What's in a name?

Even though I lost in the primary, I am still the office holder until my replacement takes the oath of office. A few reporters whose heads are not completly filled with concrete get this. Unfortunately, they are not the ones who call my phone. The last voice message left was asking me to comment on a very tired thread that has run since I first ran for office.

You see, Nevada has several men living here with the name Bob Beers. Two were active in the legislature, myself and a man who is 9 years my junior. My middle initial is L and his is T. He was in the senate and I was in the assembly. I was the maverick, willing to speak the truth regardless of the political cost, he followed the party line, even when it was obvious he did not agree with it. I lost the primary, he didn't, but it looks like he may not survive the general...which brings us to the reporter's question. It was all about name recognition. This typing twerp wanted to ask me about whether or not I felt the similarity between the senator's and my names had any impact on the voters. I did not return the call. It is such a ludicrous question that non response is the only correct reponse.

It would be far better to ask whether or not the good senator's handling of the Republican convention this summer had an impact. He did tick off a few thousand Ron Paul supporters, and those folks vote. Perhaps his agreement with McCain's platform may have upset a significant number of people. McCain did say that anyone making less than 5 million a year was middle class. Apparantly anyone working blue-collar need not apply. No, no reporter working in Nevada would have caught that. You have to be able to read.