Word: localize
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...that is not news. They have been doing it for a long time. Duehay, born and raised in Cambridge, is not an exception to the rule; he is outstanding precisely because he epitomizes the unrecognized successes of local government...
Often the celebrity status of our federal politicians obscures their duty to their constituents. National politics is filled with posturing and vitriol, and as far as most historians tell it, has been for a long time. On the other hand, while local politicians certainly use the bully pulpit, they have far less incentive to pontificate at great length, or reduce an issue to a catchy phrase to be repeated again and again...
Rather, they have much more to gain by sitting down and hashing out solutions, making plans and addressing issues based on facts, not images. What is so admirable about local politicians like Duehay is their persistence is doing this work despite the petty argumentation and rapid mood swings in Washington. In many cases, a bill gets passed in the Capitol, and by the time a local politician sees its effects, it is being repealed by a new regime...
...bear the brunt of the people's wrath. They are, after all, the most convenient politicians in sight--easily accessible and personally known--they, more than any other elected officials are supposed to fight for their constituencies. A senator or representative is more affiliated with their party, whereas many local politicians like Duehay are an odd amalgam of political beliefs and positions. Those amalgams come about when you have to face problems in your hometown that defy the party line, problems which the party line has done nothing to solve...
Students looking to make their mark in higher office would do well to heed Tip O'Neill, who said, "All politics are local." Or, they could take the example of Duehay, a Harvard graduate who dedicated his life to local politics, and indeed, made his mark. Meredith B. Osborn, a Crimson editor, is a first-year in Greenough Hall...