Code Words

Over the last week, I've been to several political meetings and met a few local candidates. Over and over, I kept hearing--

"My family has been in Walton County for six generations...."
"I was born and raised in Walton County...."
"I graduated from Walton High..."
"My family has been in this county for 100 years...."

I promise you, if I heard it once I heard it twenty times, usually as a qualification for office or to give their point of view more weight.

Has anyone else noticed this? What's it all about?

I would imagine it means the same thing it means everywhere else in small town America, and what you posted above. Come to think of it, I have heard that everywhere I have lived when it comes to politics and government.

Are you saying that you had not ever heard it before, or are you surprised?

I think it refers to someone being in the county a long time and understands how the government here ticks...........greased palms.

I think it refers to someone being in the county a long time and understands how the government here ticks...........greased palms.

...or to imply that they really care about the community. They have been there and don't plan on going anywhere.

or they're implying their more of a local than all these johnny-come-lately's

Somebody needs to get them to qualify those statments by having them say how often they ever bother to venture south of the bay...

Somebody needs to get them to qualify those statments by having them say how often they ever bother to venture south of the bay...

or how often they attend their own meetings!!

Let me 'splain it to you cuz. It's just like that TV commercial where the salesman tells the old lady, "he looks just like you, so you can trust him". Those connections are intended to tell the voters that any candidate with age-old connections to Walton County will get you a "get out of jail free" card. It won't deliver a better level of service or a sheriff that can operate a calculator or a telephone----just another good ol' boy. Voters have the opportunity to elect a fresh approach to law enforcement that they haven't had in the 5 decades I have been watching Walton County politics. Figure out who that is and go vote!

To garner even MORE support, they might as well add the phrase: "I am also married to my first cousin, and her side of the family has been here longer than my side of the family."

I think that it's also a very transient area. Locals are proud to be locals

I have all my teefeses!!!View attachment 8546That should be a requirement.

Has anyone else noticed this? What's it all about?

What this means is that the speaker is informing whoever is listening that s/he passes the DNA test, which is the most important requirement for any position of power or responsibility in the county.

To garner even MORE support, they might as well add the phrase: "I am also married to my first cousin, and her side of the family has been here longer than my side of the family."

You beat me to it. I'll bet the family tree looks like a pencil.

You beat me to it. I'll bet the family tree looks like a pencil.

And you guys wonder why you have such a hard time getting the attention of your local leaders?

And you guys wonder why you have such a hard time getting the attention of your local leaders?

I was thinking the same thing!

I don't think a very effective campaign slogan is "I moved here in 2003 and see everthing all you backward rednecks are doing wrong. I'm here to fix it for you. We'll do things just like they do where I'm from..."

I was thinking the same thing!

I don't think a very effective campaign slogan is "I moved here in 2003 and see everthing all you backward rednecks are doing wrong. I'm here to fix it for you. We'll do things just like they do where I'm from..."

No but outsiders (someone who has lived here since 2003) might have a valued perspective and experience in some areas that may actually help-especially if they have had to deal with the same problems in another state or locality. I would be insulted if somone running for office locally would annouce that they are 100% "proud" of their unchanging or closed minded attitude (politics a usual). From what I have found (with the exception of one County Dept.) there are no real "backwards rednecks" currently in office here locally anyway...just a mentality that kowtows to the poorer and more uneducated groups to get their votes..

"backwards rednecks" currently in office here locally anyway...just a mentality that kowtows to the poorer and more uneducated groups to get their votes..

And as long as that group shows up at the polls, while the more educated ones who moved in 2003 do not, this will continue to happen.

No but outsiders (someone who has lived here since 2003) might have a valued perspective and experience in some areas that may actually help-especially if they have had to deal with the same problems in another state or locality. I would be insulted if somone running for office locally would annouce that they are 100% "proud" of their unchanging or closed minded attitude (politics a usual). From what I have found (with the exception of one County Dept.) there are no real "backwards rednecks" currently in office here locally anyway...just a mentality that kowtows to the poorer and more uneducated groups to get their votes..

I must admit that most of those I voted for last time are not in office. But the election before that I voted for many of the "winners."

I'm local, I have all my front teeth, and I'm well educated.

I'm local and ALL of those statements apply to me (except the Walton High part, but that does apply to Fuzz). And Fuzz and I fully intend to use them when one of us decides to run for something.

I really dislike the old boy network, in all of its forms. But please be respectful of those of us who are "natives" - the "first cousin" comment and "family tree like a pencil" are going a little far. I also detest the idea that all "newcomers" are to blame for all problems in Walton County. Neither dissing the locals or non-natives are constructive. Intelligent, informed change in politics is. I've been listening to all of you on the political forum long enough to know that this is possible with this group.

I think the ties a person has to a community are an important part of their qualifications to serve that community in public office. Having connections, through generations of family in some cases, to a community should not be viewed as a negative in any way.

Now, does that mean we should only elect 5th generation locals to office? Not at all. Each candidate should be evaluated based on their qualifications. A candidate who is qualified only because of who their family is should no sooner be elected than a candidate who has only recently moved to the community, and believes wholesale changes are appropriate because thats how it was in their past community.

The idea of a "good ole boy" network that actually controls the county is laughable. Not because there is no truth to the statement, but because it ignores how all politics work. No matter where you are from, family ties, social organizations, and other affiliations play a large role in politics. Why should we expect Walton County to be different than say Chicago, with the Daly family, or any other "political network".

Please, let's put this idea that we in South Walton must rally against the "good ole boys" aside, and focus on improving our county as a whole.

Thank you Goddessgal for an on point post; the comments you mentioned are just rude IMO and completely unnecessary.

You are correct that we can do better than this.

I'm very proud of being a native of Walton County.
And we look forward to all of you who are moving here in diluting our family tree.

Excellent points, all of you.

I have to say, honestly, I don't remember hearing these words much before. In Columbus, Georgia, where I could have said my family has been here for a hundred years and I graduated from Columbus High, I may have heard them and not noticed them. I didn't hear them in Atlanta, or Shreveport, or New Orleans.

I am not trying to imply that I have a problem with born and bred locals, not by any stretch. However, when I hear those words, I do sometimes feel that my views aren't as important, my vote not as desired, as those of someone who is "from here." I may not have been born here, but I care more about the future of Walton County than I do Muscogee County. I intend to live here, and God willing someday have a little native Waltonian of my own. SoWal is my home.

Frankly, the words sometimes make me feel a little excluded.

I think it's just a phenomenon in small towns that are growing. Personally I prefer someone with the attitude of "hey I am from someplace else, but I enjoy this area so much I'm staying and want to improve it". In addition I mean improve in the sense of bettering the community and the services that it receives. NOT DEVELOPMENT.

All great comments. I think it can be a double edged sword type of statement. You may get one groups vote at the expense of another.


Personally the code words that worry me are, "The eagle had landed"......"The stork drops at midnight"...........and of course......"The cookies outta the jar." And this last one strike terror in me......
"Aisle 4, we're outta tin foil again."