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Torn about getting involved in local politics. Seeking advice.

AppleBlade

AppleBlade

Member
I've always been interested in politics and would like to one day be more involved and hold some kind of minor public office. I live in a medium sized town (30,000 people) that leans Democrat pretty consistently (I'm a Democrat) but was recently taken over by Republicans. They took the mayorship, the town council and the board of education. The town Democratic party seems to be badly in need of help. There is no energy on their side. Last I heard they didn't even have enough candidates to run for all of the public office positions in the next selection. Their website is atrocious (I can make a better website in a couple of hours), their social media presence pales in comparison to the town Republicans, their slogans and banners are dull and unimaginative, etc.

Ever since the Republicans have taken over, there has been a lot of nastiness in town, funding has been cut to public projects including major cuts to education which impacts me directly as I have a child in 1st grade and another entering Kindergarten next year.

I know I could be of great help but I feel torn inside. I am a high school technology teacher who has a lot of responsibility at my job. I work late hours already, having two kids is a handful and my wife already has to do so much. My kids do Sports and Dance and I barely have enough time to have date nights and 1 on 1 time with my wife (which is really important in keeping our marriage strong). I can't imagine becoming more involved without sacrificing either work or my family.

I could try to just help out a little and not overextend myself but I've been in this situation before and I always end up getting thrusted in leadership roles. I'm friendly, organized, efficient and do not like to let people down. I've been made president, committee chair, department head, etc. of almost anything I get involved with in the past. I usually do a good job but I also always drive my self to the point of being burnt out as well, especially with things I'm passionate about.

On one hand, I know I'd be effective at getting the local party to get their act together and create a greater overall net good by becoming more involved. On the other hand, I would be sacrificing the things that are most important to me (my wife, kids, students, etc.).

I talked to my wife and I get the sense that she doesn't want me to do it but doesn't want to say that because she knows it's something I'm passionate about.

What would you do? Anyone here with a family ever been involved with local politics? What was your experience?
 
V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Maybe get involved in your kids school as a good middle ground?

I know PTAs are ALWAYS looking for people to help out or join in a leadership role.
 
E

Earthstrike

Member
Getting involved in politics isn't necessarily binary. You just said you could make a better site in a couple of hours. Get in touch with the party leadership and do it. That would be a positive change you could make.
 
S

Spoiled Milk

Banned
Local politics is determined by 1) extremely hot local issues, 2) national mood, and 3) ties to core community leaders. You can't affect the 2nd item and nothing's happened that counts as the former so your only options are to get involved with the local Republican party where you can have a great impact on the local primaries or convince consequential people in the community to do that for you. That conversation might go something like "hey, X, people really respect you and I know your word carries a lot of weight around here. Don't you think we shouldn't be cutting from this school district? As a science teacher I can see firsthand how this affects our kids and it's not good. You have a 4th grader, too, don't you?" But either way, doing this from the democratic side is really the wrong approach.
Not to mention, reaching out to community leaders takes much less time out of your life and lets you keep your family life too.
 
E

Earthbound64

Banned
Spoiled Milk said:
Local politics is determined by 1) extremely hot local issues, 2) national mood, and 3) ties to core community leaders. You can't affect the 2nd item and nothing's happened that counts as the former so your only options are to get involved with the local Republican party where you can have a great impact on the local primaries or convince consequential people in the community to do that for you.
Click to expand...

Man, this is a horribly defeatist view.

You do know there are states which are doing things differently from what the rest of the country is doing, right?
And towns that are doing things differently from what the rest of the state is doing?
 
P

pa22word

Member
I tried hitting up my local dem office back in hs. Deep red state, and it was a mixture of old farmers from back in the segregation days who never bothered to flip their party ID and a few Trotskyist dumbasses who reeked of ditch weed and wouldn't shut up about seizure of the local coop. I never went back.
 
D

Dubbedinenglish

Banned
Start small and go as far as you feel comfortable. Look up your local Dem party, sit in on school board meetings, talk to your local reps.
At the very local level most of these people aren’t full time politicians and have a lot of the same constraints as yourself. Though do it so your family is comfortable first.
 
O

Ogodei

Member
At the local level it's very much about how well known you are in the community (whereas once you get up to the State Assembly or something, partisan politics starts to kick in more and it becomes more about donors and your ability to sell your message), so starting small is useful. School board would be an easy target with a child in school, but you have to get known to the school community first. PTA is good advice like Vanillalite said.
 
T

TechnicPuppet

Nothing! I said nothing!
I am in the UK so not sure if it's the same but was involved heavily in local politics until recently. It can be very rewarding and I managed to do a few great things I'll never forget.

One thing I will say though is if you are thinking of running for office clear your social media history. Just wipe it all.

Also it never stops. Every evening and weekend the will be be somewhere you should be, doors you should be knocking calls you should be making.

You can never turn off fully either. Friends, family, random people will turn to you constantly for help. You need to be always thinking about the image you project.
 
S

Spoiled Milk

Banned
Earthbound64 said:
Man, this is a horribly defeatist view.

