Our country needs good thinkers who are representatives of the people and not career politicians representing their party. There are many on the board who fit this criteria. If you have not, please consider doing so. Our country needs people like you.

And I don't know if I ever would. The Media (and consumers of media) tend to get REAL nosey about one's background and personal life when running for office. I'm not up for that....yet.

Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind at anytime

Who voted yes?

I actually just did. I hold office in my hometown, where I'm a member of one of the town committees. Nothing major, but I'm still in my political infancy, and in fact still going to school. I'll probably run for the board of Selectmen in 04, and perhaps for state rep after that. I'm thinking that's about as far as I'd want to go with it though. As Jaime said, there's too much press and publicity... I don't think I would want to be in a position where I wasn't allowed to have any form of private life. Especially since I, like Wertz, am openly gay, and I know that my life would be under particularly intense scrutiny if I ever ran for a high office.

Congratulations on your win, Stefan!

Now who is the other yes?

Due to my profession, I am presently barred from running for a partisan political office.......
But in 4 more years...watch out!!

I have never run for public office primarily because I don't believe that an openly gay politician with a history of civil disobedience who admits to using "controlled substances" on a semi-regular basis and who willfully exiled himself from the country during the Reagan-Bush years stands much of a chance of getting elected here.

Though I could be wrong.

My father, on the other hand, once ran for the Pennsylvania legislature on the Constitutional Party ticket. The Constitutional Party (not to be confused with the current Constitution Party) was a small libertarian party somewhat in the mold of George Wallace's American Independant Party. He came in third. My father's politics, you might say, differ somewhat from my own.

Though I think there is some glamour and prestige in being a politician, I'm not cut out for it. I don't have what it takes to be a politician:
- Ability to go along with the whims of public sentiment
- Ability to try to please all people (or at least pretend to)
- Ability to recklessly spend other peoples' money
- Ability to forego what is right to what is popular
- Ability to schmooze people for money
- Ability to compromise in order to get a little bit of what you want

Wertz: Wasn't so bad running for office here, I guess. But then again, Massachusetts is better than 70% liberal, so I guess that helped. Its a shame you wouldn't run, though... There's a shortage of articulate, "liberal" thinkers in this country. If "W" can get elected after a DUI, admitted cocaine use, and going AWOL from national guard duty, I'd bet you could pull it off. Have any siblings who are sitting governors? I hear that can help.

I ran for school board. I won over one other opponent.

I hope more people from this board run for office. Our society needs thinkers who pay attention serving in our nation's offices. Who better than people here to represent your respective communities to make decisions affecting us all. I do not agree with everyone opinions. Still, having people who think would be an improvement in many cases.

Congrats, Gray Seal! Keep it going and you'll be the mayor of Edwardsville soon...then take over for Blagoyevich and then....

No, but i plan to be a polition for the City of cleveland ( activist or mayor ) Any ways to answer this persons thought


WE politions dont call it reckless more like just borrowing

Hey Juber, I get to Cvlnd a couple of times a year. It's a great big city. We usually get lost a couple of times while we're there. We were there one New Year's Eve and we rode the rails downtown to watch the countdown. It was a bright snowy evening and a lot of fun.

Madtown

You came all the way to cleveland to watch the countdown! Its not that easy to get lost. And third of all....you didn't visit ME

We just happened to be there visiting relatives and decided to do the New Year's Eve thing. I'll visit you next time.

Madtown

Get back on topic.