I can only assume that Republicans are grinding their teeth, shaking their heads and looking to burn effigies of the North Kitsap Herald editor (me) at this point (No, you’ve got the nose wrong, bigger. Bigger. OK, wait, a little bigger) only to find out the folks supporting a downtown city hall got all the good papier mache.

I mean three big elections, three Democrat endorsements?

Meanwhile, I can only assume the Democrats are preparing a Seahawk-esque cheer for me Nov. 7 — possibly across Liberty Bay. GO! … IRWIN! GO! … IRWIN! and so on.

I say “assume” — not to make an ass out of you and me as legend holds — but rather because, in all honesty I fully subscribe to the philosophy of neither party. I find both too all or nothing in most cases. In the end, and despite random acts to the contrary one is too liberal, the other too conservative.

Am I simply too wishy washy to make a commitment to either? Perhaps. But politics is like art, in that I know what I like. I don’t like the idea of endangering the environment in the name of short-term gains (necessary development and growth not included, of course). Nor do I like the feeling I get after busting my hump all week knowing that somewhere, some jerk is working the all-to-lenient system and collecting a tax-funded unemployment check he didn’t earn.

As far as the local endorsements went, I was the swing vote on the North Kitsap Herald Advisory Board’s 4-3 decision to back Josh Brown. And while I seem to have misstated that the two choices were “excellent,” I do believe both Brown and Jack Hamilton have excellent qualities. In the end, my decision on the race came down to the “lesser of two evils,” if you will.

Hamilton, in my estimation, has got the experience to be a commissioner, but I simply had too many questions about whether he’d be a team player if elected. That’s both teams, not just the Republicans and the property rights activists but the Democrats and the environmentalists. Nothing I’ve read or that he said led me to believe he’d play ball with the latter or try to reach a consensus with all parties involved in political matters.

Brown on the other hand doesn’t have much notable experience at all, but I did get the impression that he’d work across party lines and personalities on issues — which was huge for me — in order to do what’s best for the county.

Backing Sherry Appleton on her re-election bid for the state representative position was a no brainer for me. She’s proven herself very effective and able in her first few years in the House and I saw no reason to throw her out of office.

Last but not least, I voted for Bev Woods, but this time was on the losing end of the 4-3 endorsement vote. For the record, she’s a Republican. Although she tows the party line too much for my liking, she’s also impacted me directly by improving the commute between the North End and Poulsbo.

The traffic light at Bond and Gunderson and the rumble strip between Kingston and Poulsbo hit home for me and gave me an answer to the question her detractors are so keen on. Well, I know at least one notable thing that Bev Woods gave North Kitsap when she went to Olympia — safer roads.

JOE IRWIN

Editor