we saw that...

babs zimmerman on a passing of the guard

kalb tv's babs zimmerman writes in her latest blog entry:

snip:

The late Tip O’Neil said “All Politics is Local.”

Let’s add this: “All politics is cyclical.”

Just about the time we think that Americans have settled on a path to Nirvana, we change our collective minds.

The Alexandria mayor’s race, however, is interesting on many fronts. Now, some are already tapping Jacques Roy as a possible, future congressional candidate, and he has not yet taken office. Amazing.

What we do think we are seeing is something of a passing of the guard—not by party, but by age.

The first candidate out of the chute for the Louisiana Legislature from this area is Herbert Dixon, no stranger to campaigns. And, yet, he included in his announcement speech these words: “The excitement generated by the election of his [Mayor Ned Randolph] successor, Jacques Roy, speaks for itself.”

And, Dixon carefully chose the man who introduced him, local attorney John Flynn, who masterminded the Roy campaign.

This was no accident. The only other person who awakened on Nov. 8 with a new sense of people’s perception about him is Flynn.

Another generation is ready and willing to take over.

Despite what some may think, they are not all one color, one party or even of one philosophy, but they are young, spirited, and they have come home to make their living here at a time when many towns and cities have bid adieu to their sons and daughters, who show up once or twice a year for Peabody, Ash, Bolton, Menard reunions and then scoot back to their lives away from Central Louisiana.

They are cheeky, weary of the old guard and adventurous: oh my gosh. They sound like all of us during the Sixties.