Watauga County Notes II

As we well know, Democrat wins in Watauga County came on the strength of "early voting." Some 10,500 registered voters turned out prior to election day, and in those early-vote tallies our County Commissioner candidates out-polled most other Democrat candidates, including John Kerry, and wa-a-ay out-polled their Republican opponents. In early voting, Jim Deal out-polled every other Democrat on the ballot, including Elaine Marshall (who herself out-polled everyone of both parties in early voting and out-polled all candidates of both parties in general overall county voting, except for George Bush and Virginia Foxx, the latter who out-polled God).

(Having Virginia Foxx and God inadvertently show up in the same sentence is like divine inspiration, since Ms. Foxx seems to have completed her full transmogrification into a Bible-thumping Baptist, even though she's a Catholic in point of fact. But she plays a Baptist on the campaign trail. In her post-election interview in the Watauga Democrat, she said, "I did a lot of praying during the campaign and felt I was doing what God intended me to do. Every day in the campaign, something happened that was an answer to a prayer. I said to God, 'I have lots of energy and a commitment to serve -- please put me where I can use my talents the best.' " Having a Republican candidate profess to talk to God on a daily basis is, like, de rigueur (which is French for "bo-o-oring"). Gag me, as they say in the hills, with a dipper! If Virginia's protestations of prayerfulness don't ring as phony to you as a Playskool toy telephone, then you deserve the "values" this fake Protestant takes to D.C. with her.)

But the Republican Party is apparently looking for scapegoats to blame for their stunning loss of the Watauga County Commission. At first they blamed "the students" (spoken with the same disdain one might use when saying "the flu"), who they believe should not be allowed to vote here because they don't own property. But owning property as a qualification to vote went out with the American Revolution, if you follow history even a tad, so they've apparently now decided to blame the sheriff, who it seems made no huge secret that he voted across party lines for the Democrats. And well he should. He got only begrudging support from the Republican incumbents now kicked out, and the Democrats will do better by him. They should. He's the best and most effective sheriff we've had in this county in years.

But save me a ring-side seat if the Watauga County Republican Party decides to declare war on their most popular Republican Party office-holder because of his disloyalty. (Even Virginia Touched-by-an-Angel Foxx gets her picture taken with Mark Shook!) Our money's on the Sheriff!