Three days to go and the campaign will finally be over. The most aggravating part of a political race is the end where you wait by the phone after the polls close to get the call that gives you the result. I have been on both sides of the coin in that situation and by personal experience I can tell you that winning feels better than losing.
The bride has a very good outlook on this race. Her opinion is that I win either way. If I do win the race then I go along and serve and try to accomplish the task in a way that brings respect to the position and the process. If I don’t win then it is a pretty simple statement by the electorate that my public service days are over. It is clear cut in the sense that my opponent has criticized the outgoing moderator and has staked his run on various improvements to the process, however he also readily admits that he has participated in town meeting just once in the 42 years he has lived here.
Considering that town meeting is a pretty lengthy, involved and complex process, my opponents analytical skills must be quite impressive in order to formulate an improvement plan after just one visit. Conversely, I have served in some capacity or another at town meeting for nearly 28 years, including the moderators position. Given this cavernous difference in experience and the fact that I have probably out spent the opponent 4 to 1, out advertised him, and outworked him, then to find a reason for the loss would simply only require looking in the mirror. If my opponent prevails it would be hard to hide from the fact that that it would be a public repudiation.
No sense dwelling on the negative while there is still work to do. The campaign has peaked at the right time. I have 3200 pieces of mail going out this week that include a letter with over 175 names from people who are endorsing me. For the most part that includes the majority of members of the governing boards in town as well as a variety of individuals. The recipients will be a list culled from the voters list that identifies them as frequent voters. We have quarter page ads in the daily going in the next three days and we have a visibility Friday afternoon that will include a group of supporters standing on the street corner.
Election day will consist of the usual effort of having sign holders at the polling place all day long. We have considered a phone effort to get the vote out however that will be decided tonight. In the meantime I am continuing to work the phones personally to get out some supporters.
I have no prediction other than to say it will be close. The opponent got 1600 votes last year in a rather heavy turnout of approximately 30%. I don’t expect anywhere near that this year as the intensity of the other races are not comparable to last year. If 15% turnout then that means approximately 1950 voters will turn out and a winner will need 976 to become the next town moderator.
