The Gantt Report
By Lucius Gantt
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think white people’s favorite form of footwear is flip-flops.
I don’t care where you live in the north, south, east, or west, if you glance at everyone’s feet, someone will be wearing flip-flops. You’ll see them in Walmart, in the Dollar Store and you’ll even see flip-flops in high-end boutique malls.
If you’re fortunate to be sailing around the French Riviera on a billion-dollar yacht, you’re likely to see someone lounging on the ship deck in a pair of flip-flops.
Flip-flop wearers don’t care about corns, calluses, or bunions they may have. Flip-flops feel comfortable, I guess.
When the temperature gets colder, they wear socks with their flips.
Flip-flop shoes make me think of political flips and flops!
One of the best political commercials I ever saw featured an actor portraying a flip-flopping incumbent official who appeared to run up a few Capitol steps and then does a back-FLIP back down to the bottom.
A political flip-flop occurs when elected officials commit to vote one way, one day, then flips, and votes the opposite way.
Usually, political flips are not pre-meditated, they occur after politicians are encouraged to drop an earlier commitment.
If a public servant promises to support a bill that you support, he or she might change his or her mind if they hear, “The Speaker wants you to vote differently” or “The Party wants you to vote differently than what your constituents want you to do”.
To me, phrases like that are merely political pimp talk.
I say that because if something was so important to The Speaker or The Party Chairman, he could take a moment of his time to tell you himself.
Getting elected to public office is a beginning not an end. Politicians need to learn how to be politicians. They must learn how to get things done that the people in their districts want done.
Many candidates for public office have never attended a session of Congress, a session of a branch of a state legislature, or a city commission or school board meeting.
When I lobbied in the Florida Legislature newly elected state legislators would ask me for directions to the restrooms.
You ought to know the things you need to know.
Don’t just be happy to win an election for public office. Don’t even be overjoyed or ecstatic to change a street name or to give someone in the community a resolution, a certificate, or a plaque.
Bring money and jobs to the districts you represent. Bring contracts, bring government office places to your districts, or get recurring appropriations to public and private entities to the district residents that voted for you.
The only person I enjoy seeing flip is Simone Biles!
If you want to flip, flip for the people or flop in the next election!
