Charlie Daniels was one of the good guys, and I am not speaking about the singer.
I am speaking of the longtime politician from Arkansas.
Sadly, he passed away at the age of 83.
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Daniels came from an era when politicians could actually talk across the aisle and get things done.
I still disagreed with him more often than not, but Republicans could always depend on Daniels for a reasonable ear when they needed bipartisan votes for legislation.
Daniels started his decades-long political career winning a local election for a school board, then he managed to work in both the Pryor and Clinton gubernatorial administrations.
In 1984, Daniels threw his hat into the ring for Commissioner of State Lands.
After he ran out of terms, he ran and won elections for Secretary of State and State Auditor.
He even embraced his namesake in the entertainment industry to win his first election.
Daniels stated, “My first radio campaign ad had some fiddle music in it from a person up in Mountain View. It went like this, ‘Charlie Daniels.
“That’s a name that everyone knows.
“But this Charlie Daniels doesn’t fiddle around.
“This Charlie Daniels is running for State Land Commissioner.’ It was fun.”
One of his biggest claims to fame was how in integrated the latest technology into every office he held.
He was a man truly ahead of his time, and now he is gone.
Rest in peace, Charlie.
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
