Out of a job? Looking for employment? Hard worker? Progressive? Over 25?

Now hiring, 2012.

I'm serious. Please run. I can't. I have too much crap on the internet that would bite me, too many quotes can be dug up, but I know a lot of you post anonymously, and many of you say you are progressives. If you live in a district that is right leaning, run! If you have a right leaning Democrat that you dislike, run as a Democrat! Let's get DU Dems to run, use DU as a platform, even. Tell the mods to delete your account and sign up with your name (you aren't allowed to have two accounts, but they might let it slide if you ask, I dunno).

Downsides: your life will be scrutinized, felonies and whatnot will be dredged up, divorce proceedings and stuff like that maybe, you'll have to be careful with what you say, at least until you're elected. If you don't care about reelection (and you shouldn't) I would encourage you to not give a shit after that point. Campaigning is hard, you think canvasing is hard, campaign is 10x as hard.

Every year hundreds of people run, most of them are "establishment" people who were either on the local town councils (and let's be serious, nepotism and cronyism starts there) or who have local wealth (rich guy with the hardware chain store, etc). It cannot hurt the democratic process for people, who are willing, and who are politically motivated and hard workers, to just give it a shot. Even if the cronyism is deep and you're rejected by the local establishment, it will at least give people pause, particularly if you get a lot of votes.

Nader was wrong about the Presidency. It's Congress that matters.

However, if a true progressive needs a speechwriter...I'm there.

:kick:

:hug:

:hug:
:loveya:

If you have political aspirations I say run anyway! Fuck the establishment!

:hug:

Not many people can withstand the onslaught

If I could magically grant myself a job, it would be in the US Senate. I think I'd be a good Senator; maybe not by today's mealy-mouthed definition, but by old-school "liberal lion" standards. Sadly, I'm just not electable. Even in a liberal state (where the atheist lesbian part might be forgiven), being a "welfare mother" would pretty much destroy my chances. I can just see the opposition ads now...

"She can't even manage her OWN money...how can she manage yours?"

"Lyric has a vested interest in propping up the welfare state entitlements with YOUR tax dollars--and now she wants a paycheck for doing it."

"Lyric believes that laziness should be rewarded with free food, a comfy home, and cable TV in every room. Why should welfare bums live better than hard-working Americans?"

Of course, it's all bullshit. I'm not poor because I can't manage money; I'm poor because I was BORN poor and in today's America, it's damned near impossible to climb up out of that pit. I'm trying, but there are some things I'm just not willing to sacrifice--like compassion, empathy, and kindness. Do I give away more than I should? Yep. There are some people who fall between the cracks; people who are every bit as hungry and cold as my family, but who are not deemed "worthy" of help by our welfare standards. So I give away food, money, and other things to them. We always end up short ourselves, but at least the pain is easier to bear when you know that you've helped someone. Other people help me, too, so it evens out. Someone on the outside might call that stupid or naive, but I can't help it. If I see a dire need, I can't NOT try to do something about it.

That's just how I am.

"She hadn't money to manage because the wealthy never gave her a chance because they exploited societal loopholes that only the wealthy have as a benefit."

"She supports the poor and working class and having been there in the past is intimately familiar with the realities that normal people face."

Frankly I say fuck it. One thing that the Republicans have going against them, there are more poor people than there are rich. The problem is never about not having enough people who agree with you ideologically, the problem is getting those people to vote! And nothing brings those people out better than a Presidential election.

And it's a little easier to get into, I imagine. At least you can canvas your own area if you've got a sturdy pair of shoes.

or maybe Elmer's. But as a gay, recovering alchy, I am about as unelectable as humanly possible in North Carolina.

In a primary I would be going against one of the most senior Dems in the House, Collin Peterson (DINO - Monsanto)

Atheist.
Had a drinking problem for 3 years after my second divorce.
Been divorced twice.
Had sex with a HELL of a lot more women than I was married to.
Been in bancruptcy
Defaulted on student loans.
Had a house foreclosed on.
Been homeless.
Been behind on my child support (but not $100,000!)
Did a lot of "foolish youthful experimentation" and I don't regret a damned bit of it.

I could run as a ReTHUGlican, but not a Progressive.

If you read the autobiography of wise people, they tend to have gotten their hands dirty at some points. "Path of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" as they say. The vetting process at this point, especially with data coming not just from public info but Fox tapped phone calls, virtually assures that those who can get elected are completely vacuous do-nothings who have a clean record because they don't have the creativity to have a dirty one.

