Defiance, OH: Is Candy More Important Than a Presidential Candidate?

Backgroud: Defiance, OH was just featured in the Washington Post under the section Campaign 2012. The auto bailout affected this small town, centered around a GM plant, which is still experiencing the economic downturn. It also affected the political atmosphere there, which is located in a predominantly red area in a (perhaps the) key swing state.

Here is the link: GM is alive in Defiance, OH. But Obama's hopes here may not be.

And here is an accompanying picture slideshow and video of Defiance, OH:
Portrait of a small town in a swing state.

Here is a piece also published in the Washington Post about Gov. Romney's visit to Defiance: Mayor: Mitt Romney to visit Defiance, Ohio.

There is an uproar in my hometown of Defiance, Ohio, because Mitt Romney is making a campaign trail stop there, this Thursday (10/25/12). One might assume it's because Defiance is a predominantly blue area -- but it's not, it's actually a historically red portion of the state.

The reason for the uproar is actually a little embarrassing to me: it's because trick-or-treat has to be moved due to Romney's visit. Defiance has always had trick-or-treat earlier -- not actually on Halloween. I understand some parents have to take time off of work and reschedule their nightly plans to take their kids out. But in the grand scheme of things is moving it to Tuesday really a big deal?

It saddens and hugely disappoints me that some people in my hometown are more concerned with a night to get candy rather than having a presidential candidate stop in Defiance. I don't care which way you lean - this is a huge part of history in the making! No matter what political perspetive one may have, this election is important.

I hope that parents see the value in taking their children to see Romney speak and learning about the importance of exercising your right to vote, whether you plan to vote for Romney, Obama, Gary Johnson, or whatever candidate you choose -- or have chosen.

When those kids become adults they can look back on the experience and be thankful. I know we all can think of  an experience we didn't appreciate at the time, but then realize the importance of it when looking back.

Defiance is a small middle-of-nowhere town with a population of 17,000 -- literally inbetween cornfields. We should be proud a presidential candidate is visiting our community -- I know I am, even if I don't necessarily agree with a lot of what Romney has to say.

Is candy more important than this election? Some people in Defiance seem to think so. People always complain how nothing happens in Defiance -- and when something big finally does, some people still complain.