You do know there are states which are doing things differently from what the rest of the country is doing, right?
And towns that are doing things differently from what the rest of the state is doing?
Click to expand...
No, I'm saying people often vote locally based on national issues. I just definitely just check off Ds on election day but the Republicans are probably better suited for office where I live. And furthermore, if people are voting R, why would you be able to convince them to vote D? You really think local political engagement can change peoples' minds about national issues? When all he wants is to stop the slaughterhouse going on at the city level? He holds way more clout if he engages with whatever political party is in charge right now.
 
A

AnotherDayAnotherDollar

Banned
I wouldn't. I like talking politics and seeing how the craziness out there, and how dirty people in politics are and can get, is enough for me to know that I don't ever want anything to do with it. If someone in your family also doesn't want you to do it, it should be enough for you not to do it and put them through what they will have to go through.
 
E

Earthbound64

Banned
Spoiled Milk said:
And furthermore, if people are voting R, why would you be able to convince them to vote D? You really think local political engagement can change peoples' minds about national issues?
Click to expand...

...
We're talking about on the local level here.

People on the local level might not be voting Republican.
People on the local level have their own local issues.
etc.

I have no idea why you're being so defeatist about this.
 
J

jerry113

Banned
MrVargas said:
I've always been interested in politics and would like to one day be more involved and hold some kind of minor public office. I live in a medium sized town (30,000 people) that leans Democrat pretty consistently (I'm a Democrat) but was recently taken over by Republicans. They took the mayorship, the town council and the board of education. The town Democratic party seems to be badly in need of help. There is no energy on their side. Last I heard they didn't even have enough candidates to run for all of the public office positions in the next selection. Their website is atrocious (I can make a better website in a couple of hours), their social media presence pales in comparison to the town Republicans, their slogans and banners are dull and unimaginative, etc.

Ever since the Republicans have taken over, there has been a lot of nastiness in town, funding has been cut to public projects including major cuts to education which impacts me directly as I have a child in 1st grade and another entering Kindergarten next year.

I know I could be of great help but I feel torn inside. I am a high school technology teacher who has a lot of responsibility at my job. I work late hours already, having two kids is a handful and my wife already has to do so much. My kids do Sports and Dance and I barely have enough time to have date nights and 1 on 1 time with my wife (which is really important in keeping our marriage strong). I can't imagine becoming more involved without sacrificing either work or my family.

I could try to just help out a little and not overextend myself but I've been in this situation before and I always end up getting thrusted in leadership roles. I'm friendly, organized, efficient and do not like to let people down. I've been made president, committee chair, department head, etc. of almost anything I get involved with in the past. I usually do a good job but I also always drive my self to the point of being burnt out as well, especially with things I'm passionate about.

On one hand, I know I'd be effective at getting the local party to get their act together and create a greater overall net good by becoming more involved. On the other hand, I would be sacrificing the things that are most important to me (my wife, kids, students, etc.).

I talked to my wife and I get the sense that she doesn't want me to do it but doesn't want to say that because she knows it's something I'm passionate about.

What would you do? Anyone here with a family ever been involved with local politics? What was your experience?
Click to expand...

Why not offer to revamp their site? Be a webmaster?
 
S

Spoiled Milk

Banned
Earthbound64 said:
...
We're talking about on the local level here.

People on the local level might not be voting Republican.
People on the local level have their own local issues.
etc.

I have no idea why you're being so defeatist about this.
Click to expand...
There are people who vote in local elections but not national ones? I'm not being defeatist, I want to spare OP from a sisyphean hell. If his town really is that small then it wouldn't be hard for him to get to know the city council or mayor or get the PTA to endorse someone else during the primaries.
 
R

RadioJoNES64

Banned
Not to belittle your thread or anything, but I read the title as "Tom about getting involved in local politics." and thought that Tom from Myspace could win on recognition alone.
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Do it. Chase your dreams and passions. Maybe your wife won't like it. It might be a stressor on your relationship. Your relationship might even end.

But you only have one life. If you think you have the drive and ability to make positive change, then use that. Do everything you can.

I would love to get involved in politics. But I have the charisma of a wet sock and I'm afraid it might be too late for me to learn the behaviors I would need in order to get anywhere. It's an uphill battle for me. I might still get there if I can find success in different areas of life first, but it won't be easy.

You though? If you have what it takes, and you want to use it, then go for it.
 
S

Stead Fast

Banned
TechnicPuppet said:
I am in the UK so not sure if it's the same but was involved heavily in local politics until recently. It can be very rewarding and I managed to do a few great things I'll never forget.

One thing I will say though is if you are thinking of running for office clear your social media history. Just wipe it all.

Also it never stops. Every evening and weekend the will be be somewhere you should be, doors you should be knocking calls you should be making.

You can never turn off fully either. Friends, family, random people will turn to you constantly for help. You need to be always thinking about the image you project.
Click to expand...

As someone who himself also volunteers routinely on a local level to help political figures, and is son to a local political figure, I completely concur to this. It is a rewarding, but heavily time and energy consuming experience, and one that will resonate in your life - both positively and negatively - potentially for years, or decades after you bow out.

And whilst it's smart to clear social media, or if you're lucky to have avoided it in general continue to do so, unless you are squeaky clean from a financial, cultural, legal point of view, you will receive heat.

Also language, even as a political volunteer, unless you are very charismatic and good at reading moods, be prepared to come across someone who'll take offence at anything you view, simply because you're voicing that view.
 
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