Should I run for President?

[Guaranteed]

I'm actually only in my mid-twenties, so it's constitutionally impossible. But my girlfriend is telling me that I should run for some kind of office.

I guess I'd have to start out small, maybe the Board of Supervisors for the city or something. But, of course, my ultimate goal would be the Presidency.

What do you think? A lot of you know me and my politics fairly well. Should I run for President?

[mzmolly]

1. Yup.

;)

[Guaranteed]

2. I told her that DFA is saying that we all have to start running for office

so I know where's she's coming from.

I don't really have any "connections," though.

Or "gonnegtions," as Meyer Wolfsheim put it in the Great Gatsby.

[mzmolly]

35. It's good you don't have "gonnegtions"

You may end up like dat poor Gastby guy if ya did. ;)

[yorkiemommie1]

3. or you could start w/ school board

lots of fundie infiltration on those. even in my blue county, blue state. or city commissions, then city council.

[Guaranteed]

6. I think we all should be running.

Just swarm in and take over- but legally. :P

[yorkiemommie1]

16. yes, we have three of five on our school board

FUNDIES, I mean, and they kicked Planned Parenthood out of our school district, one of the largest in L.A. County!!! They're very focussed and determined.

[Crunchy Frog]

4. I'd vote for you bud!

:pals:

[Guaranteed]

7. Thanks!

Hee hee that's awesome. Thanks, man!!

[Crunchy Frog]

8. That's "woman" to you, mister.

:spank:

[Guaranteed]

9. Right!

If I'm gonna run, I'm gonna have to get the woman/man thing straight.

I promise I'll work on it, though. :)

[Crunchy Frog]

12. Okay, buds again.

[Mythsaje]

5. Go for it...

We need people willing and able to stand up...and it sure ain't me. I'm good at making noise, but really hate to be the center of attention IRL.

One of the best things about being a writer is that, unless you're ultra-ultra famous people still don't recognize and swarm you.

[snowbear]

10. President BullGooseLooney and Vice President Crunchy Frog!

:bounce: :patriot: :bounce:

[Guaranteed]

11. Yessum!

:patriot: right back atcha!

[omega minimo]

13. GOF

Grand Old Fart party?

:patriot:

[Guaranteed]

15. Nah, I'm a solid Democrat.

:)

[omega minimo]

17. Forgive me, young one

but from previous posts on women's rights, I thought you were a dried up old WASPy Old Fart.

(#8 faux pas?)

Have you tried volunteer work?

:kick:

[Guaranteed]

18. Mind if I ask what posts those were?

Just #8? Women's rights?

Also, again, I'm in my mid-twenties.

And I'm a paralegal volunteering at a non-profit legal agency right now, three days per week.

[omega minimo]

20. Sbeen a while

I remember you seemed quite set in your view as the RIGHT view and others being -- not right. The rigidity of your attitudes is what made you seem like age was your excuse! :rofl:

Good luck to you. :hi:

[Guaranteed]

22. Well, that I'd have to agree with. We need more strength in principles in

our party.

Again, though, I'm not sure where you get the impression that I'm against any kind of women's rights.

If you find the post, let me know.

[omega minimo]

24. You answered your own question

by misinterpreting and misrepresenting what was stated.

"Again, though, I'm not sure where you get the impression that I'm against any kind of women's rights."

Perhaps you're unsure because you made that up all by yourself.

"We need more strength in principles in our party."

Being rigid might be seen as being principled. That might work for a certain sort of politician.

Most likely though, if you do pursue politics, you will need to learn to listen.

If you reflect back to people in a totally distorted manner as you just did to me, you will limit your options. (This is what made me think you were an old buzzard).

You're in law? Could be a stumbling block.

Good luck

[Guaranteed]

25. In my own defense,

I'm going to have to say that I didn't distort your post. To begin with, you used the term "women's rights." I don't see any women's rights issues in post #8, although you said I was having some sort of problem with them.

Secondly, you said "from previous posts"....that's a plural, meaning more than one post. That would be more than post #8. That, in combination with your saying that you'd seen me post before, would lead one to believe that you had gotten the wrong impression somewhere before.

However, you brought up the issue and I wanted to respond to it if you had concerns. Apparently, you didn't have any concerns. I'm happy with that.

[omega minimo]

26. Alternatively

Defensiveness and distortion are your failsafe.

You don't concern me. I'm happy with that.

Good luck.

[Guaranteed]

30. Sorry, "dried up WASPy old fart" gets me

every time. :)

[iwantmycountryback]

14. Board of Supervisors/President of United States...

not much difference really :D But seriously you should run for office if you want to, it's always good to have a liberal no matter how high-profile the job may or may not be.

