I Didn't Realize He Was So Short

In small towns we don't get to meet candidates running for statewide office. It is a shame because campaigns and elections need to be more about educating each other and discussing issues and less about staking out positions, 30 second commercials and gotcha politics. In Seldovia, I don't get a whole lot of opportunity to constructively discuss issues with people who I know have differing opinions. But I do see staking out positions and gotcha politics.

I think it would be great for candidates to make themselves available to come to small villages and towns to discuss Alaska's future. Instead of taking campaign donations and lumping them together and then making it to some outlying communities for photo ops, people should raise funds and then pay the expenses for candidates to visit. It could be an opportunity throughout Alaska to raise the level of political discourse and take the power away from campaign managers and political professionals to control the environment and message.

Now is a great opportunity for people to redefine what the meat of politics should be about. It should be made obvious that a major contributor to current state of government in Alaska and the US is a result of electing people based on wedge issues and by pandering to single issue fringe groups.

I'd even shell out the money for the flight to get people over. (Tracy says they have to agree to pick up some cat food at Save-u-More.) It would be great to get Seldovians together and see how a candidate handles our issues. It shouldn't be too hard. (When I was in college, back in the pre-Mad Mothers days, Texas Congressman JJ Pickle always came to the College Democrats meeting with a keg. The meetings were well attended when we knew he was going to show. I did love JJ!)

I am going to email some campaigns. Now, early on in the season, is probably the time when they will have an opportunity to pay attention to hicks in the sticks demographic. I am looking at the Congressional races and I will post any replies I get back from campaigns.