From the Editors: November 7, 2018
On timepiece accuracy, quality conversation, and setting things right
November 8, 2018 at 1:06 AM
Timing is a tricky thing sometimes. Every year, we find ourselves adjusting to it — often reluctantly — despite the inevitability of the ever-lurching minute hands of life. We've adjusted to Daylight Savings Time, falling backward with the best of them, aid- ed in no small part to our automatically-setting smart devices. Our less intelligent chronographs lag behind, only to be corrected through curse words and patient clicking. Night falls sooner, and we all feel the Christmas noose begin to tighten. But, as we turn the calen- dar past Halloween and gobble up our "unused" candy in secret, there's another annual tradition that no one with a Facebook feed, a shred of civic duty, or a con-
science should ignore: Election Day.
That finds us at the Erie Reader in a particularly tricky position once again. Our distribution schedule, with its biweekly Wednesday release pattern, has this current issue fall on the day immediately following Nov. 6. We go to print a full day before that, meaning that we can't rely on any early polls or results whatsoever. We duti-fully tweeted the results from the local and state races and provided some informed online analysis, as we do twice each year: once during the primaries, and once in November for the general.
What we were able to do however, is to talk to people who know a few things.
Jim Wertz, who happens to be the chair of the Erie County Democratic Party talked to none other than Chris Matthews. One can easily picture the rush of excitement in his eyes while Wertz got the chance to say "Let's play Hardball" while introducing Matthews. The iconic MSNBC host, known for his candor and no-non-sense demeanor, framed the future for Democrats in particular, suggesting they've lost a bit of focus, and speculating about the strategies paving the way for 2020.
Ben Speggen had a healthy share of conversation as well, talking to Senator Bob Casey Jr. along with Deborah and James Fallows. Casey was able to detail some of the policies that served to highlight his second term in office as the Senior Senator from Pennsylvania. Deb and James Fallows, the husband-and-wife writing team from The Atlantic, have a deep appreciation for Erie, and will even become honorary citizens during their visit to the Jefferson Educational Society for the think tank's Global Summit X. The duo has been traversing the country for years, and this year penned Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America, in which Erie plays a significant role.
Erie City Councilwoman and regular columnist Liz Allen talked to several New Americans, who have made their way to Erie from Africa. Speaking to Felix Eshesi-mua, Mlongeca Malango, Epizitone Kale "Dante" Nsan-beh and more to help inform her personal perspective while attending the recent Pan-African "Wakanda Inva-sion."
The timing, and structure of it all might not work precisely how we pictured it. It rarely does in life, it seems like. But, through cursing and patience, we are learninghow to set things how they ought to be.