[Fire Walk With Me]

19. Sure. I'd vote for the film "Battlefield Earth" to be president if it'd

get Bush out of there. No offense meant! Just saying what I feel about Bush.

[Guaranteed]

21. Well, I don't look much like John Travolta,

but I appreciate the support anyway! :)

[Fire Walk With Me]

23. If you're not a Bush, you've got my vote!

If only it were that easy.

[spuddonna]

27. Sure! I'd vote for you and I don't even know your platform yet! lol

:) I trust you more than any of the pols out there because you haven't been "Senatized for Our Protection"...

Go for it!

[Guaranteed]

29. My two main issues are media deconglomeration and

alternative fuels.

I'm also pro-choice, anti-Iraq war, anti-Al Qaeda, anti-deficit, heavily pro-progressive taxation, pro-universal healthcare, anti-Patriot Act, pro-separation of church and state, and anti-gun control (with restrictions, including no CCW.)

[spuddonna]

32. Damn, that sounds good... Can we clone you?

The only thing I didn't understand was the CCW on gun control. What's that stand for? :)

[Guaranteed]

33. Carrying concealed weapons.

I don't believe in that at all.

Again, I'm fairly anti-gun control, though.

[spuddonna]

34. Thanks for the clarification!

Yeah, I agree I don't like the idea of concealed weapons either. (I'd rather people have holsters like the old west so I know they're packing...)

Gun control is not a huge issue for me. I think our constitutional rights should be guaranteed, but am not sure exactly why anyone needs and AK-47 to 'hunt' with... :)

[theHandpuppet]

28. If you don't know the answer to that question...

Then you probably shouldn't run.

[mzmolly]

36. Even experienced politicians "consider" a run for office at one point ...

:hi:

[theHandpuppet]

39. That was not my point

Which I apparently did not properly or clearly convey in the previous post.

Nowhere in the poster's original question did I get a sense of just *why* BGL wishes to hold office. To me that should have been the very first statement I read in that post. Nothing about serving the community, striving for a better world, having a vision for justice and equality -- just a desire to be president, with a suggestion from his girlfriend that he run for office.

BGL said he thought he'd have to start out small ie, on the local level, but of course his ultimate goal is to be President. If that's the only reason one has to run for local office, all I can say is please don't. Again, nothing expressed about what BGL could contribute to his community or even any sense that running for such an office would be anything more than a stepping stone. Community governments make this country run. If you're not committed to, focused on or appreciative of their role in our society, then don't use them simply as a means to achieve some personal ambition. Note, his question was, "Should I run for President", not, "Should I run for mayor?"

Further, I did not see anything in that original post which gave me any inkling whatsoever why BGL considers himself qualified to hold a political office. Does he have any background experience or training that would lend itself to the job, such as law, political science, economics, urban planning et al? How involved is he, currently, with local politics? None of that information was provided before the leap to, "Should I run for President?"

All of this leads me to think that someone who would fail to provide answers to any of the above, yet blithely ask members of a public discussion board whether or not he should run for President (I'm sorry, but that method in itself denotes -- to me -- a possible lack of maturity) has already answered his own question -- and the answer, from my point of view, is no.

Sorry to be the bucket of cold water on this party, but I take such subjects as holding public office rather seriously.

[Guaranteed]

41. Well, don't take it so seriously.

It's a joke.

[enigmatic]

31. Go for it

I've read your posts, and you've got some excellent, thoughtful stands on any number of issues.

I'd vote for you.

[Bluesplayer]

37. Are you an asshole?

I only ask because we really don't need another asshole in the WH.....

[meppie-meppie not]

38. sorry, I'm not familiar with your politics but if you're not a watered

down Dem or a repukian lite version of a Dem I say go for it.

[StudentOfDarrow]

40. Why not?

Where do you live? Who is your Rep?

[eridani]

42. Just run for something local, whatever is open

Start making your local connections, the folks who will be your canvassing team. Take a Wellstone Action candidate course. Ask for the support of the Progressive Majority. The problem with all us progs griping about DLC traitors is that we don't have enough people on our farm team (successful local officeholders) to take many of them on.

If you don't make it to the presidency, you can still be an important part of the team of the progressive president I hope we can elect someday.

[Booster]

43. Absolutely, but first take the Loony out of your name cause I ain't

voting for no Loony.

[fujiyama]

44. Hell yes!

Can I have a post in the administration?

HAHA, a DU administration. I could just see that!

But seriously I would start off at the city council, school board, or even state legislature, and go up from there.