Brexit All Over

Theresa May is feuding with EU over the terms of Brexit. They want Britain to pay what it owes. Only after the trade deal is done says Terri.

No dice say the EUY 27. Standoff.

Thursday England's elections called for the charming Tory Terri. Apparently, most of the country agrees with her, as she holds popularity in the polls, even though Brexit was a squeaker, and lots of people have said, oh that's what it means. Hmmm. But Labour is unpopular and the delightfully mis-named Lib Dems are headed up by a gay-bashing Christian wanker. What to do?

Meanwhile, across the Channel, the French prepare for their polls on the 7th. No talk over here what they might be thinking, except today's Times says Macron leads in the French polls.

everyone is afraid of the Russians, except the Russian tourists who abound in the  theatre district, where we are staying in a 6th floor walk up, because the lift keeps breaking down. No, I won't be back anytime soon to this establishment anyway.

I have heard no talk about politics in any of the pubs or restaurants, or museum cafes, or queues anywhere.

The Moliere we saw had more current political palaver than in all of London that we've witnessed. But of course, we are the American tourists, who have the Drumpf as our leader, so we have nothing to say, except don't blame us, and save yourselves!

more later.

What we talk about when we talk about viability

Here's a dirty little secret of the campaign world. Specifically of those who endorse candidates for elective office.

They will send you questionnaires by the boatload. They will grill you on your positions on all the issues they care about. They will ask about your background and experience and judge how well you present yourself. They may tell you they are mightily impressed with your credentials.

Then they will ask about your viability. That's Viability, spelled M-O-N-E-Y. Yes, money is what they want to know about. How much of it do you have? How much can you raise? And how much do you need to win your election.

If the equation comes out lopsided, that is you don't have enough, or as much as the other guy, they are likely to decide your candidacy is not viable. Say bye bye to that endorsement you know you were most suited to receive.

And you thought it was all about qualifications to do the job, integrity and a willingness to work hard.

Sorry, Charlie, it's all about the money. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the key organizations don't endorse you because you don't have the money, you can't get the money from those who are waiting to see what the endorsers do. 

Nobody wants to back a loser, and they're not willing to take a chance on you by helping your campaign get off the ground with their endorsement and the contribution that usually goes with it.

And so it goes. This is how we get second rate candidates in office, who are beholden to special interests. They take the money from all and sundry, thereby looking "viable" to the endorsers.

They get the endorsement. They win the race, and then people are surprised when those they elected get caught in messy "pay to play" schemes, and are forced to leave their positions prematurely to "spend more time with their families."

You May be a Winner!

Yes, you may be a winner, but not if you don't run. Women, I'm talking to you.  With such dismal statistics on women in office (see Campaign Slut June 5, 2013), it's time more of you ran.

Because when women run,women win! (See Campaign Slut March 26, 2013). So, you're wondering, moi? Yes, You, chickie.  Think about it.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to find out just how ready you might be:


Before you can make a successful bid for public office, you have to ask yourself several key questions.  Among them are the ones below, complied from my experience running local campaigns for the past 12 years. Having the answers to these questions early as well as having some good backing among your friends, colleagues and “movers and shakers” in the District, will give you a good foundation and head start on the November election.

1. What office do I want to run for?

2. Why do I want that office?

3. Am I prepared to spend the amount of money time to mount a serious campaign?

4. Why would I be better than the other candidates or the incumbent?

5. Do I have the time and the interest to do the job once I am elected?

            If you can’t answer these questions to your satisfaction, you may not be ready for a campaign just yet.

            So let’s go over them one at a time:

1.  What office do I want to run for?

            If you have done your homework, you know which offices in your community are coming up for election in the near future.  Some of the offices like County Supervisor, State Assembly or Senate, pay a salary, differing by locality. Others like City Council (except for very large municipalities like Los Angeles , New York or Chicago) may pay a small stipend and that’s all. Some pay nothing at all and you are expected to bear your own costs for attending conference and so forth.

            If this is your first run, you may want to start small, at the local level, running for a school board, if that is your interest, or maybe a local water or sanitary district.  There are often issues involving these kinds of entities that can be quite interesting and challenging.  For instance, a local sanitary district turned over their operations to a giant private corporation, a move that attracted both a number of new candidates and a referendum to undue the turnover.

2. Why do I want to run for this office?

            This question is obviously related to the first one.  Most people get into public life because of a pressing issue in their community that they want to change or help succeed.  If you have kids in school, you will naturally care about decisions made by the local school board.   Is the City Council too lenient with development or does it ignore the needs of the neighborhoods?  That might spur you to run for office, to try to make a difference that will affect your life.

