Each day, people think of them less and less as ballplayers and more as litigants and alleged criminals.
For the good of our county, it’s time we put this behind us and worked toward reconciliation. The election is over. That outcome is not going to change.
Do we want the ongoing bickering to define that election or do our newly elected officials want a legacy of progress instead?
If our elected officials spend this much time accusing others and/or defending themselves, how much more could they be accomplishing without these distractions?
Isn’t it the nature of public service to put the community’s interests ahead of one’s own?
We appreciate those who have admitted mistakes. It shows great character and integrity. We understand. We all make mistakes. Admitting them is the first step toward moving foward.
For our community’s well-being, it’s time we all took our medicine, acknowledged we may have acted inappropriately, sought forgiveness and returned to the game a little more humble.