Why I'm Running

I received an email from a newspaper columnist a few days ago, asking why I'm running for office as a third party candidate.  This was my response...

Hi Steve,

I'm in receipt of your email asking why I'm running for office as a third party candidate.  I apologize for the slow response; in addition to running a political campaign, I work full time, help care for my grandson, and am active in the community, so it occasionally takes a little bit of time to answer all of my email.

The truth is, I've been sitting here at a blank screen for several minutes, trying to find the right way to start answering your question.  On the surface, it's easy.  I'm angry.  I'm frustrated with the system.  At the same time, this is an over-simplistic answer that makes me sound like I'm running out of spite, and that's not the case.  I'm running from a position of hope.

I am firmly convinced that our current two-party system is hopelessly broken.  Belay that.  It's not the system that's broken, it's the parties.  I have watched these parties misbehave for 20 years.  Politicians say that they have entered the arena to be public servants, but their actions express only desire to perpetuate the power of their party.  If an individual wishes to enter politics anywhere above the local level as a Democrat or Republican, they must be properly vetted, and demonstrate their loyalty to the party.  During the primaries, candidates show that they're the best Democrat or best Republican.  After they have been nominated by their party, they shift and tailor their position in order to appeal to the maximum number of mainstream supporters.  Meanwhile, difficult issues like Social Security goes unaddressed, and back-room deals such as the Bakken Pipeline continue, at the expense of the constituents these very politicians are supposed to protect and represent.

In their insatiable thirst for power, Democrats and Republicans have sold our individual liberties.  They have legalized the theft of our possessions and our land through Eminent Domain abuse and Civil Asset Forfeiture.  They have allowed speed cameras to ticket the owner of a vehicle, without verifying who was driving.  They have refused to implement term limits, despite knowing that the people want it.  They refuse to overhaul campaign finance laws, despite knowing how money corrupts the political process.

You ask my why I am running?  My answer is that I'm running because I have contacted my representatives at the state and federal level, and nothing ever changes... ever!  As a constituent, the most I can hope to receive for voicing my concern or support is a form letter from a career politician who is too busy to actually read my words, much less personally respond.  What I usually receive is silence.  I am running because I reached the conclusion that the ONLY way I can honestly say I did my best to change things is to throw my hat in the ring.  I did this as a Libertarian because the will of the people, and my personal integrity are more important than submitting to the will of the party.

As I said at the outset, I know this makes me sound bitter.  Yes, I'm angry, but I'm still running from a place of hope.  I hope that the people are as frustrated as me.  I hope that collectively, we are ready to tell politicians that we've had enough.