• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2022
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Election Post-Mortem

November 20, 2012 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Well, another wonderful exercise in Democracy has come and gone. The people have spoken. And I am still actually surprised that the most unlikable, strange and blatantly phony cartoon of a rich bastard we have all been conditioned to hate since his Uncle Harry Potter stole Jimmy Stuarts bank in It’s a Wonderful Life somehow managed to screw it up . They say it was a real and rare victory for the common folk against Big Money. One of the warmest fuzzies delivered on the first Tuesday in November since the Greeks put their words demos, meaning “the people,” and kratein, meaning “to rule.” together 600 years before the guy with the sandals came along. We’ll see.

Democracy, or Rule of the People, is still the name of the ridiculously idealistic vision of organizing all of the infinite variations of the delightful human tadpole into a semblance of a community that functions nearly as well as a coterie of Prairie Dogs. We aren’t there yet, but we’re working on it.

I’m sure the P’dogs have trouble too. They also have to pull together different factions. No doubt they have the old and the young dogs with different needs and demands. And surely there are good looking as well as ugly Dog denizens, making some vain and some angry and insecure same as us. And they undoubtedly have their dimwitted brothers and brothers-in-law. In fact, I’m willing to bet that just like us humans, 50 percent of all Prairie Dogs are below average in intelligence. Go figure.

But what they should thank whatever Prairie Dog Gods they pray to is that they don’t have to deal with what we have to incorporate into our politics and society. I don’t think there is a P’Dog whistle for defining what we call greed. No Juris Dogtors, Board of Dog Directors or Doggy Lobbyists either. And since the beginning of Genus Cynomys history, I bet there has never been Prairie Dog Machiavelli. Or a burrowing Carl Rove. No wonder they thrive. To be the leader of the Clan, you got to be the smartest, or toughest Alpha P’Dog in the whole group. And prove it everyday. When you are no longer fit to lead, you step down for the good of the community. Lucky Dogs.

Which begs the comparison to the planet’s most celebrated example of modern Democracy, us. With over 300 million choices, these two Dogs were the best we could come up with? And we can’t dig good holes either. I’m so ashamed of my species.

Not that it is relevant to our politics, unfortunately, but one thing we got over those happy whistling rodents is they do not have poetry to cheer them up if they ever get to where they are circling the societal drain like we are today. Hey, it’s better than nothing. So enjoy:

If it were not for the presence of The unwashed and half-educated,
the formless, queer and incomplete,
the unreasonable and the absurd,
All the infinite variations of the Delightful Human Tadpole,
the universe would not wear so wide a grin!

Something by Frank Moore Colby. I’m starting to think it may be all we got until we get the hang of that burrowing thing.

Darrell Smith is a Flagler Beach business owner and occasional contributor. He comments at FlaglerLive as NortonSmitty. Reach him by email here.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
You and your neighbors collectively read our articles about 25,000 times each day (that's not a typo) with up to 65,000 daily reads during emergencies like hurricanes. Flagler County residents rely on FlaglerLive for essential, bold and analytical journalism that cannot be found anywhere else. But we depend on your support. Please join our December fund drive! If you donate the cost of a scoop of ice cream, you will be helping us continue to provide comprehensive local news and honest, serious journalism for our community. If you can donate more or become a monthly donor, even better. Donations are tax deductible since FlaglerLive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donate by clicking anywhere in this box. Think of it as buying a scoop, in every sense of the term!  
All donors' identities are kept confidential and anonymous.
   

Reader Interactions

  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents
  • grand living realty

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Laurel on I’m Almost 67, I Worked 22 Years With Walmart, Yet Can’t Afford to Retire
  • Jonathan on Mom Arrested After Witnesses Report her Brutalizing Her 7-Year-Old Child on A1A
  • Celia Pugliese on Its Streets Degrading, Palm Coast Looks for Electric Vehicles to Pay Their Fair Share of Road Taxes
  • Deed Nutz on 251-Unit Wilton Apartment Project Breaks Ground in Town Center, Employing 300 During Construction
  • R.S. on Its Streets Degrading, Palm Coast Looks for Electric Vehicles to Pay Their Fair Share of Road Taxes
  • b on A Memorial Month for Our Rights
  • pete on Its Streets Degrading, Palm Coast Looks for Electric Vehicles to Pay Their Fair Share of Road Taxes
  • David Schaefer on Its Streets Degrading, Palm Coast Looks for Electric Vehicles to Pay Their Fair Share of Road Taxes
  • Mary Fusco on Palm Coast’s Belk Converted Into One of 16 Outlet Stores as Company Struggles
  • Karen on I’m Almost 67, I Worked 22 Years With Walmart, Yet Can’t Afford to Retire
  • Sherry on I’m Almost 67, I Worked 22 Years With Walmart, Yet Can’t Afford to Retire
  • Sherry on I’m Almost 67, I Worked 22 Years With Walmart, Yet Can’t Afford to Retire
  • Sherry on I’m Almost 67, I Worked 22 Years With Walmart, Yet Can’t Afford to Retire
  • Sherry on I’m Almost 67, I Worked 22 Years With Walmart, Yet Can’t Afford to Retire
  • DaleL on DeSantis Lifts Hold on Killing of Duane Owen as Attorneys Battle Over Competence
  • Steve Vanne on 251-Unit Wilton Apartment Project Breaks Ground in Town Center, Employing 300 During Construction

Log in