Greeson: Thursday's election more important than presidential race for Hamilton County voters

There's a pretty large election looming. You probably have heard about it. It's made most of the papers and been on the tube - a lot.

Whether it's fearmongering, emotional jabs about this university or that wall, missing emails or a questionable foundation, the players vying for the top office in the country have generated as many headlines as they have groans and eye-rolls.

It's equal parts car wreck that we all are too happy to slow down to see - and the dreadful idealogical traffic jam that accompanies this rubber-necking - and slimy process that fits the cliché of picking the dog with the fewest fleas.

Jay Greeson

As the Hillary vs. Donald mudslinging match turns into a three-month sprint to November, please remember that the presidential matchup is far from the only election this year.

In fact, your vote Thursday in the Hamilton County general election and state primary election is far more important than any vote you will cast for either Trump or Clinton.

First, in the number-crunching simplicity of the Electoral College, there is little chance that Clinton will win Tennessee.

According to The New York Times, the use of historical data and national polls means Trump has a 95 percent chance of carrying Tennessee. There are only six other states - West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska - where the GOP has a stronger grip than Tennessee.

Secondly, while the leader of the country and the free world is an important decision, think of the real and everyday effects our local leaders create, manage and control on a daily basis.

Be it the Board of Education or assessor of property in Hamilton County, having a say in the people who have the say right here where we live is your right - and responsibility.

Be responsible for yourself and your loved ones. Be responsible for having a say in the outcome in local and state races that will directly affect you and your children. Be responsible for participating in a fundamental part of our democracy. Know who is on the ballot and why they do or do not have your support.

There has been a wave of consternation about the school board in the last year, and four of the nine members are up for re-election Thursday. They may not be in your district, of course, but the board of directors of the largest branch - and most expensive - of the county government could be in flux.

There's even a formed and well-financed movement hoping for a clean sweep of the incumbents. Hey, if they are making informed choices, that's their right and responsibility. Painting all of the incumbents with the same broad brush seems especially short-sighted.

So far, according to the Hamilton County Election Commission, 11,509 votes have been cast. (There are sample ballots on its website as well at www.elect.hamiltontn.gov.)

Mathematically speaking, if the numbers stay low, your voice will be infinitely louder locally than it will be in the presidential election.

And with all the screaming and shouting that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are doing, it feels kind of nice to be heard.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343. His "Right to the Point" column runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.