Tomorrow, Ohioans will wake up to a new political reality. Some will be thrilled beyond belief. Others will declare it the end of freedom and democracy as we know it.
And the rest of us will celebrate the removal of the yard signs.
It's like the week after Christmas, when everyone puts their trees out for recycling. Except most of us like Christmas.
We've discovered that some people really LOVE their political yard signs. Forget announcing you're the proud parent of a high school cheerleader or honor student. Bob Smith needs to be elected, and everyone who goes by needs to understand that.
Then there's the latest annoyance in yard sign design: the double-decker sign. In neighborhoods that limit the number of signs, clever political warriors figured out how to squeeze two candidates onto one. Technically legal, perhaps, but with the visual appeal of an advertisement for the local slaughterhouse.
If all goes well, we'll know most of the election results by Wednesday. We hope. Oh, please let it end.
Winners will declare unity. Losers will vow to fight. Both sides will immediately begin raising money. Apparently, democracy comes at a cost.
School districts will face their fiscal reality when the levy results come in. Those that lose will confront difficult spending decisions — or, in the great Ohio school funding tradition, immediately begin preparing for the May ballot.
Some data center projects may disappear. And if certain charter amendments pass, some communities may discover they've made it easier to keep taxpaying developers out than to bring opportunity in.
Yes, elections have consequences.
We're considering one final contribution to the neighborhood political debate. Our next yard sign will simply read:
AREN'T YARD SIGNS STUPID?
Election Day will end. The signs will come down. Whether your candidate, moratorium, charter amendment, state representative, or sheriff won or lost, we're still somewhat obligated to get along.
We really should find a way to coexist.
And most importantly, no matter what happens today, Ohio State plays Oregon on Saturday at 3:30.
And we can all agree: We need fewer penalties and better playcalling in the red zone.
This editorial reflects the views of The Pennant Editorial Board. Questions or comments are welcome at [email protected].