Jury's Out on McClain

"Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." And he is also renowned for saying: "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."

With that in mind, I would like to make clear, for what it may be worth, my political beliefs on elections: I think it is in essentially every case the most advantageous to the public to keep an incumbent in office, regardless of political party, unless there is a truly compelling case to remove them. You just can't beat "on the job experience", and I won't go there at this moment as to all the ways that that can be so easily positively measured.

However, I also believe each and every incumbent, or want-to-be office holder if they are running unopposed, should be challenged, even if that challenger is of the same party. All of the voters need to have a real choice; important issues can be publicly challenged and clarified. Nobody ever really loses with good, honest public debate.

I tip my hat to Michael Hess and Joe Basil for their efforts in this campaign. I do hope they understand that I had nothing personally against them, but voted according to my above stated beliefs. I, too, put my neck out there on the line on several occasions some years ago in order to give the voters a choice; thus I not only commend you, but sympathize with you, as I know, as you two do now, losing truly sucks. But the good news is, you eventually get over it.

Now, on to the county prosecuting attorney race: I will go to my grave convinced there was never a truly compelling case made to remove David Burke from office. However, the voters county-wide certainly made their choice clear. I have accepted that it is what it is. Some will say I am a "poor loser". I say only time will tell if it were just me, and all of the David Burke supporters, or all the rest of the Pacific County residents, who were the real losers in this particular election.

Mark McClain contacted many of his detractors in order to reach out in a conciliatory manner to patch up differences. I obviously was one of those, with all my letters to the papers I wrote about him (and in my defense, I never said a single untrue thing), and Mr. McClain wants to have a coffee with me to talk and find common ground. As undeserved, and truly unexpected, as this was, I very much appreciate, and truly respect him for that gesture, as I had been expecting at least a subpoena of some kind at my door by now. Only time will tell about our relationship. There may come a time when I'll fight to the death for him. Life is always full of surprises.

Respectfully yours,

Michael J. Spencer