My heart goes out to all candidates today.
I considered running for office last year and got a feel for the workload, emotional toll and sheer amount of work needed to run for election.
Sadly, and let’s be frank, a lot of the work is pretty hard work or boring stuff: it’s not as often talking or thinking at a high level on issues it’s often just being visible, attending rubber chicken dinners with a packed schedule and playing a lot of games which…let’s face it….are sort of silly but nevertheless expected of candidates ……like taking family photos and going to parades.
I am not personally a fan of parades for example. They just are not my thing — I like comic books and geeky table top games and understand if you don’t dig those particular things. I think it would be crazy to expect someone to attend comicon to get my vote and I think it’s honestly silly that people would expect a candidate to attend a parade or sporting event as part of the campaign process.
The other painful thing no smart candidate would admit is that the people you encounter campaigning can be, in some cases, not the greatest interaction. When you campaign you are not seeking out those who you have something in common with and would choose to associate with, you are seeking out everyone. It’s great to meet new people but, let’s face it, campaigns do attract some cranky busybodies.
Hopefully overall the process is rewarding. For those really working to make a difference, cheers and good for you for doing so.