Has anyone here thought of running for political office?

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orangeninja

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I am only 26yrs. old. I am working towards a Masters in BOTH Business Administration and Criminal Justice. I am considering running for office in my mid to late 40's as perhaps a Sherrif or mayor or somthing. I was wondering what with all the political talk here, how many 2nd amendment friendly people actually ever consider running? I know the myth is that it takes a boat load of money...but for local offices, generally less than 1000 people ever vote for one person. That is not a very big demographic. And that number is for DALLAS COUNTY....a very populated area.
 
Alduro -- I was planning to ask the same question. I've never run for anything and I probably never will. I just cannot stand the compromises involved.

I think I'll post a THR poll. Thanks for starting the question.


YES! You should get involved in politics. We need more people like you who are interested, young, eager and understand RKBA.
 
I ran several times for our school board, I eventualy won. I then in turn helped three others get on the board. We then "cleaned house".

I have since helped on other campaigns.

It's not for the weak and faint of heart.

What I am growing to despise is our 'two party' system.

I listened to Jesse "The Body" speak and he's as close as we'll ever get to a truce choice when you vote. I too often hear of how people voted "for the lesser of two evils", from both sides of the aisle. I can't in my mind reconcile how your mind can only be on one side or the other with nothing in between.:banghead:
 
I've toyed with the idea before, but the longer I live in this area, the more I realise that if you're not from here, you'll never get into office. Heck, it was hard enough getting a job. I suspect that there are many other smaller communities that have the same outlook.

-Teuf
 
in a few years, when i sell my business, i'd very much like to run for city council of my home town. then work my way up the ladder and possibly to state senator one day. i'm not sure that will be feasible with my chosen future profession though. i'm earning my ratings to become a commercial pilot and will be away from home quite a bit. i have a few years to decide which one is more important. i have a feeling i'd lean towards being a pilot though. only time will tell.

Bobby
 
Hunter...what was your experience like?
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Extremely exasperating. On the whole I would say that our society is just too fat, dumb, and happy. Because of this, the number of folks who truly want government out of their lives is disturbingly small.

I served on the Executive board of our local Community Council (9 of us on the board) and I was the only conservative. The never ending procession of people coming to the council meetings looking for a .gov handout of one sort or another absolutely boogled my mind. It seemed as though they had no shame whatsoever.

An example would be one man (whom I had once admired) that had argued sucessfully that it would be wrong for the county to alter/reject a building project he'd had in mind. The situation dealt with - believe it or not - the possibility that he would be altering "an historic viewshed*". Within his argument he claimed (quite rightly) that what he did with his property was his own damned business.

A few months later this SOB comes in with a complaint about something his neighbor did, and he proceeded to demand that the county exercise their prerogative to interfere with the neighbor's plans for his own property! I guess the old "what's mine is mine, what's your's is mine" leftist drivel had found new appeal for this guy.

In short, the entire experience made me feel dirty. Having said that, I am not sorry for having banged heads with the socialists for the better part of a decade. I've always loved my country, and when I was still just a young kid I swore to "... uphold and defend the Constitution of United States..." and so no sacrifice for her would be too great.

My advice to anyone wondering if they should attempt holding political office:

Lead, or be lead, but if you choose to be a passive actor in politics don't come around and complain. I've got two index fingers, and I know how to use them. LALALALALALA...I CAN"T HEAR YOU! LALALALALALA...:p





*This word is meant to express an idea similar to watershed, rather than a shed with an historic view. God I hate leftist fruitcakes and their butchery of the English language!:banghead: :cuss: :banghead:
 
I've given it some serious thought after the realization that i JUST DON'T AGREE WITH damn near anybody

James
 
I have considered it, but I am just an average Joe, not a lawyer or have an MBA , just a blue collar guy, youd think I was a Democrat. But I am way to Libertarian for the masses, plus I have done questionable things when I was younger, not that those things would bother me but they may bother my family and the little old lady that I am trying to solicit her vote.

Plus I have long hair and a beard, everyone thinks I am an outlaw biker (former) or a rock star (tried it couldnt make it) plus I picked a screen name that kind of disturbs people, but thats Ok if they dont like it.

I think it would be interesting and I know that I would make alot of people very angry. I am so far to the right I am turning left or is it the other way around I keep forgetting.
 
Politics can be very interesting and educational, as rewarding as it is frustrating.
I am an elected member (and president) of the local board of education but I have been active in local and state politics for years.
I would encourage anyone to get involved and try to make a difference.
 
I'm sure that you can make some difference on the local level, but by the time you go national, it is merely because you've whored yourself out to every bidder and are bought-and-paid-for.
 
I would love to actually, but i'm not willing to go through all the BS hoops necessary to convince people i can do the job. Nowadays, if you arent some rich guy that went to some big school of law, you arent worth a damn. People are idiots, with my views i'd get destroyed.
 
We are in a small military community here and have been more active in this community than any other we've lived in. Working on committees and being board members and organizing events, it can all be a lot of fun. We are moving back to Virginia (God Bless the Commonwealth of Virginia!) this summer and my wife is really interested in getting involved in the city council. That's probably a good place to start.

Some of the other posters are very correct about seeing a different side of people when you're involved in this stuff.
 
No. But I have thought that those in office should be running. & I'll be th efirst to say a 30 second head start would be the sporting thing to do. :cool:

Actually I think we've all had the thought cross our mind. For me the biggest deterent is that I have little faith in changing the system from within. On the local level I'll admit it's more feasible - but get into the state & federal stratospheres & it's a life filled with frustration.

