Sometimes, instead of hearing gloom and doom on the local news, you hear something different. Tonight was one of those nights. While reporting election results and analyses about why this person or that person won, there was a story about a commissioner elected in another county. He won by 51%.There was a small hitch in the results though; the person who won died three weeks ago. But he was still on the ballot. It must be cheaper to leave a dead person on a ballot than to reprint it.
The reporter interviewed several people at their homes in the county. No one seemed to be aware of the candidate's demise. That leads me to draw a couple of conclusions, totally based on my own thoughts. Nothing scientific about it.
1. People don't pay attention to the obituaries anymore. That may be because there are fewer papers in print these days.
2. People are dedicated to their party of choice. Even if you die, you can still be elected.
The best part of the reporter's story was the woman in a wheelchair with a sandwich in her hand, sitting in her doorway. The reporter told her the person who won had died three weeks earlier. Her head whipped around toward someone in the house and she hollered:
"Did you hear that? I voted for a damn dead man!"
I think I am going to run for President after I die. I may have a good chance of winning.
life is good... cath
find me @jonesbabie on Twitter
Sheesh! That must have been a huge shocker to those thousands of voters! If we don't read the obituaries, this should have at least gone through the gossip mill. I always get my latest news from neighbors here. =P
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the rest of the voters, but the ones they showed on the interview were sure surprised! Gossip isn't what it used to be. :D
DeleteAnd this is real life ... in a MEMEME society. This is horrible, no respect whatsoever, no caring but very symbolic of where we have gone to.
ReplyDeleteWell it turns out it is cheaper to let a dead man run for office than reprint ballots, but they should have passed the news somehow. In the local paper, signs at the voting polls, etc.
DeleteCrikey! That's some legacy to leave and doesn't say much about the living candidates.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing Lucy! The one living candidate who ran must not have had a very big impact on voters. :D
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ReplyDeleteAw poor love - he didn't get to see it! Or maybe he's laughing upstairs (or crying…)
ReplyDeleteI think he probably is...and his family sure was gratified to know he won!
DeleteAhhh- don't know what's more sad- the little attention paid to those who have died, or the fact they wouldn't reprint those ballots!
ReplyDeleteI can understand not reprinting the ballots, but they could have posted something at the polls letting people know that he had died.
DeleteI think there's something wrong with me. Becuase the whole situation made me laugh. I saw a headline this morning implying that several dead people were elected to office on Tuesday. Tells ya how much attention people really pay to who exactly they are voting for.
ReplyDeleteI was laughing too Beckey, and the woman's statement about voting for a dead man was so dead pan spot on that I knew I had to blog it. Just wish I had the video of her. :D
DeleteIt is indeed a funny situation! I can't believe that he got elected!
ReplyDeleteNothing surprises me anymore Muriel. :D
DeleteBoth a funny and shocking story. The fact that voters didn't know he was dead points a big finger at local authorities rather than voter ignorance. What interests were at stake to leave a dead man on the ballot?
ReplyDeleteWell if it had been a big city with a lot of money and power involved, I would have been more suspicious Penny. But since it was a small election in a rural county, I didn't think too much about that aspect. But now that you mention it....
DeleteWow, I didn't know that (that a dead person can still win). So what happens now? I'm curious how this will get worked out.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know a dead person could win either. I think the locals were as surprised as I was to find out. From what I have been told, the opponent does not win by default. The commissioner will have to be appointed by the governor. Wonder who he will choose?
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