Mike Halfacre won the Mayor’s race in Fair Haven, NJ. Congratulations to Mike!
Congrats Mr. Mayor!
is he a Republican or a Democrat?
Congrats Mike.
is he a Republican or a Democrat?
Reepub.
I ran as a republican against an incumbent independent. I won by 116 votes, out of 2,458 cast.
I am a moderate republican, Matt. You guys on either end scare the hel out of me. I like it in the middle.
Check out www.mike-for-mayor.com
mike.
Whaddaya mean??? I’m a moderate Democrat.
I can’t keep all you LR folks straight
.
Are you going to put a P3C in every pot?
Congratulations, and good luck.
116 votes? that’s fantastic. every vote counts. so then I assume you won the popular vote as well as the electoral vote !!
congrats
Are you going to put a P3C in every pot?
Congratulations, and good luck.
Fair Haven is a very well-to-do town (right next to Rumson). I think the denizens can afford their own high zoot bikes.
wow, it’s red tide rising on the shore!
lol, congrats to Mike
will there be a chicken in every pot and P2 in every garage?
what’s the date of the first annual Fair Haven Triathlon?
“I am a moderate republican, Matt. You guys on either end scare the hel out of me. I like it in the middle.”
I am really trying to understand this POV. Could you please explain why you feel this way? Seems to me it’s like wanting to finish in the middle of the pack instead of making the effort to win (and hence risking loss).
Congrats on your victory and best of luck.
I don’t think it really compares. Left vs. Right is a POV thing. FOP vs. MOP vs. BOP is a performance thing.
As much as the folks on the far wings would like the middle to look “wishy-washy”, I believe it’s more like a “balance” thing. It’s a difficult position to hold…
For example… (and I’m hyperbolizing a bit here)… the Right wants “fend for yourself” … the left wants “full-on welfare state”… the middle recognizes that most folks should be encouraged to succeed on their own but there will always be a few who really do need help.
The right wants “Laiszze-Faire” (sp??), the left wants Socialism (again, hyperbolizing in both cases), the middle recognizes that a really big dose of pure capitalism is a good thing, but there has to be some regulation to account for human nature and greed vs. public safety and health.
I tend to lean somewhat right of center, but not all the way right…
Oh, and congratulations, Halfacre!!
OK, but why the fear? If it’s just a POV wouldn’t the “balanced” middle embrace the polar extremes in the hope of learning or blending the two (or three) perspectives? I know that we tend to fear that which we don’t understand, but what is really so scary about having a radical left outlook?
" I can’t keep all you LR folks straight"
we can’t keep all you republicans straight! hey, just kidding. in all honesty, i’m honored to have you as a forum member. what a great thing you did, running for public office, and even better that you won. this sort of public service is rare and i can’t tell you how much this impresses me when i see it.
“I know that we tend to fear that which we don’t understand,”
It’s not a lack of understanding that causes the fear, it’s a complete understanding and knowing what will happen that causes teh fear.
“but what is really so scary about having a radical left outlook?”
To me the “Scary” thing about leftist fiscal ideology is that “The collective” should take care of everything, almost socialist. This mentality simply doesn’t work, never has, likely never will. To me there is very little that is scary about leftist “Social” ideology.
What continues to surprise me is that the mentality surrounding Right winged fiscal policy is very similar to left winged social policy…and both parties make exceptions that aren’t necessarily “Party line” but help their agenda.
I have a a hard time calling myself a “moderate”, for the most part because I’m not very moderate. Just so happens that I’m extremely right handed where all things fiscal are concerned and extremely left handed where all things “social” are concerned. This IMHO is very different than “Moderate” who is in the middle on both issues.
OTOH I do have the tendency to be “moderate” in the sense that I realise there are few, if any, absolutes.
~Matt
OK, now we are getting somewhere. I am starting to understand (thanks) but, I will couter, if I may, with another question: How do we know with complete understanding what will happen? Or is it a political bias that suggests an outcome? An example, we triathletes understand the potential of the bicycle as transportation. Does Big Oil fear us the same they feared the electric car? Is that what Mobil would call being a fiscal conservative, because they are in business to make money? I don’t want to be a moderate there. I have strong feelings. I am radical left. My question is still why this would cause fear in those who either don’t agree or as you suggest, undersatnd completely what wiil happen? What would happen? Does it always come down to money?
Let’s lose the fear and sit down and talk about it. There is so much we can learn from each other. You nailed it with the “few, if any, absolutes”. Thanks.
“I am radical left. My question is still why this would cause fear in those who either don’t agree or as you suggest, undersatnd completely what wiil happen? What would happen? Does it always come down to money?”
This may not be the answer you’re looking for but here goes…
I think we have three groups. Political groups, The Realworld group and everyone else. First we have “politcial Fear”. This fear typically only shows in the minds, words and actions of the “Political” groups. As I’ve said for years now politics creates sides not solutions. Anyone who is staunchely left or staunchly right is not about solutions but about sides. The “Fear” you see expressed is a fear of losing, losing power, losing control, losing their position. Many times this fear turns into out and out anger, personal attacks, etc etc.
Take a look even at the posts on this forum as a microcausim of the politcal arena. We have several posters that are staunchly right or left and will never fail to support “Our side”, under any circumstances. Not surprisingly, typically it is these same posters that lower themselves to the level of personal attack, name calling and “I’m superior”. Why?, because their side has to win, just like a football game.
The real world group, a relatively non vocal group that really wants solutions, are willing to listen to suggestions and frankly don’t give a crap who comes up with them if they have merit. Typically, just like the real world, these people are not afraid as they have nothing to lose, as they have no side, but hopefully everything to gain via improvement and the exchange of ideas couple with the creation of solutions. Typically the only time this group displays fear is when they see a really bad idea being put forth and implemented for some reason. Typically they feel these new policies will directly effect, in a negative way, their lives.
So if you find “fear” you’ve found a political pundit, or an individual that has real concern’s about a policy.
The only other explantion is some people are just plain ignorant and as you explain, fear what they do not know and understand. Typically these people can be thrown into the same group as racisist, sexist etc etc.
~Matt
That is exactly what I am looking for, and very well put sir. I find it disturbing, to say the least, that the “Real World People” wanting nothing but solutions, have such limited resources. My joining the Green Party get’s me about the same odds of having a political voice as me winning at Kona. Bringing this full circle, it scares me when somebody says that MattinSF sacres them. With all due respect.