I honestly don't know how Ron Paul deals with it. I wonder how many times he wakes up & the first thought he has is to perform a citizens arrest on the majority of the House?

Think about it - even the most temperent among you would strain to maintain if Schumer or McCarthy or Feinstein was 10 yards away & successfully urging people to ignore the second amendment & vote for their latest victim generating scheme.

The cost is another concern. Even to reach 1,000 voters it takes cash. & even though 1,000 votes can be a majority that puts you over the tops, you'd have to reach several times that unless you have a crystal ball that tells you who will vote & who will sleep in on election day.

Besides, I'd last about 10 days in any major office. Ya see a public servant should set an example & the example I'd set would not include leaving the second amendment or the first amendment at the gates of an airport. So unless I had time to drive to any functions I was required to attend I probably wouldn't make it. The court case would be interesing though & I'd at least have a few quotes that would make the press work a little to turn into their "right wing militia gun nut" montra.

But we all sit back & think at some point what we'd do if we were King (or Queen), or president, or senator, or representative, etc.... I'd venture that would qualify as contemplating running for office.
 
Running for politcal office..

Yes, I have. I've stated publicly to my friends and family that I *WANT* the hightest office in the land, and that once in power, I'd disolve congress, sweap away the last vestages of the old Republic and institude my own glorious new Order. :D Thats also only a half joking statement making fun of my own latent megalomania, since I know that there is only a minute chance of my ever getting elected. My closest friends have stated that they'd not vote for me, since they know I'd be to given to radical actions like disbanding the BATFE and DEA, eliminating as much taxation as a could, bringing lots of our military home and enforcing immigration laws.

But I am considering running for City Councel next time a seat opens up. My town is fairly well run at this point in time, but there are a few things I'd like to see done different, like building a skate park for skateboarders and rollerbladers and encouraging more small buisnesses to move and open up here in town as a balance to the WalMarts and the like, and putting some foot patrols in place by our local police force more of a sense of shaired community between the residents and the Peace Officers here.

SaintofKillers: IMHO our society needs MORE average, blue/green/white collar folks in office and fewer professional politicians running things. I've observed, both in others and myself, that once in a position of authority it becomes very easy to get distracted and diverted from ones connections to the people one is supposted to be representing. It is often not intentional, but happens none the less.
 
I'm strongly considering it. I may go for state rep in 08 (I'll be 29 then, and it's an open seat) County Commission is most likely for me. I'm in a 60%+ Republican area, so the primary is the toughest race.

I'm a lifelong resident of the county outside of some college time. I'm also active in the party, so I have as good of chance as anyone to win.
 
SaintofKillers, we could be twin sons of different mothers.

Average Joes have as much right to hold office as anyone else. You should consider it again.
 
Not me. Defective "Alpha male gene". Bigtime.

Plus I won't tolerate that level of scrutiny of my private life.

I suspect that a small percentage of "pro-freedom folk" are interested in political office versus "socialistic types". That's why Ron Paul is so brutally outnumbered.

None of this is meant as a critique of those willing to try - more power to you.

I suspect there's more gain to be made by trying to get in a Judge's chair - which requires a law degree...
 
HunterGatherer wrote:
Extremely exasperating. On the whole I would say that our society is just too fat, dumb, and happy. Because of this, the number of folks who truly want government out of their lives is disturbingly small.
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Last fall, I ran for Mayor of my town. Thge above is as true an assesment as I've ever seen.

The political garbage, dirty tricks and just plain hacks start well before your campaign starts.

I ran what some call a clean campaign. I was told certain things in confidence and held that confidence, while an opponent did not. It was a 3 way race, with the third person filing at literally the last minute. In my area, the politics of religion played the biggest role.

And since I made it clear that I would run again, the politics hasn't stopped. The whole process is an eye opener and extremely educational.

The monetary costs for a local election don't have to be high, if you are good with a computer (or have someone who is, on your side), most materials can be made to be of profesional quality. The emotional and psychic costs are perhaps the worst, if you don't recognize them and take steps to lesson them.

All in all, I was satisfied at the outcome. I garnered just over 31% of the vote, my opponent got just under 32% and the incumbant won with 37%. That was the purpose of my opponent - to split the vote. Something I recognized at the start.

In 4 years, I will run again. But with the advantage of having learned a few lessons.
 
I've been toying with the idea.City counsel,county superviser.
I live at ground zero of left wing,soccer mom,nanny state,sheepleville!!
I don't think an incumbent has ever lost here!
Asking around,most people don't even know who the Mayor is!!!! :rolleyes:

QuickDraw
 
alduro! RIGHT NOW!!! DO NOT PASS GO!! GET IN TOUCH WITH THE LOCAL POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF YOUR CHOICE AND START WORKING WITH THEM!

Don't figure on doing it some time in the future. I got interested late in life and wish that I had gotten started sooner. I have worked in several campaigns for local Republican candidates, kicking in doors in the neighborhood. Then, in the last governor's primary I volunteered to help and they put me on the ballot for freeholder. I came in last but only a few votes behind the guy ahead of me, but my whole purpose for being there was to give the man a "line" on the ballot rather than just have his name there, so I didn't campaign for the position but rather kicked in doors for my candidate.

What I have seen, however, is that getting in young is the way to do it. You can develop a name for yourself and get experience.

Also, if you wait 10+ years to get pro-gun candidates in office, by the time you are ready to run to save 2A rights, it may be too late!
 
I've never run for anything and I probably never will. I just cannot stand the compromises involved.
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This is pretty much my position on political office. But every now and then I think that "I could do better than this turnip".

Could you just hear the howls of the Left if we found some way to make political office palatable to the likes of us? :)
 
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