3. Am I prepared to spend the amount of money and time it will take to mount a serious campaign?

            This is a key question in deciding to run for any public office. No matter how lowly the position or how small the District you are running in, you will need to raise and spend some funds for printing, mail, party supplies for your kick off, pizza for the phone volunteers.  And it will take time.  If you plan on a grassroots campaign, be prepared to knock on a lot of doors, make a lot of phone calls, and maybe even spend some time standing at the local supermarkets and farmer’s markets, meeting and greeting voters.

            And depending on how competitive the race is, be ready to polish up your public speaking skills when you address various interest groups, the local Rotary Clubs or even give your pitch on the radio or community TV station. 

4. Why would I be better than the other candidates or the incumbent?

            You will need a persuasive message and part of that message is why the voter should vote for you instead of the other person.  If you are running against an incumbent, this is the most crucial question you need to answer.  If you can’t tell the voters what the incumbent is doing wrong and why you are the one who can do it right, you might as well stop right now before wasting any time or money. 

            Many first time candidates are nervous about seeming to be “negative.” They want the campaign to be all about the issues and can talk endlessly about their vision for the town, or the district.  But you must convince the voters not only that your vision is the right one but that the incumbent does not share it.

            It helps if there is a big issue connected to the race.  In a local race for County Supervisor in coastlaw California, the development of a tract of land between the freeway and the Bay was at issue.  Developers were salivating over it, while the populace wanted to preserve it for open space, and to keep the already horrific traffic manageable.

            One candidate received a good portion of his campaign funds from developers and real estate interests and appeared somewhat ambivalent on the issue. The other one took a decisive stand against the development. Although she started out as a complete unknown, that issue carried the day and she won. 

           

            One tactic she used was to send a piece of mail that simply listed all the contributions the other candidate received, alongside a graphic depiction of the proposed development.  That mail, a TV spot showing traffic congestion and a lot of shoe leather carried the day.

            In a neighboring county, the challenger to an incumbent supervisor uncovered misuse of funds, as well as a neglect of serious problems the county was facing. She sent a comparison piece showing the different approach she would take to these matters, and won easily on Election Day. 

5. Do I have the time and the interest to do the job once I am elected?

            Make sure you really want this job and are not just interested in making a point.  You will give up quiet evenings at home with the family to attend meetings, review documents, attend conferences and meet the public.  A lot of the work is routine, no matter how lofty the office, and you, and your family, must be ready to make sacrifices.

            Many citizens get all fired up when they are running, with great plans to change the way business is done or bring in innovative policies and find they can’t get it all done at once, or that much more of the job than they realized consists of approving minor remodels, or discussing personnel issue than it does championing good government and sweeping reforms.  They get discouraged and end up one term legislators disappointing the public and their volunteers who worked so hard to get them elected in the first place.

            Of course, life is not predictable and there are many legitimate reasons for deciding not to run again, ranging from health issues, family necessity, change in job to a genuine dislike of being in the public eye.  

OK, you made the decision, now the work begins.

            Congratulations, you made the decision to run; now the work begins.  Make sure you know when the filing deadline is, usually 90 days before the election. Are there contribution limits in your race?  Your first task will be to file some forms, get a treasurer on board, and then start thinking about your campaign statement for the ballot.

           

            You might start attending meetings of the Board you are running for if you haven’t already.  Watch how they do things, what alliances exist, who you might count on as an ally. 

            Scope out the field to determine who else might be running in your race.  Ask people you trust who are involved in local politics what they think of you running. Will they support you?  Give money, actively volunteer? Start calling your friends and family for important early financial support.  Get your Facebook page up to date and send out that first press release announcing your run.  

            Then, win or lose, you can be sure you will have an interesting, challenging but ultimately rewarding experience.

My Pink Pet Peeve

One of my favorite websites about women and politics is called Elect Women. It is run by a feisty women named Kathy Groob who once ran for Senator in Kentucky and has a great book called Pink Politics.

That's what makes me crabby. The whole site is pink, pink pink, and a Pepto Bismol  pink at that.  Why?

Why are women pink? It's like the pink booties and the blue booties.  Women are no color and all colors. And why, Kathy, have a red, white and blue high heel shoe as an illustration on your home page?

I know women have to work harder and still be seen as "feminine" to make it in politics, or they used to.  Now, the trend is changing. Women are taken seriously. Yes, when women run, they do win.  It's getting them to run in the first place that's hard.  The perception is they'll be eaten alive. And politics is a contact sport, no doubt about it.

So forget the high heels, and pink suits.  Get out your running shoes and wear any color you like.  OK, I've had my rant. Now read the site. It's got excellent advice, is up to date and pulls no punches (I even have several articles published there, myself.)

Just think about losing the pink, please!