Montezuma Countys two commissioner races are shaping up in a way that will offer substantive choices to voters at least if theyre Republicans.
So far it appears that commission election will be settled in the primary, and thats almost certainly true even if a non-GOP candidate steps forward. Republicans have a strong majority in this county, and local political contests are generally knock wood fairly civil. The commission aspirants arent likely to attack one another in the way that the current presidential candidates and their supporters are doing, and it seems very nearly impossible that they could do that to such a degree that a Democrat, a Green, an independent unsinged by primary firefights, could triumph in November. It could happen, of course. In politics, anything can.
Still, it seems very probable that the commissioners will be chosen by people who register as Republicans and vote in the June primary, and that raises serious questions.
Anyone who can register to vote can register as a Republican (among other choices), regardless of actual political beliefs. The last time Montezuma County had a closely contested primary fight, considerable outrage was expressed over the fact that people who werent really Republicans were voted in the GOP primary. From another perspective, thought, it seemed unfair that non-Republican registrants essentially would have no vote in the countys future.
Everyone has a voice and many opportunities to use it, from public meetings to letters to the editor, from paid political advertising to yard signs, from campaign contributions to e-mail blitzes. That right is vitally important, but it doesnt replace a vote.
It would be a shame to see Montezuma Countys politics deteriorate into nothing more than the current shouting match between political factions. So many of the issues that come before the commission defy partisan definitions. The hyperlocal manifestations of national issues for example, energy development, to name but one are not simply miniaturized versions of the larger trend. The commissioners decisions must be guided not only by ideology but by specific information unique to this area. Developing new energy sources is good; allowing such development to overrun the local landscape, harm other economic sectors and destroy private property rights is not. And so on.
Divergent points of view need to be considered carefully, not shouted down. Ideas cannot be dismissed because they are not traditionally Republican. New candidates cannot be dismissed because theyre inexperienced; more experienced candidates cannot be dismissed as career politicians.
Like it or not, in many ways, Montezuma County is part of the middle. The 1 percent dont live here and local companies dont command attention on Wall Street; neither are those who identify as Progressive activists any more likely to be the recipients of government programs than are the staunch conservatives. The daily lives of Republicans and Democrats and everyone else look a whole lot alike. They all put their pants on one leg at a time and buy groceries and gas in the same places.
And they all have a stake in choosing the best possible leaders for the county. There is no good reason to limit discussion or influence. There is no good reason to exclude part of the countys citizens. Let the best candidates win after a fair, vigorous, impassioned campaign season.