After reading Michael Moore's new book I have decided that I want to make a difference in our society and run for public office

What would your suggestion be for my first stop? Local school board? City Clerk?

 

SHERIFF!!! Dude you could help!

 

Go for Board Moderator first and see whether you go POWER CRAZY or not

 

Oh great TJ! Way to have an otherwise benign thread closed down (never trash the mods)

 

A nobel thought!

I STRONGLY suggest that you go to school board meetings, city council meetings, etc. and observe before you make a commitment! Life as a public official is EXTREMELY demanding and intrusive of your private life. Get to know people in power. It's not always the elected official with the power. Frequently it's the people who got them elected!

Good luck! I applaude your ambition and sense of civic duty. I think you have a lot of qualities that are needed in public office.

PS. There are a lot of opportunities down a notch from public office that can be even more rewarding, ie. serving on volunteer boards and commissions appointed by public officials, planning commissions, special task forces, etc. Take your time and look around.

 

I shot the sheriff

 

I've thought about public office. I don't like the way things are a lot of times, and I want to make a difference. Then reality sets in: noone would elect a 22 yo to a meaningful public office! I figure my time will come soon enough.

 

If you're poor, start at the local level. All you have to do is suck-up to the local chamber-of-commerce or rich developers. In Davis CA, it only costs the political ruling-class about 35k to buy a council seat; and only 3 are needed for a majority. Once you are on the graft path (oops, I mean campaign contributions! Don't let the peasants IN on these little secrets. LOL); then it's county commissioner, state assembly, the sky's the limit. Of course, you have to stay in the "graces" of the ruling class; but they do smell better overall.

The best thing an about American style oligarchy is the peasants never catch on. So once you get into the elite ruling class, you are automatically worshipped by whatever philosophical group you decided to go with. So, you can still be a guilt ridden, limousine liberal, godless socialist and be worshipped by those peasants. OR, you can stay a fearful paranoid, conservative fascist and be worshipped by those peasants. Both will happily hate the others; especially as you blame all of your group's problems on the other, obviously immoral, group.

Best of all, you don't even have to have a brain. When you get high enough, there are people paid to think for you. But, it's easier if daddy can just buy you the job though.

If you decide to do this, I'd love to get in on the ground floor. I have ALWAYS wanted to own a major politician, and investing early might just be the opportunity I've been waiting for.

 

My first suggestion would be to stop reading Michael Moore.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jprivara
[B]If you're poor, start at the local level.