Barney Fife to decide Lunenburg race for office of High Sheriff ?

Ghost of famous lawman decisive factor in special election!

Ectoplasm and Politics in the Old Free State!

Ghosts and goblins…is this fair politics… or what?

Ladies and gentlemen… we are almost on the eve of the final special election for High Sheriff of Lunenburg County.

On August 8th, only a few days away, the good citizens of Lunenburg County will finally decide who will take the office of High Sheriff of Lunenburg County Virginia, the Old Free State of the Confederacy.

Friends tell me… and who am I to doubt it… that Lunenburg County is called the “Old Free State” because when Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, in anticipation of the late unpleasantness, they seceded for good… forever… and forever…

Yes, there may have been a few minor military set backs… but nothing that would change the minds of the Lunenburgers and their political leadership.

So the story goes, Lunenburg County may have “forgotten” to rejoin the Union after the War of the Rebellion was done.

Technically, Lunenburg County may still remain a sovereign nation separate from the United States of America!

Probably just a clerical error… or something…

Whatever…

The real issue today is the almost unbelievable political drama that is unfolding in Lunenburg County in the special election race for Sheriff in the aftermath of the untimely (and perfectly legal and natural) deaths of the past two Sheriffs.

We now are facing a four way race.

See previous posts for details.

So far, the Iconoclast has elected to not endorse any one candidate. However, we confess to make a great deal of fun of Sheriff Stoots for firing two reputedly competent Deputy Sheriffs after learning that they could be political rivals.

Frankly, Sheriff Stoots has never adequately explained his actions in firing Deputies Moses and Townsend to our satisfaction. Excuses and rationalizations… at best. Dumb knee-jerk reaction by most accounts!

So… with the Iconoclast poll showing that Sheriff Stoots and fired-ex-Deputy Moses in an apparent neck-in-neck race with only a few days remaining before the final vote, we at the Iconoclast are in the awkward position of making a recommendation to the good citizens of Lunenburg County.

We had hoped it wouldn’t come to this but it did…

Given this dilemma, we notice that not too far behind the leaders in this special election (Sheriff Stoots and fired-Deputy Moses) is none other than the Ghost of Deputy Barney Fife.

The Ghost of Deputy Barney Fife. Dare we hope for answers? Yes... We hear you...

Given these most strange circumstances, we at the Iconoclast are inclined to suggest some kind of way for Lunenburg County to come together and heal. There must be some way to move ahead and bring some sense of closure to this very strange situation.

So, we suggest that those who voted for the Ghost of Deputy Barney Fife consider voting for fired-Deputy Moses in the actual election on August 8th.

This is our thinking…

We hope that Sheriff-elect Moses will do the right thing for all concerned. Give fired-Deputy Townsend back his job. He did not deserve being fired by Acting-Sheriff Stoots on highly questionable grounds. This was an act of political retribution.

Furthermore… and this is a big one… the Iconoclast recommends that Sheriff-elect Moses offer to Sheriff Stoots (after losing the election) a job as “Deputy Stoots,” so long as he (Stoots) agrees to carry out the oath of office (none of this “loyalty to the boss” crap).

Deputy Barney Fife was always a “Deputy” and we always loved him. In his hands, the results of the Lunenburg County special election for High Sheriff now rest.

To be perfectly honest, most of us know that Barney Fife is a fictional character played by Don Knots. We are cool with anyone who might differ with our view. But Barney Fife was a great inspiration whether fictional or real or ectoplasm.

Barney… we seek your guidance!

The Iconoclast has no problem in entrusting the results of the Lunenburg County special election to this great lawman.

May the best candidate win…