Politics mixed with new statistics

"Big brother got us spread like an atlas
Powerless in fear that leads to paralysis"
-Pras, "Ghetto Politics"

Let's talk about it.

I went to a forum yesterday entitled, No Contest: Why So Few People Run for Office in Massachusetts and What to Do About It. Held at the UMass Club on the 33rd floor of this building, it was hosted by MassINC and featured panelists Charles Baker, Sam Yoon, Sonia Chang-Diaz, and Maurice Cunningham.

Massachusetts has abysmally low rate of contested elections. It was cool to hear varying perspective on the challenges of running for office. Baker is a Republican with a lot of buzz as rumors swirl that he'll run for governor. Yoon is trying to make a major come-up in his bid for the mayor's seat. And Chang-Diaz is the new face in town.

For starters, it was great to hear them challenge each other and push back instead of the typical piggybank points that you usually tend to hear in a panel.

Do you think you make a difference?

That was the line of reasoning Baker proposed. According to him, that should be the initial question for any potential candidate to ask themselves as opposed to 'can i win?'. It even comes before the whole notion of running simply for the sake of running because we live in a democracy. I agree with that line of reasoning. Don't go wasting people's money on a campaign with no hope whatsoever.

There were some grumbles about the personal toll and financial costs (and risks) or running. And another point raised was the notion that candidates should be prepared to run for office twice. Once to get their name out there (depending on context) and then then second time to truly sway voters in their direction.

Other interesting tidbits I think were useful included mentions that, 1) on the federal level, candidates are allowed to draw a salary wage from campaign funds, yet that is not something allowed here; 2) elections in Minnesota are publicly financed with spending caps & spending-forward (carryover) cap; 3) Iowa redistricts via computer; 4) discipline is a strategy; 5) fundraising not for self but for sat of values; and 6) low contribution limits favor incumbents.

Pretty good stuff. Anyone interested in working towards helping to develop a PAC specifically to support more grassroots, progressive candidates of color; holla.