Election Exhaustion
November 6, 1997
Another election over and done with, and not a moment too soon. On Monday night we had a telephone call that went something like this:
"Hello?"
"Hello! Is this . . .?"
"Yes, who's this?"
"This is . . ., and I'm calling tonight to ask for your vote tomorrow. East Hampton Town needs me in office because . . . ."
(A two-minute campaign spiel followed. Then there was a pause. We seized the opportunity to ask the candidate a question):
"Are you a recording or a real person?"
"Thank you very much for your time. Have a nice evening." (Click.)
Every one of the candidates involved in Campaign '97, one of the nastiest and most bitterly contested in a long time, is entitled at this point to go take a vacation. Some of them may have left early.