Yaaawwwn: Democratic primary runoff is over; now it is time to talk about next step

There could not have been more than a handful of people across this county -- or many others across North Carolina -- who really cared whether N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall or challenger Cal Cunningham would be on the ballot this fall.

And if you paid attention to the turnout across the state, that disinterest was pretty evident.

Chalk it up to voter fatigue or the immense amount people have to worry about these days -- a runoff primary just does not get people's juices flowing.

But now that it is over and the die has been cast, the next step is to think about what we want to see in the next senator from the great state of North Carolina.

And while we might be tempted to toss out anyone who has ever worked for a government or had a Washington, D.C. address, we should really pay more attention to what each candidate will bring to the table when the time comes to make the key decisions that are likely to face this country's key representatives in the future.

And the first qualification should be that whether we elect Ms. Marshall or we choose to stay with incumbent Republican Sen. Richard Burr, we have to have someone in Washington who will vote not only in the best interests of North Carolina, but someone who is his or her own person.

In other words, no one who has pledged to blindly support the current administration or any other that might come along or who is susceptible to pressure from his or her national party machine need apply.

There is plenty of time to get to know the candidates for U.S. Senate. There are more than a few months before we have to hit the voting booth.

So, as we wait for the avalanche of campaign propaganda to begin, let's start looking at positions on issues, who each candidate is beholden to and asking questions about stances on the issues that matter to us.

That way, by the time November rolls around, we just might have a better idea of which checkmark will be the best decision for safeguarding the future of this state and this nation.

You can bet we have a lot of work ahead of us.

Published in Editorials on June 23, 2010 11:03 AM