The "Vision Thing" - Please!

Republican Representative Brandon Smith has lost no time in laying down the gauntlet to his opponents in the race to determine who will be the nominee for State Treasurer. Dated 31 January, a letter has been sent from him to his collective opposition, Melinda Wheeler, lately of the Administrative Office of the Courts, and fellow Representatives Ken Upchurch and Lonnie Napier. Smith challenges his opponents to a debate in each congressional district and asks for an answer by noon on 01 February, or less than 24 hours after sending his letter. That seems a bit swift with regard to campaign schedules, finances, the establishing of positions, and the inevitable spin-exercises, but so be it.

There’s no preference at this time in this corner among the four. Smith makes the usual reference to an “honest, dignified, and respectful campaign that will focus on the issues critical to the future prosperity of Kentucky.” Sounds like the usual boilerplate, but that’s not unexpected. In the press release accompanying the letter, Smith says, “I have laid out a vision that includes a Kentucky Military Relief Fund, a financial management program, and a continuing education program for military personnel.”

One wonders why politicians are constantly talking about a “vision” when it would seem much more realistic to talk about a “program.” Maybe it’s because a vision is considered some vague thing that if not accomplished (preferably not even recognized) never was actually presented in the first place. Maybe Smith hasn’t made up his mind as to exactly what the vision is, but has made up his mind that an emphasis on benefits to the military is good campaign material and just right for a quick start. That’s not to say he isn’t vitally interested in the subject, just that he’s grabbing that approach before anyone else does.

Smith says, “I will be traveling the state over the next 100 days telling the voters about myself and my vision.” One yearns for something different from the past with regard to campaigns. The “vision” thing gets old after a while. Some talk about dreams. This is not a dream-world. Ah well…at least Smith didn’t mention waste and fraud. Neither he nor anyone else is about to cope with those things. They’ll be around as long as Frankfort is around. In the meantime, one hopes that Smith does not have a vision while he’s driving around in the next 100 days. That could be hazardous.

And so it goes.

Jim Clark