No one is more ready for the election to end Tuesday than the families of Maria Cantwell and Mike McGavick.
For months they’ve endured countless tribulations and enjoyed numerous good times.
Enough already.
These ultimate fans desire a conclusion in the battle between the Democratic senator and her Republican challenger.
Cantwell and McGavick know well the highs and lows experienced by parents, siblings, spouses and children. Both grew up in politically active families and each routinely helped candidates pursuing their electoral dreams.
This 2006 Senate race had its share of ups and downs.
For perks, some got on television. A lot.
McGavick concluded his TV ads with a few frames of him, his second wife and their two sons. This foursome racked up as much airtime as some American Idol hopefuls.
Another bonus: Meeting famous and influential people. Cantwell’s sister and two nephews hung out with former President Bill Clinton while her mom chatted up former Vice President Al Gore. McGavick’s clan huddled with Rudy Giuliani.
There are also headaches and heartaches. The campaign trail is laden with attack ads, derogatory statements, and unflattering media coverage used by opponents to maim the candidates in ways that make them unrecognizable to their loved ones.
McGavick stood accused of hiding details of his 1993 drunken driving arrest. Cantwell can’t escape questions about a 1999 loan to a campaign adviser.
“I don’t like it,” said Carey Clay, Cantwell’s sister.
Both families must bear it whether they grin or not. Their valued contribution is providing Cantwell and McGavick shelter from the venom and vex of the campaign.
They keep their candidate-kin grounded.
Cantwell’s 10-year-old nephew Garrett told me “Aunt Maria is very hip.”
She’s a wicked snowboarder, a tough bowler and a karaoke buff who raps to The Black Eyed Peas.
She’s tuned in to the latest music and video games, he said.
“Yeah, she’s a cool aunt,” he said.
Kids not only say the darndest things, they write them, too. In the case of 10-year-old Gates McGavick, it showed up online in pop’s campaign blog.
“My dad is an awesome father,” he wrote, followed by a list of quality traits.
My favorite: “After dinner, he clears the dishes and washes them, and talks to my Mom. Then he gets an ice cream sundae with Spanish peanuts and reads in bed.”
You haven’t heard the candidates crow about this because, frankly, hip-hop fans and ice cream lovers are not considered decisive voting blocs.
Yet when memory of this election fades and tapes of their debates are erased, their yen for The Black Eyed Peas and Spanish peanuts won’t be forgotten by their families.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield’s column on politics runs every Sunday. He can be heard at 7 a.m. Monday on the Morning Show on KSER 90.7 FM. He can be reached at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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