"Strange Political Twists"

The Mayoral election in one of America's largest cities is over and the chance for the first openly Gay Mayor of a top American city was not successful. Despite the fact only about fifteen-per -cent of the eligible voters turned out, and despite the fact the gay candidate had served on the Dallas City Council for multiple terms and his opponent was a relative unknown in Dallas, the gay candidate finished with only 38%of the votes.

He spent nearly two-million dollars and even resorted to using partisan politics, something not usually done in city elections, when he announced his Democratic support.

A barrage of television spots questioning the business leadership of his opponent who at one time was CEO of one of the world's largest construction companies. Nothing seem to dent the armor of the new kid on the Dallas block, Tom Leppert. Leppert had made what appeared to be the stroke of genius when he secured the support of Roger Staubach, former Dallas Cowboy Hall of Famer. In the first primary, Staubach did television commercials for Leppert and Leppert led nearly a dozen candidates in the field. That support continued in the run-off and again Leppert was the easy winner.

There was one thing very different regarding sexual preference of candidates in the mayoral run-off that was not present in the first voting, nor was it present in news reports of recent elections in Dallas when Democrats elected the Dallas County Sheriff, the Dallas County Judge, and still another county official who have admitted being gay. As we write this report, the Dallas Morning News has seen fit to have a columnist rebut those who have questioned the way the paper played the gay issue in the Mayoral runoff.

Politics always seem to provide backdrops for charges of bias in reporting. There was little, if any, questioning about a relatively unknown newcomer stepping forth to paint beautiful pictures about what he plans to do if elected Mayor. But he had the good sense to get a man of unquestioned integrity, Roger Staubach, to be his "other" spokesman. People who have never hard of Tom Leppert, and may never even meet him, went to the polls and pulled the lever for Leppert. They were not pulling for Leppert, they were pulling for Captain America, Roger Staubach.

There was a time when Dallas leaders groomed people to be ready to step up and seek leadership roles in the city. Those days seemed to have passed and we now anoint newcomers who have only lived in our city for a fraction of the time our leaders usually have been in the vineyards working their way to the top.

Ed Oakley, the man who lost to Tom Leppert, in the eyes of many, has served his constituents and Dallas well. Was his sexual preference the thing that defeated him last Saturday? Gay candidates are a no-no in the eyes of perhaps the majority of voters. But, some have been elected, even in Dallas.

Which reminds me when people were saying other things would never happen in the political world. We remember when many said a young Senator from Boston could never be elected President because he was Catholic. But John Kennedy was elected. Now some are saying because Mitt Romney is a Mormon he cannot get the Republican nomination for President. Romney may not get it, but I doubt his religious preference will be the key. Times are changing.

A few months ago people began saying someone born to a Muslim father could not be elected President in America, but Barack Obama was the leading fundraiser for all Democratic candidates in the first reports. Times are changing.

Some say a woman cannot be elected President in America but Senator Hillary Clinton is the favorite in the minds of many for the 2008 vote. Times are changing.

There was a time when conduct unbecoming the President such as was exposed by the Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton expose'. He reportedly was paid twenty-million dollars in speakers' fees last year. Times are changing.

Politics at the highest level has seen gays come out of the closet. Times ARE changing. Will they change enough to see someone of that persuasion elected Mayor of Dallas? Not if Roger Staubach is on television for their opponent and the Bible Belt still has a Buckle in the heart of Dallas!

That's my time and I do thank you for yours!