Heading on a road trip to Georgia.
Can hardly wait to travel down Sonny Boy Joyner Highway on the way through Farmville North Carolina where dad was born on the back porch in 1917. Back porch right next to the smokehouse and just feet from Turkeys and chickens running wild.
Oh, and right next to the only toilet. Had to go outside to do your business.
Mom and dad are buried in Farmville. Dad would have preferred Livonia as he said he doubted anyone would come visit.
Been wanting to make the trip all of last year.
In one of my favorite North Carolina political trivia questions it is asked "In 1972, George McGovern carried only two of North Carolina’s 100 counties against Richard Nixon. What are the two counties?"
Orange and Northampton County. But that is not why I am asking it. Sonny Boy Joyner was the man responsible. He put together a coalition of whites and blacks to carry the county for the Democrats, like he did for decades in politics.
Sonny Boy was pre-direct mail and the Internet. His politics was people. Face to face. Door to door. He was a master of it.
Like his name suggested, he was a country boy. Smiles and laughter.
Retail politics. Maybe that is where I get my love for the concept. People. Networking.
Try it Livonia political candidates. It just might work.
