Quick post race analysis
An unnamed Oconee County official confided in me the key moment when he decided to vote for Margaret Hale over Tammy Gilland last night.
"She shouldn't have brought up (Margaret's) sickness," said this political junkie last night. "She should have never mentioned that. It really rubbed a lot people the wrong way."
Commissioner Hale seems pretty fit and hale these days but did have neck surgery not all that long ago. She missed a couple of meeting during the winter. Gilland made only one reference in passing to Hale's health but it was at a critical juncture of an important debate when people were making up their mind about who to support in the Board of Commissioners race.
Although it was not really the case, the perception also was that Gilland was the candidate brought on by Oconee County Board of Commissioners chairman G. Melvin Davis and some saw the Gilland - Hale race as a referendum on the recent reorganization of the reporting structure of the chair to the rest of the Board.
As with a lot of decisions in local government, people were and pretty much still are split about this contentious matter. Whether Gilland ran at the behest of Davis to somehow get back at Hale for backing the efforts at restructuring the government is almost immaterial as much as it was an accepted perception of a significant chunk of the 5,000+ people who got off their lazy asses to vote last night.
Even in the lowly Oconee County Democratic committee discussions, the activists in the local politics were split about how and who to vote for in a cross over situation. Everyone agreed that Hale was extremely likable and approachable and listens to what you have to say, even if you do not agree with what she is saying or how she is voting. She cannot be considered an extremist on anything at all. I do not know with absolute certainty that every Democratic voter in Oconee County who crossed over voted for Hale, but I can remain fairly certain about at least a dozen did. There were people who really liked Gilland who pretty much have their run of the Democratic meetings otherwise, but were pretty much summarily bludgeoned in our freewheeling argumentative discussions toward the end of the meeting in at least as far as the Gilland - Hale debate was concerned.
Gilland has more get up and go than any candidate I have met in the last several decades. Some of her more derisive detractors referred to her as "The Cheerleader" and that is exactly why I want her to run for Melvin's job at Chair in 2012. As of right now the only announced candidate is Sarah Bell, but I think Gilland is exactly what Oconee County needs at a time when Oconee County needs it the most. My only concern is that the chair of the BOC is a full time job, no matter what the pay or officials hours may say, and I would hope that whomever we elect at the next chair can devote 110% of their time to the position, as that is what is needed out here.
Great race ran by Gilland and Hale. If I were to advise Gilland, I would make sure she ran every race with a Vote for Gilland shirt in the next several years in and around Oconee. I would make it my goal to jog around every subdivision in the county, taking one or two at a time, and meeting mom and pop and son and daughter Oconee on a safe one on one situation. Gilland is an accomplished distance runner, and she may have only just begun the opening steps of her next race. I sure hope so.
"She shouldn't have brought up (Margaret's) sickness," said this political junkie last night. "She should have never mentioned that. It really rubbed a lot people the wrong way."
Commissioner Hale seems pretty fit and hale these days but did have neck surgery not all that long ago. She missed a couple of meeting during the winter. Gilland made only one reference in passing to Hale's health but it was at a critical juncture of an important debate when people were making up their mind about who to support in the Board of Commissioners race.
Although it was not really the case, the perception also was that Gilland was the candidate brought on by Oconee County Board of Commissioners chairman G. Melvin Davis and some saw the Gilland - Hale race as a referendum on the recent reorganization of the reporting structure of the chair to the rest of the Board.
As with a lot of decisions in local government, people were and pretty much still are split about this contentious matter. Whether Gilland ran at the behest of Davis to somehow get back at Hale for backing the efforts at restructuring the government is almost immaterial as much as it was an accepted perception of a significant chunk of the 5,000+ people who got off their lazy asses to vote last night.
Even in the lowly Oconee County Democratic committee discussions, the activists in the local politics were split about how and who to vote for in a cross over situation. Everyone agreed that Hale was extremely likable and approachable and listens to what you have to say, even if you do not agree with what she is saying or how she is voting. She cannot be considered an extremist on anything at all. I do not know with absolute certainty that every Democratic voter in Oconee County who crossed over voted for Hale, but I can remain fairly certain about at least a dozen did. There were people who really liked Gilland who pretty much have their run of the Democratic meetings otherwise, but were pretty much summarily bludgeoned in our freewheeling argumentative discussions toward the end of the meeting in at least as far as the Gilland - Hale debate was concerned.
Gilland has more get up and go than any candidate I have met in the last several decades. Some of her more derisive detractors referred to her as "The Cheerleader" and that is exactly why I want her to run for Melvin's job at Chair in 2012. As of right now the only announced candidate is Sarah Bell, but I think Gilland is exactly what Oconee County needs at a time when Oconee County needs it the most. My only concern is that the chair of the BOC is a full time job, no matter what the pay or officials hours may say, and I would hope that whomever we elect at the next chair can devote 110% of their time to the position, as that is what is needed out here.
Great race ran by Gilland and Hale. If I were to advise Gilland, I would make sure she ran every race with a Vote for Gilland shirt in the next several years in and around Oconee. I would make it my goal to jog around every subdivision in the county, taking one or two at a time, and meeting mom and pop and son and daughter Oconee on a safe one on one situation. Gilland is an accomplished distance runner, and she may have only just begun the opening steps of her next race. I sure hope so.
Comments