After the election
It's time for political partisans to cool down as election day nears
Some advice to politicians, campaign workers and those who find themselves getting wrapped up in the emotion of Election 2000: Chill out a little.
There will be winners and losers in Tuesday's election. Life will go on. People who formed political alliances with other candidates will likely find themselves working with people they campaigned against.
After all the nasty charges are made and the aspersions are cast elected officials with different viewpoints will have to sit down and work together.
No matter which candidates win or lose the roads will still need to be plowed this winter. Minnesota's budget deficit will have to be fixed. Federal budgets will have to be passed.
People of differing opinions will have to figure out a way to work together. Compromises will have to be made. Not every one will get what they want. That's democracy folks.
If your candidate loses, even though you've worked long and hard on their behalf, the sun will still come up Wednesday morning. Sometimes, you may discover that the politician you fought so hard against has some worthwhile ideas.
Political involvement should be commended but it sometimes develops into an unattractive form of myopia or tunnel vision in which political partisans can't see that there is more than one side to an issue.
The tragedy of the Oct. 25 airplane crash that took the lives of the Wellstones and others should help us keep politics in perspective. Life can be fleeting and there will always be another political year.