At the end of the day...

 

 

"There is nothing like a good sunset to top off a good day!"

There are a growing number of people who strongly dislike the phrase "at the end of the day". I am one of them. At one of my former companies, it was used so often that my comeback on "eventless days" was "Sometimes at the end of the day, you just have the end of the day."

The end of today however, will mark the end of one more endorsing convention in Minnesota. There will be winners, and there will be some who came up just short of winning (no losers here). "Not winning" will have a certain sting to it - it always does. But we are all players on the same team, some trying out for starting positions. By "not winning", it does not mean you are off the team. The ones who did not make the starting lineup should stand ready to coalesce with the starters and help the team win!

I fully expect if incumbents comes up short, they should be thanked for their service to date. They have a treasure trove of knowledge, and that will be key in any victories to be had this fall. Should challengers fall short, they should also be thanked. The challengers have made the incumbents better candidates. This is the political version of "Iron sharpening iron."

Ever since the Gipper quoted the eleventh commandment for Republicans, I have fully endorsed it. Hurtful words once spoken, are hard to take back. We can disagree without being disagreeable. I really do have very little time for mud wrestling. I can listen to a good policy debate until the cows come home. However, when the words get personal, or the stories are nothing more than anecdotal, I tune out very quickly.

So that is my hope for the day. Good behavior by all. Gracious winners and gracious "not winners". We have much work to do once the endorsing conventions are over. The Republic is at stake, and we need a strong, undivided team. It truly is all hands on deck. No regrets, no hard feelings, just a thirst for victory this fall. That is what I want to see "at the end of the day"...