:rofl:

:D

...are all the naysayers. Surely, out of all of them, there are at least a couple of hundred who could run for the House.

My hunch is that most of the naysayers are naysayers because they are trying to survive on little income. I doubt my $704/month would get me far, especially after $340 of it is gone the day I get it.

To send a message. To build political capital for real progressives in the Democratic Party. I live in a poor area of town, mostly minorities, I get into amazing political conversations on a daily basis. I feel that I could run, but I have too much stuff on the internet. A self-avowed anarchist will not get far at all. I actually regret not posting anonymously for over a decade in that vein.

You don't need a lot of income to start, start canvasing, if you can't pick up a bunch of volunteers, then you can give it up. Go to the local universities, talk directly to young people. If you do this and get a mere 10% of the vote in your district that would be a bigger deal than anything political that Nader has done, imho.

Hell, the second people get wind of my black metal collection I'd be doomed. I'd have a hard time explaining to people why I listen to Burzum, a convicted murderer and arsonist (makes cool music though, what can I say lol). Though the thought of taking a stage to Cannibal Corpse's song Five Nails Through The Neck is enticing!

Seriously though, I do know what you're saying, and I wish more people could/would do this. But I truly am one asocial person, and I avoid most humans like the plague. I think my extreme cynicism probably isn't the most attractive quality for voters to see. I'm not a leader and don't want to be, and the thought of power bores me. I'd rather just volunteer locally with troubled kids and do something totally unrelated to politics. I can make a bigger impact there than I ever would in the political arena.

...who don't want to lead but are instead forced into it or because it falls into their lap.

I'm dead serious though, and while I might even admit to being cynical and that this is probably delusional, logic or reason tells me there ought to be a bunch of people out there who can do it and send the message that needs to be sent. And if a couple of them win, even a half dozen, it'd be crazy.

This is what we're facing folks, we have to start putting candidates out there that are worthy. The establishment candidates that these local communities create are not what you want. The cronyism runs deep, we need to do something. How can I motivate good people with clean backgrounds to run!!!!

Like I said, every thing that would hinder me running as a Progressive wouldn't matter a spit if I was running as a ReTHUG. Hell, might even give me street cred.

...and win, I certainly think it'd be interesting if you did so and changed parties. In fact, I would argue that could be a winning strategy, though the original pretext was to at the minimum send a message. If you lost you would not send a message.

Heh. I've had a "RICH" life, but there's some things even *I* wouldn't do. I have to look at myself in the mirror every day.

I could put the "bag" in "Teabag"...

The Democratic Party is actually factionalized in that vein which is why it can't ever agree on anything. The Republicans have one caucus (that's serious; they have other caucuses but no big stuff is done in them).

If you want to be a socialist run as a Democrat and create the Socialist Caucus (that'd be super controversial though, rename it to the "Equality and Fairness" caucus).

In Florida, I've seen it happen time after time after time.


Harold Ford, Rahm Emmanuel, Chrs Van Hollen have all contributed to this mess. They'd rather run a progressive out of the race, and recruit a Republican to switch parties first. And Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is one of the worst in that regard.

And I know of several examples, from personal experience, just over the last 8 years or so.

I mean, a serious amount of us just said fuck it and did it. Primaries where 3-4 progressive Democrats are on the table. Throw an entire wrench into the whole process. At the bare minimum it'd be a shakeup of how things get done.

But, in Florida, you need about a $10,000 filing fee just to get on the primary ballot.

This being a redistricting year, you only need about 2,300 verified petitions (figure 3,000 with spoilage) from registered Florida voters instead of the fee.

In previous, non, redistricting years, some candidates needed as many as 5,600 petitions from within their district.

Then, there's a lot of cash to raise for a primary. And because there's a primary, a lot of donors are reluctant to donate.

edit: I don't know that much about Israel to comment one way or the other.

Think they finally got it under control in NJ --

but they were very active in trying to move the Greens rightward -- !!


And, recall one Dem legislator in State moved to Greens and he was persecuted!!!

have you ever tried to run as a Dem in the last two decades?

Afaik, it can't be done -- unless you are loaded with money --

I believe in legalizing all drugs and legalizing prostitution. I regularly smoke cannabis, have had an abortion, been on unemployment and took full advantage of the Sexual Revolution in the 70's so there's LOTS of stories out there. Oh yeah, and I'm an agnostic and I'm not a member of a political party. Not a chance in hell but I'd be more than happy to work on any REAL progressives' campaign.