Projo Offbeat Blog

My favorite marcher in the Fourth of July parade isn't the Uncle Sam on stilts, the Elmo character who throws candy to my kids or the World War II veteran wearing his uniform and waving from the jeep.

It's the politician dressed in the dark suit, white shirt, tie and black shoes.

We've all seen him. Anyone who's gone to a Fourth of July parade anywhere in the United States has seen him. Most parades have several of him. He's more common than the guy who dresses like a Revolutionary War soldier.

I'm glad he wears the serious suit. Otherwise, we might miss him in the sea of color and pageantry flowing down the street.

And it's important to see him sweating in the sun as he zig-zags from one side of the street to the other, shaking hands and kissing babies. If he didn't look so earnest, we might not realize the serious business he does in Washington, the State House or town hall.

Every now and then he will get crazy. Not as crazy as the kids who squirt water guns from the parade float or the juggler on the unicycle. But crazy for him. He might wear a colorful tie displaying the stars and stripes. And he might take off the suit jacket and face the festive crowd in just his white shirt, tie, dark pants and black shoes.

Thank goodness he doesn't wear, say, a Hawaiian-print shirt, cargo shorts and sandals. He might look like any other guy celebrating this great country on the Fourth of July, enjoying a day off among family and friends.

How could you vote for a guy like that?

---