Should You Run? Part 2
Saturday
Apr 25, 2009
The most important decision of your campaign is deciding whether or not you (or the candidate you support) should run at all. We started the discussion with “Should you run? Part 1″. Here are some other items you should consider before you decide to start your campaign.
Are the key people in your life on the bandwagon?
First, if you’re married, be sure that your spouse is supportive. He or she will have to go through potential attacks on your character, critiques from your supporters, nasty comments from the opposition and the stress of watching you go through a challenging campaign. You will have to focus significant time on your campaign which can strain a relationship. If your spouse isn’t supportive, I have one piece of advice for you: don’t run.
You also need to talk to your children, parents and other family members. Strident opposition from any of them could create a lot of strain on your campaign and your relationships. You should have at least their passive support for your efforts. If you don’t have that, you should carefully evaluate your individual situation and decide whether to go forward with the campaign.
You should also check with your boss or business partner if you have one. Be sure that you reach an understanding with them as to the impact that the campaign will have on your work life before you run.
How much support do you have?
Don’t just assume that the folks from your church, service club or neighborhood will support you. Talk to people individually and in small groups and ask them not only if they will vote for you, but if they are willing to give or raise money, put up a campaign sign in their yard, send postcards to their friends or canvas their neighborhood for you. You don’t just need a cheering section, you need people who will actually work to get you elected.
Do you understand what you’re getting into (during the campaign)?
If you are serious about seeking public office, you will need to put a lot of time and effort into your campaign. You will have less time available for hobbies, sports and family activities. I can also pretty much guarantee that there will be days you wake up wondering why on earth you decided to get yourself into a mess like this. Don’t daydream about becoming a political big shot. Take a long, hard look at your reasons for running. You will need to be highly motivated to get through a political campaign.
Do you understand what you’re getting into (after the election)?
Be sure you really want the office you’re considering. Take a look at the time involved and what you will be spending your time doing. Many people have run for local offices because they were fired up about a particular issue. However, if you win, a lot of your time will be spent handling constituent complaints and attending local events. People will stop you in a restaurant and complain about their trash pickup or gripe about traffic problems at your kid’s soccer game. If you run for the school board, you might have an angry parent approach you in the grocery store complaining that a drinking fountain is broken at their child’s school.
You will also need to read a lot of briefing material on the issues you will need to vote on. Are you ready to spend your evenings reading bureaucratic reports and constituent letters? Be sure you understand that politics is a service industry and that public office involves a lot of homework if you’re going to do it right.
It can be very rewarding to be able to help people get things fixed when they’ve been repeatedly ignored by various levels of bureaucracy. However, it will interrupt your life.