It’s time again to clean out the notebook and get some things off my plate and out of my head.
We’ve had a week filled with meetings with political candidates, public meetings and encounters with interesting people. So today I share some of those things and some other observations from as I shoot from the hip.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm{2DE H66< x >6E 2 >2? 2E (9@’D s:?6C H9:=6 x H2D H2:E:?8 7@C 2 E23=6 H9@ D2:5 96 H2D 7C@> |:=H2F<66] w2G:?8 =:G65 FA E92E H2J 2E @?6 E:>6 H6 E2=<65 23@FE E96 ?6H 2C6?2 36:?8 3F:=E E96C6[ 3C2ED[ 4966D6 2?5 E96 4@=5 H62E96C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw:D ?2>6 H2D {66 {6@?2C5[ @C:8:?2==J 7C@> r@@D2 r@F?EJ[ 2?5 96 H2D 96C6 G:D:E:?8 72>:=J] {66 7@F?5 @FE x H@C<65 2E E96 A2A6C 2?5 H92E 96 E@=5 >6 :?DE2?E=J >256 >6 C62=:K6 D@>6E9:?8 23@FE E96 E:>6D H6 2C6 =:G:?8 :? 2?5 9@H H6 AC6D6?E E96 ?6HD ?@H C62496D 6G6CJ@?6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x <66A FA H:E9 H92E’D 92AA6?:?8 324< 96C6 2E 9@>6 3J C625:?8 J@FC DE@C:6D @?=:?6[” {6@?2C5 D2:5] “*@F 92G6 ?@ :562 H92E E96 =:G6 H62E96C C6A@CED 2?5 3C62<:?8 ?6HD DEF77 >62?D E@ >6] x’5 36 :? E96 52C< 23@FE >J @=5 9@>6E@H? H:E9@FE :E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(6 >2J 36 2? p=6I2?56C r:EJ ?6HDA2A6C[ 3FE H6 :?7@C> A6@A=6 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5] xE’D 2? 2>2K:?8 H@C=5 H6 =:G6 :?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmkDEC@?8mr~|x}v $~~}ik^DEC@?8m x? E96 H66<D E@ 4@>6 H6 H:== AF3=:D9 2 D6C:6D @7 DE@C:6D E92E x 92G6 366? H@C<:?8 @? E92E 562= H:E9 E96 7:?2?4:2= :DDF6D 724:?8 E96 A6@A=6 @7 p=6I2?56C r:EJ] x 2> E2<:?8 2 =@@< 324< @G6C E96 =2DE EH@ 564256D 2?5 6IA=@C:?8 9@H E96 =2?5D42A6 92D 492?865 2?5 EC24< H92E :E 92D >62?E E@ C6D:56?ED 96C6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx? 5@:?8 D@[ x H2D C6>:?565 @7 @?6 @7 E96 8C62E6DE >@>6?ED :? A@=:E:42= 5632E6 9:DE@CJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^H2E49nGlC&e!(%`C'&<Qm(2E49 G:56@ @7 #6282? 2E E92E 5632E6 96C6ik^2mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq6:?8 7C@> v6@C8:2[ x 92G6 2=H2JD 25>:C65 y:>>J r2CE6C] w6 H2D 2 8C62E >2?[ H9@ DECF88=65 H9:=6 :? @77:46 3642FD6 @7 D@>6 962GJ :DDF6D 2?5 E96 724E E92E E96 :??6C H@C<:?8D @7 (2D9:?8E@? H6C6 7@C6:8? E@ 9:>] x?DE625 @7 8@:?8 H:E9 A6@A=6 :? =6256CD9:A 2?5 423:?6E C@=6D H9@ <?6H E96 =2J @7 E96 =2?5[ 96 H6?E H:E9 E96 v6@C8:2 |27:2[ A6@A=6 96 <?6H 2?5 ECFDE65] w:DE@CJ E6==D FD 9@H E92E H@C<65 @FE]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx’> >2<:?8 2 D9@CE DE@CJ =@?8…k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx? `hg_[ r2CE6C H2D CF??:?8 7@C C6\6=64E:@? 