Election

Congratulations to all of the general election winners, and my condolences to those who came up short. I promised a “scorecard” on my votes and the predictions I made concerning this past election cycle. I'll probably add a little commentary along the way. What else would you expect? Not sure that I have “Hall of Fame” numbers, but it is what it is. Starting at the top of the ballot, I choose Mitt Romney during the primary election season as the Republican Party's nominee; however, I predicted Gov. Rick Perry as Romney's running mate, so I'm .500 in the Republican presidential primary season.

Some Hagerstown incumbents, soon to be former incumbents, might beg to differ, but we believe that the city's move to hold its elections simultaneously with presidential elections has shown itself to be a success. The council's elections previously were held independent of other state or national general elections, leading to anemic turnout and a council chosen by a small minority of city residents. In the primary election three years ago, barely one registered voter in 10 made it to the polls.

When Hagerstown residents voted Nov. 6, roughly 70 percent favored amending the city's charter to remove party affiliations from future city primary elections. In light of the public's support, the Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday discussed a draft resolution to amend the charter with city attorney William Nairn. During the meeting, city council members voiced concerns about the manner in which appointments would be handled in the event an incoming council member leaves his or her post over the next four years, something that was not addressed in Nairn's original draft.

Hagerstown Councilman Martin E. Brubaker has essentially wrapped up a re-election win, based on absentee and provisional ballots counted so far. The Washington County Board of Elections on Wednesday tallied provisional ballots, which voters cast at the polls if there is a question about their registration status. At the end of Election Day, which was Nov. 6, Brubaker led Councilman William M. Breichner by 188 votes in the race for the fifth and final council seat. As of Wednesday, Brubaker's lead was 178 votes.

The thing that fascinates me most about American politics is that just when it seems as if we've seen it all, and the political landscape is in danger of becoming dull and monotonous, someone raises the bar. And indeed, shortly after the election, a handful of corporate executives stepped up to the plate to announce that, due to the Obama win, they would be forced - forced - to lay off workers or cut back hours. How great is that? We've all seen sore losers who want to take their ball and go home.

When it comes to the 2012 election, I have four important words for you: “Thank God it's over.” The votes have been cast, the winners have been congratulated, the election-party hangovers have abated and the world has started to move on to the next big thing. It's time for us to bury the hatchet for a while and work together. For those in office, it's high time to reach across the aisle and find common ground on the problems faced by this country. I want to know who will be the bigger person, the one to stand up against partisan politics in Washington and our state capitals and do the right thing.

This was a problematic election for people of my ilk, because the art of punditry might just have experienced a John Henry moment. Worse, many pundits doubled down, proclaiming that machine could never beat man in the art of tea-leaf reading, taking specific aim at the steam-powered hammer of Nate Silver and his 538 forecasting model, which digests polling and economic statistics and spits out projected election results. Before the election, Silver was subject to intense criticism from those bosom buddies, the mainstream media and the Republican Party.

We should thank veterans, active military for our freedom To the editor: Veterans Day is a day set aside to honor and remind us to thank our vets and active military. Have you ever thought where we would be without them? I have, and let me tell you, it is not a pretty thought. I could never do their job. It is not a gift-giving day as such, but there is a gift involved - our freedom and safety. It is a gift from our military to us civilians. Living close to Antietam Battlefield with all the re-enactments going on recently was a little disturbing at times.

A new Hagerstown mayor and three new city council members will take office later this month, marking a change in leadership at City Hall. And not a moment too soon, according to some residents like Michael Robinson, a 7-year resident of 181 Summit Ave., right across the street from the site where city's proposed downtown multiuse sports and events center (MUSEC) might be built. “If the stadium moves here, I am leaving,” Robinson said Thursday. Robinson was one of several people who reacted Thursday to the results of city elections and how it could affect the proposed $37 million MUSEC project that could be the new home of the Hagerstown Suns.

Dear Newly Elected Mayor Gysberts and City Council: First, let me say congratulations on your victory in Tuesday's election. During the campaign, all the candidates talked about jobs and revitalization. Now comes the hard part: turning those ideas into reality. Hagerstown is a great place to work and live, and so with the worst of the economic slump behind us, the business community looks forward to helping you leverage everything our community has to offer. At times, we might disagree on some of the specifics, but we share the big-picture goal.