DATELINE STOCKBRIDGE: In the candidacy for moderator of the city of Stockbridge, a first step in politics

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m writing this on the morning of Sunday, May 19th, two days before election day in Stockbridge. Win or lose, what I want to say about my first foray into politics will not change. To some this may seem strange, but to a writer, every experience is food.

Running for office

I have been writing about politics for 22 years. This year, 2024, I agreed to apply. As a columnist, I observe politics from the outside. Being in politics is different – ​​more difficult. However, having given my word, I was on the run.

Doing the work

I did the things I believed were obligatory in a democracy: I introduced myself to voters and asked for their votes. I also provided space in the Stockbridge updates for my opponent to introduce himself. I sent hundreds and hundreds of handwritten postcards to Stockbridge voters, put up posters, made a video and created a web page.

So I did something that I think anyone who wants to serve in a democracy should do: I asked voters, “What should my next step be?” In response, I received letters and questions.

Philosophy

A friend wrote a letter to the newspapers (one published it; the other didn’t) articulating his concerns and his philosophy:

It seems our national penchant for misinformation and ad hominem attacks has reached the politics of our little town of Stockbridge.

Vote with your conscience for your preferred candidates.

Keep in mind which is the best choice for Stockbridge. Differences of opinion are healthy and often constructive. Please let’s keep this civil and truthful.

Gary Pitney

I reposted it because it’s my philosophy too. I acted in accordance with this philosophy, never writing bad words about my opponent or his supporters. It seems to me that in a village this size, if we want any community, we need courtesy. It also seemed that, win or lose, the day after the elections would arrive and life in the village would continue.

Friends

It was a pleasure to sit down with Lee Select Board Chairman Bob Jones and discuss my first run for office. He is a fountain of knowledge and experience. He also manages to get 70% of the vote every time he runs.

It was fun and informative to sit down with Gene Dellea, Michael Wise, Michael Wilcox, and Chris Brittian, all experienced moderators. Between them, they have over 100 years of experience with gravel.

I helped Patrick White in his run for state representative by handing out chocolates before town meetings in 10 or 12 cities. Patrick will be a guy representing 18 cities. Then Patrick turned up with me at the Stockbridge post office saying vote for Carole and helped me with his brand of digital magic.

Friends and neighbors attended “kitchen cabinet” meetings, put up signs, wrote letters, sent campaign contributions, gave incentives publicly and privately. Wow, what a cool experience. Writers work alone; politics was an eye-opening experience.

It certainly takes a village to run a small campaign, and every kind word and help was appreciated. Thanks.

Of course, politics also requires an opposing team. On the other side of the backyard fence, there were different things.

The Great Signal Controversy

Running for office, I got questions. With Ed’s permission, I’m posting this:

Carole, you have an impressive number of yard signs up. A friend told me he believed you put up several of them without asking the owner’s permission. That is true?

Thank you, Ed Lane

My answer:

Dear Ed, There are lots and lots of signs – each one was placed with permission. In addition, many were requested from me and collected from my home by the owners and placed by them. Anyway, thanks for thinking I had the time and energy to put up all those signs. Whoever your friend is, tell him the idea is silly. Can you imagine, if I put up a sign without permission, how long would it take before the owner took it down? Maybe three to five minutes? Not only would I never think of doing something like that, none of it would be a good idea.

There’s more: can you imagine that someone went to the police and asked the police to go around and take down my license plates? Incredible, but true. Police would not violate freedom of speech or political expression in the form of yard signs. They didn’t touch any.

One person was asked to remove it.

Someone characterized my posters as printed pollution. A friend said, “This kind of talk pollutes our political process and what America stands for.” Maybe so, and imagine if next year the person who said signs are pollution wants to put signs in their yard for themselves or their chosen candidate?

Here’s what I know. We are a community. This is more important than who wins any election. If we forget this, we will lose much more than an election. We need to vote our preference and at the same time protect our democracy and protect our community. Friends can disagree – even about who should be the Stockbridge moderator – and still get along. We are a small town; we know each other in many ways. That’s Stockbridge. Just chatter – unless it takes hold and changes us.

Ed, feel free to call, discuss, and share with anyone else. Better to nip silly things in the bud.

Everything is political

I posted a cute photo of a puppy wagging its tail in fervent hope of a bone. I wrote:

It’s a beautiful day. It’s one of Berkshire’s lucky days. I went to the dump, the post office, the bank – the usual run and I thought. If I could choose between all the jobs, I would be the person who gives the dog a bone. How fun. What job satisfaction. And the answer? Unconditional love, licks and shakes. The best job in the world.

Dozens of responses then followed – all political. Why not enjoy the moment, the rarity of April sunshine and the fun of giving a dog a bone? Make smiles and move on. No, at the time everything is political.

Unfortunately, an enthusiastic supporter of my opponent misspelled the name of her chosen candidate. Oh well.

The bull’s horn and the whispers

Doesn’t everyone honestly know that there are no secrets in a village? No matter who you tell, it gets around. If you say “don’t tell,” it adds to the fun of sharing. Each negative came back to me within an hour with attribution. Which one or two people wrote three or four letters with different signatures. Who reported signs to the police and asked for his arrest. Who said which municipal authority would “destroy the city” if they won? Like “Pick-a-litte Talk-a-little” in Music Man, there was the honking and the whispering campaign. What were they thinking? That no one knew? Everyone in a village knows everything.

The problem is this: why do this? Is there really anyone for whom winning is everything?

Contemplating the next step

My dad said, “The smaller the prize, the bigger (and nastier) the competition.”

Moderating one meeting a year in a village with 1,725 ​​voters is a small prize. I hope Dad was wrong.

Win or lose, as a next step, I’m going to encourage people to be kind and give the dog a bone, feed the neighbor. Mary Flynn, the consummate politician, said, “Give the good dog a bone and the bad dog two bones.” Maybe I’ll live long enough to understand that second part. Until I do that, I’m out of politics.

For now, I’m content with being a political columnist rather than a politician. A historian rather than a part of history. What if I win? I will be, to the extent possible, an apolitical New England moderator.