2?5 x H2D 2 ;F?:@C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 v6@C8:2] p H66< 367@C6 E96 6=64E:@?[ 2 5632E6 H2D D4965F=65 36EH66? r2CE6C 2?5 #@?2=5 #6282?] %92E ?:89E[ r2CE6C H2D G6CJ AC6D:56?E:2= 2?5 D9@H65 9@H :?E6==:86?E 96 H2D[ 8:G:?8 8C62E 56E2:= @? 4@>A=6I :DDF6D] qFE #6282? H2D 2 D9@H>2? 2?5 E96 7@C>6C 24E@C 4FE r2CE6C E@ C:33@?D] #6282? FD65 2 ?@H 72>@FD A9C2D6 “%96C6 J@F 8@ 282:?[” E@ F?56C4FE r2CE6C’D 56E2:=] x? 9:D 7:?2= DE2E6>6?E[ #6282? 56=:G6C65 2 <?@4<@FE AF?49i “pC6 J@F 36EE6C @77 E92? J@F H6C6 7@FC J62CD 28@n”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 A@:?E @7 >J C2>3=:?8n (2E49 E96 k6>m~FE=@@<k^6>m u2463@@< A286 2?5 :? E96 4@>:?8 52JD H6 H:== 2D< @FC C6256CD 2 D6C:6D @7 BF6DE:@?D 2?5 H6 H2?E J@FC C6DA@?D6D E@ 96=A FD H:E9 E96 D6C:6D] %96 7:CDE BF6DE:@? H:== 36i x7 J@F 2C6 2? p=6I2?56C r:EJ C6D:56?E[ 2C6 J@F 36EE6C @77 ?@H E92? J@F H6C6 a_ J62CD 28@ 2?5 H9J @C H9J ?@Enk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmkDEC@?8m{p}v&pvt {t$$~}ik^DEC@?8m (6 2D $@FE96C?6CD 92G6 2 F?:BF6 H2J @7 E2=<:?8 2?5 D@>6E:>6D E96 A9C2D6D C62==J >62? D@>6E9:?8 6=D6] xE’D 2=>@DE =:<6 4@56 D@ E92E A6@A=6 7C@> @E96C C68:@?D 5@?’E <?@H H6 2C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE E96>] xE’D =:<6 8@:?8 E@ 2 |6I:42? C6DE2FC2?E 2?5 E96 6>A=@J66D DE2CE E2=<:?8 :? $A2?:D9 2== @7 2 DF556?] x 2=H2JD H@?56C :7 E96J 2C6 42==:?8 >6 2 A:8 @C D@>6E9:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp?JH2J[ 4964< E96D6 @FEik^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm• “q=6DD 9:D 962CE]” %92E >62?D E92E 3@J :D?’E C:89E 2?5 4@F=5 36 E96 5F>36DE A6CD@? x 92G6 6G6C >6E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm• “q2C<:?8 FA E96 HC@?8 EC66]” %@ EC2?D=2E6[ J@F 2C6 D2J:?8 E92E[ J@F 92G6 ?@ :562 H92E E96 A6CD@? :D E2=<:?8 23@FE 2?5 :7 E96J <66A :E FA J@F >2J 92G6 E@ @A6? FA 2 =2C86 42? @7 :E @? E96>]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm• “r:E:7:65i” %92E C62==J >62?D E92E J@F ?665 E@ 8@ 324< E@ H96C6 J@F 42>6 7C@> 2?5 5@?’E 4@>6 @FE 96C6 E@ E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 24E =:<6 J@F 2C6 @?6 @7 FD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm• “u:I:?’ E@i” xE E649?:42==J >62?D “x’> 23@FE E@[” 3FE :E C62==J >62?D E92E x H:== 5@ :E H96? x 86E 8@@5 2?5 C625J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm• “v@@5 @=’ 3@Ji” %92E’D 2 A6CD@? H9@ J@F 4@F=5 D:E @? 2 7C@?E A@C49 H:E9 7@C 9@FCD H9@ J@F H@F=5 ECFDE H:E9 E96 9:5:?8 A=246 7@C J@FC 6IEC2 E@@= D965 <6J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%92E’D :E 7@C E@52J[ DE2J EF?65 7@C >@C6 E@ 4@>6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>m|:E49 $?665 :D E96 65:E@C @7k^6>mk^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 ~FE=@@<]k^DA2?mk^Am