Who is Clay Shaw?

Clay Shaw was the incumbent Congressman who defeated my candidate in my first, professional political campaign. This was in 2000, when all hell broke loose. When I got stuck working on the recounts for little or no pay at worst and never being sure where my pay was going to come from at best.

Shaw wasn’t a bad guy. Just wrong. And by today’s standards, a downright liberal Republican. If he hadn’t lost in the Democratic wave of 2006 to Ron Klein, he probably would have been defeated in a primary by a Tea Party candidate.

Perhaps I owe him some thanks for the learning experience? Or at least a brief mention in my prayers? I hated him for making that first election so hard, so painful, so sorrowful. But that was foolish. I was rightfully happy when someone better took his place and I was sad when that person was replaced by a bitter, joke of a Congressman (Allen West) and a little relieved when someone else replaced that bitter joke (Patrick Murphy). But I’m sorry he’s gone for good for now.