Where’s Bob (from)

WHERE’S BOB COOK (from)!

In the past couple of weeks the subject of me not being “from” here has come up. So let me explain where I am from. I was born and raised in a small, mostly rural town with approximately 15k citizens. One high school, two middle and a few elementary. We only had one primary employer. It was the county seat. Had a bunch of churches and I attended one of them. While it sounds like I just described Franklin, I was describing Newton, Iowa (home of the Maytag)! I loved my small town very much and still have family there. However, I am from San Diego, California; Los Angeles; California; Guam; Cahokia, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Norfolk, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. When I travel and am asked where I am from, I say Franklin, NC without hesitation. It is my home. It is where I have volunteered, attended church and worked. I was from a lot of places thanks to my service in the U.S. Navy. But I have always carried the small town family feeling with me wherever I went. I settled here because of that small town feeling and here is where I will stay. I have had roots here for far longer than anywhere else I have been “from.”

So, the point of this is I know I won’t get every vote. I will work hard for them just the same. I have been told I don’t understand the “southern Bible Belt dynamics” because I am not “from” here. I fully understand them because I have been a part of them. You don’t have to be from the south to understand people. You just have to listen to them. I will listen to you. Voting for someone just because they are from here doesn’t necessarily get you the best candidate. You deserve the best candidate. I will work hard for every vote. I will answer every question. I will lay out my philosophy for you to approve and discuss.

A bit more detail!!

In the past couple of weeks the subject of me not being “from” here has come up. So let me explain where I am from. I was born and raised in a small, mostly rural town with approximately 15k citizens. One high school, two middle and a few elementary. We only had one primary employer. It was the county seat. Had a bunch of churches and I attended one of them. While it sounds like I just described Franklin, I was describing Newton, Iowa (home of the Maytag)! I loved my small town very much and still have family there. However, I am from San Diego, California; Los Angeles; California; Guam; Cahokia, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Norfolk, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. When I travel and am asked where I am from, I say Franklin, NC without hesitation. It is my home. It is where I have volunteered, attended church and worked. I was from a lot of places thanks to my service in the U.S. Navy. But I have always carried the small town family feeling with me wherever I went. I settled here because of that small town feeling and here is where I will stay. I have had roots here for far longer than anywhere else I have been “from.”

So, the point of this is I know I won’t get every vote. I will work hard for them just the same. I have been told I don’t understand the “southern Bible Belt dynamics” because I am not “from” here. I fully understand them because I have been a part of them. You don’t have to be from the south to understand people. You just have to listen to them. I will listen to you. Voting for someone just because they are from here doesn’t necessarily get you the best candidate. You deserve the best candidate. I will work hard for every vote. I will answer every question. I will lay out my philosophy for you to approve and discuss.