It should come as no surprise that people are sick of politics as usual. Every single day, it seems that voters are hit with hundreds of promises and snake oil remedies for ailments of government. Most every person agrees that government is broken today, from Washington to City Hall. The question is: how do we put together the broken pieces.
As we reported on Wednesday, a new name recently broke into the political sphere this week. Hayden Pedigo, a 20-something guitarist and credit union worker, released a series of humorous campaign videos that announced his campaign for the Amarillo City Council. While many people have laughed at Pedigo's videos, the announcements may show why Pedigo could win if he ran.
Today, people elect politicians either out of fear or based on lies. Often times, voters hate their options and just vote to keep one person from winning. A big part of this could be the fact that politicians and those aspiring to hold public office often treat the campaign like a secret society, in which the candidate should receive constant praise from their audiences and should be held in esteem by voters.
The Pedigo Effect could break that trend.
Instead of attempting to force himself in the door with lengthy policy speeches and promises that will never be delivered, Pedigo introduced himself to voters using humor and his love for Amarillo. In an interview with the Pioneer, Pedigo seemed to have a grasp on many key issues facing Amarillo and understood the complexity of things like parking meters downtown, showing that he doesn't just have a gimmick, he also has substance.
The opponent that Pedigo is seeking out for the 2018 election, Councilwoman Freda Powell, has been a constant supporter of Mayor Ginger Nelson's agenda, but aside from her obvious support of Nelson, there has been little reason given for her votes. This hasn't been just the trend with Powell, as all five members of the City Council have shown their only reason for voting to be support of the status quo.
It's time for that to end.
In the event that Pedigo runs, he will likely receive the support of many voters just because of the way he introduced himself to Amarilloans. Humor is good, but it is even better when there is substance to support arguments being made.
If Pedigo continues with this trend of mixing humor with substance, then we might have a brand new Councilman come May of 2019.
-Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief
Pedigo