You Deserve Better

I'm one of the first to admit that I'm an asshole, that I am opinionated, and I often have difficulty speaking to people in a way that makes them feel comfortable. Throw in the fact that I'm a "dyed-in-the-sackcloth" Libertarian, and the possibilities for me actually being elected to almost any post disappear faster than a stack of pizzas at a Weight Watcher's convention. I was recently asked, "So if you already know that there's a very small chance that you will be elected, why are you even running?" Well, that's a reasonable question, and my typical response is, "Because you deserve better." Let me explain. 

"We can walk the road together if our goals are all the same. We can run alone and free if we pursue a different aim." 

A recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal (I will warn you that there's a lot of statistics - which I love) presented the idea that the next election is likely to be a "them-vs-us" contest. Over the past several years, I have continued to point out that most political discussions both in our legislative halls between already-elected officials and in our election forums between candidates (and sometimes between their supporters) typically devolve into an epithet-spewing, us-versus-them cage match where nothing ever really gets settled but (for many people) is fun to watch. To quote an old movie, "... They love violence. They love sports. They wean their kids on it. So we give them what they want."

"Their hearts were so unclear and the truth could not appear, their spirits were divided into blinded hemispheres."

Now, of course, the Old Party candidates (and their sincere advocates) are not going to even acknowledge my comments because to do so would give me a form of credibility that they seem to believe that I do not deserve. "We do not negotiate with terrorists." But if they were to acknowledge my comments, they would probably say something along the lines of, "Of course he is going to say things like that. Don't pay any attention to him because he's just trying to confuse the issues." They might even go so far as to quote Macbeth: "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." But I'm going to point out their antics by quoting a popular rock song, "To me, it's all just mental masturbation".

"Armed with sense and liberty, with the heart and mind united in a single perfect sphere." 

Let me be crystal clear: I'm not claiming that I am "better" than either of the Old Party candidates in my race; just different. I'm not going to tell you what my party thinks is supposed to matter to you, then tell you how I am the only one with the political will to fix it. I believe that you're intelligent enough to decide for yourself what matters to you and to your family. I will tell you that I don't already have all of the answers to your questions, but that I will absolutely collaborate with you to find answers that will work. And if you believe that I cannot get "into the cage" and fight it out with the big boys, let me also remind you that I'm a Marine, and we take that shit seriously.