Run for Office

My esteemed partner posted an idea recently about running for an office with no money for a campaign. My idea, suggested by a dear friend, is simpler and a little more basic: just run for office.

Yup. You. On whatever platform you want. Just go through the experience of signing up and campaigning and seeing what happens. You could take traditional stances on the key issues or take some present some really radical options. Speak in public. Make appearances. Write letters. Campaign in an unconventional way or buy a book and do it the same way everyone else does.

I think you'd gain a lot from an experience like that. Maybe you'd be more or less tolerant of mistakes people make during a campaign. Maybe you'd understand how someone can feel worn down and mail in or skip the things they know are important. Who knows what would come out of it. But I bet something would.

Or you could just watch episodes of the Wire where Carcetti is running for a mayor. I bet it's a lot like that.