It will be interesting to see what will happen. Recently while driving down our street I noticed Smock signs in the lawns of two of my neighbors. I thought for sure at least one of them was a Republican. Not long ago the subject came up—after I noticed that the signs were no longer there.

“Man, did I get fooled,” my neighbor said. “I didn't know she was a Democrat! Here I have had her sign in my yard!” Now, in his defence I must point out that he has not lived in Greenville for very long. Turns out that indeed, he had not seen any information on the materials given to him by the Smock campaign mentioning her political associations.

Now, Diane Smock is a nice person. She is downright charming. She seems to be a person of character and there isn't much you can say against her—that is unless you are a conservative. In that case you would find that you have some different ideas about such things as the role of government (taxes, zoning, etc.).

If you are a conservative, it should concern you that in one neighborhood, two neighbors had mistakenly believed that Smock was the Republican candidate. (Note that there was nothing on any of the information or in her conversations with them that claimed that she was a Republican.) In my conversation with my neighbor I also learned he did not know much about Joel Patterson.

Not a good combination. One candidate has been out beating the bushes pressing the flesh in the neighborhoods. A lot of grassroots involvement is making a difference for Smock. The other candidate seems to be relying on the establishment and the typical partisan division that helps so many Republicans win office.

Of course, ancedotal evidence is suspect. However, based on what can be seen and heard on the streets Diane Smock may be our next at large council member. I hope I am wrong and not many others have made the same mistake as my neighbors.