Winning Is Easy, Governing Is Harder

By Craig Kaminer / Portrait by Joe Martinez

I wish politics was not such an ugly business. No matter what you do, half of the people are going to disagree with you and do almost anything to plot your downfall. I don’t know if we’ll ever see the day when the majority of people support whomever is in office, help them achieve something mutually beneficial, and reduce the politics of politics.

As a city resident, I have voted in all of the mayoral races since I moved to St. Louis in 1988. And while I haven’t always felt all the mayors did an outstanding job, I have cheered them on, helped in any way I could, and tried to bite my tongue when something did not go as I would have liked.

And this is true of Tishaura Jones. Her campaign was tough, with lots of distractions in the primary, and then a close race between she and Cara Spencer. I was convinced that both could do the job, and I was happy that an African American woman was elected, the first in our city’s history. But I have held my breath hoping that she would do what she promised, stand her ground without causing stalemates, and avoid the distractions of the office which caused many of her predecessors to accomplish less than the needs of the city required.

As soon as Tishaura Jones took office in April of 2021, I contacted her office and asked for the opportunity to interview her. While her press secretary responded immediately, a publication like Sophisticated Living was not high on her list. So about a year after I first pitched the story, I had a chance to sit down with Mayor Jones in her office, talk about how things are going, and get to know the person beyond the soundbites.

While our first few minutes together were a little formal, she quickly relaxed when she realized I didn’t have an agenda, and I found our chat inspiring and honest. Now that doesn’t mean she will accomplish everything she wants to or that she will be the best mayor in our history, but I felt like she is coming from a good place, wants to make a difference, and her goals are worthy of our support.

As soon as I posted the below comment on Facebook, I received the comments which follow it: “Best part of what I do is meeting interesting people eager to change the world. You may not always agree, but you can’t deny the passion of Tishaura O. Jones. Stay tuned for my story in the JulyAugust issue of Sophisticated Living St. Louis. Great photographs by Joe Martinez.

• “The best lack all conviction, while the worst/ Are full of passionate intensity.”– William Butler Yates • “I may not always agree. This may be correct.”

• “I voted for this Mayor but have been a bit disappointed so far. Don’t even get me started on Cori Bush.”

• “I guess no matter the ideology or policy-making or ability or inability to add value...It’s the passion that counts? Jesus changed the world. And so did Marx. Both had a passion for what they did.”

Craig’s full interview with Mayor Jones is featured in our July/ August issue: https://issuu.com/sophisticatedliving/docs/slsl_j-a_2022