A marathon run

In the beginning of an undertaking the level of enthusiasm is often the greatest. Energy, optimism, emotion and resolve are usually at their peak, fresh and intact regardless of motivation. The feeling of euphoria pervading all involved provides that essential element of group cohesion, that being a sense of common purpose. Purity of cause, hopes and ideals are intangibles all involved carry with them going forward supplying the “why” they can refer to when confronted with challenges and adversity down the road. Oh, that road may be long and winding and laden with hazards, obstacles and confrontations of all varieties, many unforeseen and some never even dreamed.

When properly undertaken, a campaign for public office or plebiscite begins early. Motivated citizens seeking to become the ultimate agents of change must make that critical decision. Any candidate or issue proponent serious about commitment to such an undertaking should have their affairs in order and strategic plan ready to implement eighteen to twenty-four months ahead of Election Day.

A commitment to any such race must be done with an understanding as to what it is not: a sprint to a quick finish. A successful campaign is a lengthy multiple month affair chocked full of a lot of leg work and walking by the candidate and any dedicated volunteers. In the end though the responsibility for making the sale to enough voters to prevail on Election Night rests squarely on the shoulders of the office seeker. Mass media and social media campaigns are nice as are yard signs and mailers. However, the best way to win over an undecided voter is to knock on their door, meet them face to face and make the case for candidacy directly to them. For some candidates this exercise will need to be repeated some 25,000 times or more. This is one reason why it begins well over a year out from Election Day as absurd as it may seem to the vast majority of citizens. Such is the never ending cycle of the American electoral process, even and especially along this, the most conservative stretch of Old Route 66.

Highly motivated politically and socially conscious office seekers who have come to terms with that deep and personal resolve to be an agent of positive change and who seek their party’s nomination to be the one to move that proverbial electoral needle launch their quest at the beginning of summer the year before their election, if not sooner. Oklahoma summers with their unforgiving heat and humidity are well known for exposing the weaknesses of even the most motivated and spirited runners and walkers. Indeed, temperatures of over 95 degrees F and even higher heat index values are often the limiting factor in doing the work and getting it done in July and August of any year. Yours Truly can personally vouch for that universal fact of the matter. Also, some of us immersed in door to door campaigning and selling our message to each individual voter have come to appreciate the topography of certain neighborhoods of our fair district and how they came by their notorious and widely known names. Let it be known to all that canvassing such turfs in the aforementioned heat of July is not for the weak, lame or infirm.

The Darwinian theory which asserts that only the strong survive certainly fits well within this context. An undertaking such as this is not for the poorly motivated or the easily distracted. Although it may be done by walking, the metaphor of one foot in front of the other certainly remains appropriate. A political campaign is, at the end of the day, the ultimate numbers game. More will be written and analyzed about that at a later time. In the mean time, let us not dismiss the silence between the episodic reminders that change is brewing. Like molten lava deep and unseen under seemingly extinct volcanoes and seldom found on the surface, the political process is alive and well and active in some area of focus be it fundraising, organizing or actual voter engagement. In the end, few voters will remember or even be aware of how their candidate arrived on their ballot or in their elected office. When the polls close at 7 PM on Election Night, it will be the end of what is for some the longest ordeal of their life. Those who fall short of being elected will carry with them the experience of a lifetime, as will those who emerge victorious. For those who receive the nod by the majority of those voters who have been answering the doors they have been knocking on, oh boy! Their fun really begins as a marathon run of another sort eagerly awaits them. With the knowledge and understanding of the work we have chosen, all I have to say is forward runners (and walkers). There will be no stopping until the polls close!