news-record.com

GREENSBORO — The City Council’s strongest candidate entered the race this week.

News spoof “The Onion” said Monday that mythological demigod Hercules must run and win in District 2 to complete a 13th labor added by Eurystheus.

“For a person running for the district, particularly for the predominantly African American district, if the first person who declared is a white fellow, it is a Herculean feat (to win),” said Goldie Wells, who will leave the seat this year.

She had not seen the article nor heard of “The Onion.”

“That person has to be someone who the citizens feel will fight for them and keep them from falling backwards,” Wells said of her potential successor.

In Greek mythology, Hercules, the son of Zeus, had to perform 12 nearly impossible tasks in penance for murdering his wife and child. “The Onion” added a 13th: win a local office.

“What if there was one other task that he had to perform?” said Joe Garden, who wrote the story at theonion.com. “A task that would drive anybody crazy no matter how more mortal or immortal they were?”

Garden set the story here after passing through on a speaking trip to Elon in the fall.

If only he knew how hard politics around here can get.

Looks like Greensboro can laugh last on this one.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com