JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC

The winners go on to run the city. And good luck to them. I hope they — and the city — prosper.

And the losers? Well, we had a nice, wrap-up breakfast today at Kansas City Cafe, 1532 Grand.

The breakfast was compliments of our leader, Mike Burke, who will now focus on rebuilding his caseload at King Hershey, the real estate law firm that he heads.

I took the occasion to tell the group that a political race was like a horse race: You never know how it’s going to turn out when the horses enter the starting gate. But it sure is exciting when your horse is head to head with another runner coming down the stretch. Of course, it’s terribly disappointing when the other horse surges and beats you by a neck…but that’s racing, and that’s politics.

So, join me now in taking last look at our candidate and some of the people who helped him make it a stirring stretch run.

Roxsen Koch, a Burke law partner, and Ray James, former K.C. Election Board leader and Burke volunteer

Jason Parson, campaign manager, and Klassie Alcine, volunteer

Mary O'Halloran, message crafter, and John Burke, son and driver

Donna Mandelbaum, communications coordinator, and Tony Ladesich, TV ad producer

Marnie Burke (no relation) and Matt Pepper, volunteers

The recovering candidate, with Greg Williams, strategist, and Bob Reiter, Burke cousin and volunteer

Susan Ramirez, volunteer: "I'm warning you; this could turn out unhappily."