First, to preface this diary, I was, and still am, a Dodd supporter. But my horse has been scratched; I'm just watching this presidential primary race.
A couple years ago, I worked on Andrew Horne's primary campaign against now-congressman John Yarmuth. I worked hard, as did the rest of the staff and volunteers.
I resented Yarmuth for firmly stating he had no intention to run for office, before changing his mind once Horne put his campaign in gear. I resented the money he was throwing at the campaign, for his campaign manager who made more than all of Andrew's staff combined, for the $10k he dropped on his website. I was suspicious about his debate performance, for his answer regarding the procurement of pork before the moderator had asked that question.
Most of all, I was sure John Yarmuth would be crushed by Rep. Anne Northup. Surely his firebrand liberalism wouldn't play well in the South end of town, where even Democrats sneered about his Leo newsweekly, calling it a "smut rag."
I was also sure that because of his ties to old money, John Yarmuth would be a lockstep Stepford Representative wedded to the DCCC. He represented everything that was pro-establishment. And after Horne lost the primary election, when Yarmuth's staff dropped by our headquarters to invite us on board I was angered by the assumption that the rich boy could inherit our campaign leftovers. I swore that John Yarmuth was going to have to earn my vote.
I resigned myself to watching the Democratic Party go down in flames once again. But then a funny thing happened. Yarmuth beat Northup by 10,000 votes and the pundits started calling KY-03 a belleweather for the rest of election night 2006.
Then a really surprising thing happened. He did not cave. He did not bend. He led. He cast votes the way I would -- in fact I'm not aware of any of his votes which I disagree with. In short, John Yarmuth has done a superlative job as my Representative.
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This story brought to you by the Presidential letters "C", "O", and "E"
I thought I'd share this story with my fellow kossacks, because it looks like this race is going to come all the way down to the wire. Don't be disappointed. The winner will be the winner, and the winner will be good. Have faith. I myself harbor some very strong negative feelings toward one of the candidates ... but I've been there, done that, and seen that in the end it might just work out o.k.