The two things coexist: Alfa takes a very rational approach to most problems, and expresses it with... inconsistent degrees of sensibility, let's say; and Roadkill wants to feel more like we've got a pitbull representing us.

We just all want a smart pitbull.

Alfa seems to be the kind of guy that worries more about the action than the politics. I respect that. It's just that there are political realities that need to be addressed, egos to stroke, and soft messages of hope to be delivered. And we want to get tucked in at night.

Why our MEC doesn't seem to be great at cajoling the membership, the way a guy like Carl excels at cajoling us on APC, I have no idea. I don't mean this as an insult to Carl. He's very good. Couldn't our union be just a little better at it?

We want rational behavior, smart choices, but right now, we sure don't feel like being humble. If Delta asked us for a $5 bill in exchange for a $10 bill, I'm not sure we'd go there.

So the frustrating thing is that Alfa will probably never be very good at singing us lullabys, and I wonder if our union will ever come out of a meeting and make pilot noises when they move their lips. And yet they have seemed to make some pretty effective calls, which I've validated with my (all too infrequent) vote.

Alfa is right on another point, USAPA is a great prototype of a union that promised they could be all things, and made the right noises, for just long enough.

Maybe deep down, "in places we don't talk about, we prefer to have Alfa on that wall".

Sure would feel nice to say "no", though. Just once.