There's a saying that states that politics makes for strange bedfellows, meaning that sometimes you have to get along with people you don't really like for political convenience.
Well, sometimes the quest for political office is such a lure that you do things that sometimes anger the people that you do like, or anyway you said you liked.
This political season as the March 4 primaries approach, we have seen a shifting of the ground as candidates jockey for a position that they think will improve their chances of achieving their ends.
Take for example the friendship that existed (past tense) between two of the candidates for county clerk. When former city commissioner Ernesto De Leon Sr. decided to run for office the last time, he had among his avid supporters none other than Sylvia Garza-Perez and her husband Rudy. They handed out fliers, knocked on doors, attended his pachangas, etc. At times they were overheard questioning the loyalty of others for Ernesto Sr.This time around, his son Don De Leon decided to run for the position held by Joe Rivera, the Cameron County Clerk. Don filed early and was one of the first to challenge Rivera, a 36-year veteran of county politics. De Leon knew he had a slight chance but decided to file anyway in a strategy of attrition just in case Rivera's health provided an opportunity for a replacement down the road.
Sylvia, on the other hand, filed for county judge.
She, in fact, invited both Ernesto and Don De Leon to her announcement for county judge and pledged her support for his race, too.
Then wouldn't you believe it, there was a sea change late in the game and Rivera announced that he wasn't going to run for county clerk after all, but was going to make a run at county judge in the Democratic primary. Following his announcement, Sylvia Garza-Perez also made an announcement saying she was not running for judge after all, but for county clerk, the same position for which Don De Leon had announced.
Others who had counted on her to remain candidate for county judge like Arnold Flores – currently head of the county's Human Resources Dept. – were also blindsided by Rivera and Sylvia Perez's announcement.
This did not go over well for many people and now bad blood exists between the two camps.
And it gets worse.
Rivera, in announcing for county judge, seems to have pledged his support to her candidacy in return for her changing positions. That touched a couple of nerves.We have been told that at Flores' announcement at Cobbleheads, Rivera arrived and was glad-handing his way around the crowd and approached Mama Flores, the candidate's mom, hand outstretched to press the flesh.
Well, Mama was having none of it and told Joe she resented what he had done, told him where to get off, and – with a Heisman trophy stiff arm – refused to shake his hand. Chagrined, Joe – the consummate politician – ambled off and continued to work the room.
Local folks have long memories around these here parts and it will be a long time before these perceived treacheries are forgotten. Count on it.
7 comments:
God bless all the candidates In the County Clerk race ,but my family and friends are voting for Sylvia Garza Perez !
juan este joe es pura cacadoodle do, i think its time to retire that dude, i hear he is already claiming his social security, plus county retirement and then on top of that a county paycheck every two weeks, is that so fatso? juan you need to verify this out right away, time to put him to pasture i say.
Juan what happen to the Cameron County H/R reorginazation as the result of the Ernie Hernandez scanndal? I thought the whole H/R was going to get revanted by Mr. Flores. How can that occurr when Mr. Flores is out campaiging on county time and with the approval of the county judge? What a mess with everthing going on and yet more to come with indictments out current elected officials dont take strive to make things better. I suggest the voters boot out every current elected official out of office and closely review the ones running.
ARNOLD FLORES ALL THE WAY!!!!!!
Sylvia Garza Perez , over 20 years of community service . Sylvia G Perez for Cameron County Clerk !
my family is with Arnold flores.. good luck to you sir. may god guide you ... vote ARnold Flores for County Clerk...
JM, joe rivera is already 74 years old? A fatso that will probably die in office, im voting for a another candidate, this career politician should already be retired or in a retirement home somewhere, only reason he is running for county judge is because his compadre gilberto hinojoe who is now el presidente de los state democRATAS told him to run, cuz we got ourselves a republican county judge and that kinda dont looky too good statewide, so he whispered into joe's ear, its your time compadre, i will back you up, wow i think joe's time has come and gone, adios mr career. Fuera
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