Carrying water

Hydration is one of those essentials most living things require for compatibility with life. Wherever an alive and breathing person goes on this spinning rock hurtling through space they must have available an ample amount of that precious element, that diatomic molecule unique to this planet and fundamental to the survival of most of the living species on it.

Politicians, public office candidates or anyone else who subjects themselves to the court of public opinion and scrutiny require water, a lot of water, most definitely more than the average water consumer. Will Rogers himself once pointed out that a Democrat would rather make a speech than a dollar and I can personally vouch for the validity of that sentiment. As you can imagine, all that thirst generating speech-making can increase the demand for water several fold over normal intake. What’s more, with soap and vigorous scrubbing, it makes staying clean much easier in an often dirty arena of partisan politics. That increased demand for so much cool, clear and clean water can certainly weigh down a candidate consuming it. Most require help with carrying it. Now obviously I am writing in terms of metaphor. Make no mistake though, it is an intangible as real and it is imaginary. Politically speaking, the more help a candidate has carrying their water the more widespread their message will reach and hopefully boost their chances of victory on Election Night.

After confronting a personal and public epiphany in 2004 I climbed down from the political fence, ceased being an Independent and unabashedly joined the Democratic Party. Since that time I have carried a LOT of water for Democratic candidates for just about every office: municipal, county, state and national. I believe the Democratic Party should institute an annual award to recognize their best volunteers who exemplify Democratic values through their support and work for all candidates. I propose they call it The Gunga Din Award for Water Carrying. I don’t know if I would qualify as a winner because I have volunteered along side so many other dedicated Democratic water carriers but I’m sure I would probably qualify as a first ballot finalist.

Allow me to take a moment and explain the way the World works. As a member of the human species, a person must be able to crawl before they are able to walk. As a leader, one must be able to take an order before one can issue an order. As a mentor, one must learn before one can teach. As an office seeker, it is extremely helpful to have worked for a candidate before becoming a candidate.

Water weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon. Keep that in mind as you process the following disclosure. Yours Truly is poised on the precipice of undertaking his greatest challenge ever confronted to date, that being candidacy for public office. It is true what former water carriers have been known to say: when you carry your own water you come to appreciate the value of every drop! I can state without reservation that I do in fact appreciate every molecule of my own water and I will welcome all the help I can muster in carrying that load forward. As a candidate for public office in 2020, I am ready to empty out that vessel I have been carrying for others and fill it with my own ideas, be ready to assume accountability for all my own decisions, messaging, policy proposals and be the captain of my own ship!

It is indeed my time to step up and shine and carry my own water. I am out of excuses to remain comfortably seated on the political sideline. Admittedly, in years past I have conjured up many reasons for not running for office despite being asked to do so by county and state party officers, but those days are at an end. As a former mid-level state party officer myself, I did my fair share of recruiting and vetting candidates. Over the past two election cycles I have come to realize that I am more qualified for public service than most of the people I was seeking to recruit. That is in no way, shape or form intended to be a put-down of any prospective candidate I may have been recruiting. It simply has to do with the other thing that tends to weigh heavy on political office seekers, the liability known as baggage. I can attest in the first person that it is very difficult to recruit from the human race anyone who isn’t carrying some baggage, but that is material for a whole other subject.

Being a candidate involves more than just carrying one’s own water. Disseminating an appealing message and articulating better ideas for what one’s intentions will be as an office holder makes carrying that life sustaining fluid a whole lot easier, for the candidate and the candidate’s water carriers not to mention its appeal to all the voters seeking better representation. I can assure all reading this that this candidate is more than ready to rise to the challenge. Here’s to a more perfect Union!