"The best candidates don't always win, but the best campaigns always do." - Mayor Varela

The quote above is one that I picked up from our own Mayor Rene Varela.  I wasn't around him last night or this morning to hear if he said it about the results of yesterday's election, but he could have and it would have been "spot on."  He said it to me a while ago in reference to recent elections in Lake Worth.  These were two good candidates that lost yesterday and Lake Worth is the worse for it.

These things I know.  Commissioner Jennings not running was a decision made from a position of strength, not one done in desperation.  Perhaps they thought it was too risky to run the Queen Bee for another term, but I doubt that this had much to do with the decision to sit this election out and run someone else for the District #2 seat.  She and her supporters had such supreme confidence in their organization (i.e., MACHINE), they believed that they could run Rice Krispies as a candidate and win.  And, in essence, they did.  Be ready for the continuing hagiography of Cara Jennings in ramping up for a run for Mayor next year from her disciples on the dais and regulars at Commission meetings - mark my words.

Like it or not, the victorious side has done a fine job at creating a narrative, based in large part on myths, that disguises the dire conditions of the city - conditions due in large part to their actions on the dais.  They have co-opted any objectivity that the Palm Beach Post could have with cozy associations with the editorial board there.  Anyone who is not with them is against them and compromise is seen as a weakness.  Independent thought is not only discouraged but in many ways specifically muted.  They don't want debate since there is only one way - theirs.  Period.  Anything associated with making a living, working and living in our consumer-oriented society is bad.  They alone have the keys to the way life should be lived and if we don't do as they do, we are part of the problem - so goes the narrative.

One person who is a professional graphic artist said that her reason for voting for McVoy was due to "All the yoga people are for him."  She was unaware of all the accumulated debris left in the wake of elections wins of this type.  Given this scenario, how is a message from a pro-business political action committee going to be translated to voters here?  It basically helps make their argument for them - that it is all about money and greed and wanting more.  I was not part of that group, but I specifically told certain leaders there that businesses don't vote - their customers may but it's the residents are the ones that vote.  I asked point blank how this message would be translated into votes on election day and never got a satisfactory answer.  Yes, businesses need a voice but the delivery and message of this group helped the opposition more than it hurt it - my opinion.

We people who care about the future of this city need to re-evaluate everything and turn a critical eye to ourselves.  To not do so will ensure future results like we experienced last night.