The following Letter to the Editor states the opinions of the author. Patch is serving as a platform for writers to express their views. 

I had a phone call today from a friend in town who was so angry that she was almost apoplectic. She said; " (Joe) Brunner, (Bill) Zimmer, (Rick) Krier and (Rita) Minx were crowing about how THEY had managed to get Danny DiMaria elected as the Action Party mayoral nominee last Tuesday."

My response to her was; "What's the problem? If they are saying it, it is because it is the truth." "But they are the CAUCUS party," she fumed.

I then proceeded to explain some political realities to her that might be useful to share.

1. Politics has nothing to do with what's "right" and everything to do with who's left.
2. The leadership of the CAUCUS party saw an opportunity to co-opt or cripple  the opposition party and they took it. That's just good political strategy. 
3. The CAUCUS party folks worked their butts off circulating DiMaria's petitions and walked the precincts drumming up votes. That's good political work. 
4. As the CAUCUS learned from the village elections in 2003, 2005 and 2009 it is easier to attack an incumbent from the outside than it is to sell an incumbent, especially if there is no great overriding issue to generate support for the incumbent. 
5. As the CAUCUS learned in 2003 and 2005 it is better to have some nebulous "Happy Talk" phrases, (like "Hope and Change" or "Forward" or "Economic Development"), instead of specific plans, (which can be attacked), or accomplishments, (which can be denigrated or minimized). Slick phrases and slick words and a "likable" candidate win elections, (money doesn't hurt either).

Bottom line is Mr. Brunner, Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Krier and Ms. Minx and their allies turned out their voters while the "Old" Action party didn't turn out theirs. The numbers don't lie. They did the job and they won.

Mr. DiMaria may be the Action party nominee, ("He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and a third time, till at length it becomes habitual..." --Thomas Jefferson (1785), but he  owes the CAUCUS party, big time. (as the kids say; 'they owned him'). It will be interesting to see when, (not if), he is elected mayor how he repays that big debt.

Patrick C. Kansoer Sr.

Morton Grove