# Running for office? Me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030 "2021-03-16T15:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/1 "2021-03-16T15:33:53Z")
I got a text from the local Democratic party asking if I wanted to run for office. I have no idea why. I’m not active in politics. I’m not all that active in the community. I don’t have the time. And I seriously doubt I would make a good candidate. But, what the heck – I told them I might be interested just to see where it goes. Should be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/2 "2021-03-16T15:37:29Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I have no idea why. I’m not active in politics. I’m not all that active in the community. You’re active in _this_ community. They’ve clearly been reading the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/3 "2021-03-16T15:39:47Z")
You’re already my first choice. See ? How hard was that ? ---
**Author:** ![JohnnyEcks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnnyecks/32/18197_2.png) [@JohnnyEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnyEcks)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/4 "2021-03-16T15:55:04Z")
I talked to someone who had the same situation with the libertarian party. He called, and essentially they said that there were plenty of minor local positions the party had no candidate for, so they were inviting all local members in good standing and with no obvious red flags to try. It’s a low cost, low reward move for them, and a chance for people to get into politics on the ground floor. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/5 "2021-03-16T15:58:22Z")
I’m making yard signs, Chuck! Huge ones, with soaring eagles and jets in formation, stars and/or stripes, children of all ethnicities playing together on a red, white and blue jungle gym while they wave flags… Judging by your avatar, I can just use a picture of Jerry Garcia, right? ---
**Author:** ![Acierocolotl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acierocolotl/32/6241_2.png) [@Acierocolotl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acierocolotl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/6 "2021-03-16T18:07:14Z")
Frankly, I think a certain degree of self-eliminating introspection is exactly the traits I’d want to see in a candidate. I’d vote for you. (Well, as long as you actually aren’t a self-aware power-crazed psychopath. I might still vote for you but I’d have reservations about it.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/7 "2021-03-16T18:37:14Z")
The mayor of Anchorage and one of the assemblymen came and asked my wife to run for an assembly seat. She was tempted, but the amount of work involved on top of her very busy job, and the abuse one has to take in a public position caused her to turn it down. Instead, she created a grassroots organization to lobby for improved public transit in the city and had some success with it. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/8 "2021-03-16T21:24:23Z")
Over here, it’s not uncommon to stand “paper candidates” in unwinnable local elections, just so that there’s a representative on the ballot paper (for the dedicated supporters), but with no active campaign, or only the bare minimum, so that campaigning can be focussed on the winnable. Mind you, sometimes there’s a surprise and the paper candidate actually wins, which can be… interesting. ---
**Author:** ![contradancer2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5a626/32.png) [@contradancer2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/contradancer2)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/9 "2021-03-16T21:29:20Z")
75% of the candidates running are Republicans. An attempt to add more Democrats to the competition. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/10 "2021-03-16T23:48:20Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Over here, it’s not uncommon to stand “paper candidates” in unwinnable local elections, just so that there’s a representative on the ballot paper (for the dedicated supporters), but with no active campaign, or only the bare minimum, so that campaigning can be focussed on the winnable. > > Mind you, sometimes there’s a surprise and the paper candidate actually wins, which can be… interesting. Yeah, but in my case, Democrats control the town board 3-2 (the two are Conservatives\*). The County Board is also heavily Democratic. I still work full time, and don’t want to leave my job, so I wouldn’t be suitable for any full time position. \*In Schenectady, the Conservative Party is basically the police and fire departments. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/11 "2021-03-30T04:57:35Z")
I’m a little wounded that I’ve never been randomly texted about a possible run for office. I think I’d be really good at comptrolling, whatever that is. People would come from miles around to see all of the great comptrolling that I had done and also to learn how to comptroll as well as me. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/12 "2021-03-30T05:17:19Z")
so whats happening with it ? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-for-office-me/938030/13 "2021-03-31T16:35:30Z")
Still thinking about it. I realize that no one in town knows who I am and it would be expensive to put my name out there. I joined a “So you’re thinking of running for office” chat just to see what was going on. But I’m intrigued. I have a few weeks to decide. It’s for the school board so it should be relatively easy to run, though I’d most likely finish last.