I remember the day so clearly it's as if
it just happened. I met my good friend Brad Richardson at Young's
Plantation Inn for my very first Florence County Republican Party
meeting. There also was a newcomer like myself, Renee Woodberry.
Together the three of us sat and observed and after we took it all in, I
for one kinda liked it. I viewed politics as the perfect vehicle to
carry my ideas and thoughts of change for our country and our state to the next level. I
was hooked. Am I still? Read on....
It's
been a few years now and I here I sit, still involved, still active.
Lately it's been more from the perspective of campaigning as opposed to
local politics but still interesting and educational nonetheless. And while I still proudly wear the label of volunteer, having not broken through the threshold of being a full time paid staffer yet, I find it fascinating to watch these "paid guys" in their natural habitat.
Whatever I thought I knew about campaigning before this, boy was I
wrong. It's a world like no other. The people, the sights, the sounds;
all have been full of surprises both good and bad. And sometimes
indifferent. (And slightly bizarre)
The
first poignant observation from this up and coming, non blue blazer
wearing (except for that one time and no, it wont happen again) shiny
new politico is this. Everything you need to know about campaigning is
not contained in a book nor a classroom. You can't take a course on how
to win over voters or read through the chapter on how to persuade people
to donate to your campaign during these tough economic times. Because
that chapter doesn't exist. While I commend those who spend the majority
of their adult lives obtaining advanced degrees in politics, public
administration and the like, I have found that when talking with these
people, they have lost touch with reality. The world we live in is made
up of those who care more about how they are going to make their
mortgage payment as opposed to hearing about the history behind the
political process. While I think that advanced education would come in
handy in Washington writing legislative briefs and press releases, when
it comes down to the nitty
gritty grassroots efforts needed to actually win, you need to have
lived and currently live in the real world to understand what the
average voter wants, needs, and desires from a campaign and candidate.
As Carrie Bradshaw once said, "When real people fall down in life, they
get right back up and keep on walking" Yeah... I went there.
We
are only a few short weeks from the June 12th primary. Campaign signs
are being erected, our television sets are being taken over by
candidates stating why we should vote for them
(thrown in with the occasional baby, bible, and hard hat), and our
mailboxes are beginning to fill up with palm cards, invites, and even
pairs of scissors. As an outsider looking out from the inside I
still hold on to the same ideal I wrote about many moons ago. At the
end of the day what matters most to your average voter is not who had
the most campaign signs out or who had the slickest commercial, what
people want is simple. And free. They want to be part of the
process.They want to know they matter. What they think, what they want,
what they need. They want to know all of that matters to someone. If you
can truly touch someone and make them realize you honestly care about
them and what they have to say, you have not only gained one vote, you
have accomplished what the goal of any campaign should be. You gave a
voice to the people. You became an advocate for those who, throughout their lives,
have been longing to be heard. You alone gave them something to
believe in. And that my friends... That is what wins elections.
So
in closing, while this campaign season is far from over, I have learned
a lot. The experiences I have had and the people I have met have been
priceless. While not all positive, campaigning is like life. You take
the good with the bad and in the end, you hopefully wind up a little
smarter. A little wiser. And with a new found respect for those who
dedicate their lives to using the political platform and process to give the people,
the masses, something to look forward to. Something to put their hopes and dreams into. This is bigger than us, my
friends. This is our future in the making.
