Myra Bean’s column
Published 12:00 am Friday, September 26, 2008

That was some game last week between South Panola and Apopka, Fla. Newspapers and televisions across the country were full of accolades about the town and the team. It was all mostly positive reflections of Batesville, Panola County and South Panola High School.
I was always thankful that God had given me a natural talent to write. In my youth, inexperience and immaturity, stupidly, I did not feel that I needed to study journalism in order to write. I could write why study how to write, right? So I took up political science.
Like one of my college friends, I could have benefited from a double major in communications and political science but I just took communication courses.
It took me a long time after being immersed in the political world not to see everything in terms of how the political world sees things.
You see, when you are in that political world day in and day out, you don’t see or understand what the average person sees and understand. Sometimes the political world is a horror world. People who go about their daily lives outside of that political world do not seem to realize people are making decisions about how we are going to live and work and walk and talk, all day long. We elect a select few to make these decisions for us and do not realize it. They do not think or believe what we believe. Some do not even talk like us.
Take for example this upcoming presidential election. Neither one of those candidates would probably know an average citizen if we reached up and slapped them in the face.
Therefore, to even consider postponing that debate just two days before it is scheduled, shows how out-of-touch political figures can be.
My daughter is a freshman at Ole Miss. Her first semester experience at Ole Miss has been full of stay away from here, don’t drive there, can’t walk over there, definitely can’t park up here, walk around the long way, etc.
As of Wednesday night, she did not know if the debate was canceled would school officials resume Friday classes.
Another issue. There is no football game at home this weekend. Restaurants and hotels got in extra fresh, perishable foods for this debate they would normally not have ordered for an off weekend. So, if economics is a big issue, think about the economics of these small businesses in the area that may have to throw away food and such due to a cancellation or postponement.
For which day would you like to reschedule the debate? You want to cancel classes next Monday, too? Ole Miss is getting ready for homecoming activities next week and a home ballgame. Or will you take the debate out of Mississippi all together.
I know there will be many excuses of why this debate should or should not come off. But even if the $5 million plus that has been spent on this debate alone is just a drop in the hat against a $700 billion economic package. That $5 million loss will hurt us just as much as that $700 billion the nation.
Actually, I could care less about a debate. I do care about people who have sunk a ton of time and money into putting the state’s best foot forward and with a sweep of a hand all of that effort is swept aside for naught. It was all done without an apology, just an excuse.
I think the candidates are too polished and have all their ducks in a row. They are too practiced. I’d like to hide behind a door and see them in a chance meeting walking the halls of congress and one of them takes a cheap shot at the other. You know, like normal people do. That way we’d see the real future president.
One other thing. You know the way they have fantasy football. I wish they would have put Sarah Palin up before Joseph Biden was chosen. Maybe Barack Obama would have chosen Hilary Clinton.
Man, can you imagine that vice presidential debate?
I would have bought a ticket. I think those two women have more backbone than the men. They would not pull any punches with each other, except maybe at a debate where they have to act right.