Press Talk: The Pike/Madore connection

Look, I get that my columns played a role in her failed election bid. But hey, it is what it is. The bulk of the blame lies with Pike.

Wishing it away

There were many reasons for Pike’s defeat, but her relationship with Madore was a deal-breaker for most voters. She gambled that Madore’s money would outweigh his declining likability. The bet didn’t pay off. Worse, she now is seen by many as someone who is inalterably tied to Madore.

I suspect she gets that now. But Madore is still a powerful political character. And she is frightened of alienating him.

Oh, for those not closely following the great American dream, in this country you can run for an office (county council chair), lose, and still hold onto the office you were in. So, despite losing, Pike remains our state representative. And she now has to run for that seat.

That’s why choosing her friends carefully now can mean the difference between winning and losing. 

So, if you’re looking for big dollars to help you win an election, Madore is a good guy to invite over to the house for some organic apple pie.

And not only does Madore have deep pockets, he controls a hard right — albeit shrinking — faction of the Republican Party. He’s also the golden boy for our far-right bloggers.

To publicly reject Madore is therefore risky. But to remain tied to him creates its own set of problems.

Pike does stupid stuff, but she isn’t stupid. She knows the dilemma she’s in. And figuring out the right course will be extremely important.

For now, she has set her path on — ah — entering the Twilight Zone. She has one set of her toes wiggling around in the Madore muck. And her other set of tootsies ignoring him.

Need proof?

Exhibit A. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a column I wrote on Madore on my Facebook page. With it, I used a caricature of Madore and Pike on a roller coaster.

Pike was offended.

She asked why she was included in the caricature. Here was my answer:

“Hi Liz. You likely will always have at least a tangential relationship with Madore. Are you trying to distance yourself from him now?”

This was Pike’s response:

“All I can say is, what goes on at the county is not my monkey and not my circus.”

Pike must have a thing for monkeys. She would later call a group of community members who were not lining up behind her “winged monkeys.”

Quite the vocabulary. But I digress. Pike went on to say I should move along like the rest of the county has. In other words, quit tying her to Madore.

Exhibit B. Moments after pleading to create a gap between her and the chosen one, there she was, defending one of Madore’s mystifying ideas. The good councilor has been working diligently to create a brave new world by proposing a county land-use plan that would set us back decades.

Never mind that the professional land-use planners at the county think the idea is cuckoo. Pike — who I’m sure is as much an expert in this area as she is in monkeys — took it upon herself to write a letter to the county councilors praising Madore’s idea.

You see the problem, right?

One second, Pike’s telling me what goes on in Madoreworld is not her “monkey” nor her “circus.” The very next second, she’s wading knee-deep into the county circus by writing a letter supporting Madore’s land-use plan.

Which is it, Liz? Wake up. Smell the coffee.

Oh, speaking of coffee …