There are a lot of things about this campaign that don't fit the mold of your typical election campaign. We think that's a very good thing because more of the same is NOT what America needs. So let's put some specifics on the table about why we're different and want to be!
This campaign will not be pushed into taking the bait of those who want a promised vote before the specific wording in a bill is even known! Our culture - through its political parties, media, and special interest groups - has been pushed into thinking that issues are black and white. Few are!! Let me use just one overly simplified example to illustrate. We really, really need to have an economic recovery. One element in finding means to improve our economy is that we need to create more jobs. We tend to first think of providing stimulus in the form of tax breaks or other incentives - at taxpayer expense. Most Americans (and sadly, politicians) don't think of all the ways that job growth is affected. Again to simplify by mentioning only one example, how much do you hear about the impact our trade imbalance has on jobs? The reality is that when we buy more from companies in other countries we support jobs in those countries. Only to a lesser extent are jobs created in our country, to the extent an American business here sells a foreign-made product. So don't expect a simple answer from me if you ask me where I stand on voting for tax breaks or some other means of job creation stimulus. There is no simple answer to the unemployment problem!
Another difference is that this campaign will be dramatically under-funded by standards we've come to expect. The Independence Party in MN expects candidates it endorses to agree to not accept PAC money. There is some debate about whether the party can modify that somehow, but for now I accept that position. It takes a very clear stand about the likelihood that PAC money could "buy the votes of governmental representatives" and my party should only modify the policy if "can't buy votes" safeguards are in place. The sheer reality is that this campaign - like that of any other independent candidate - will depend on getting the word out in low-cost, often very time and people concentrated methods. You probably won't see one TV ad for this campaign. You will hear only a few radio ads. This will of necessity be a grassroots campaign. And isn't that great!! Wouldn't it be a great, great feeling to discover that a person can be elected to public office because they had the personal characteristics to represent the people of Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District thoughtfully, ethically, intelligently, creatively, and through hard work? Do we really want to eliminate such candidates solely because they don't have or can't raise MILLIONS OF DOLLARS?
Americans are human and so we tend to love to hear "juicy news." We too often love to hear about people attacking (sometimes physically) others who think differently. In political fights some of these incidents include the so-called "wedge issues." I hate to even mention them because they often arouse such strong emotions - make people's blood boil - just to raise the topic. You're probably thinking of them right now. Each issue has very strong, very emotional, very impassioned supporters - from very opposite points of view!! It is sad to say that people who believe some middle ground is a best answer have learned it's better not to talk with EITHER END OF THE SPECTRUM because emotion so dominates the person's speech that you can't hold a decent conversation. It is not only sad, but it is harmful to our nation. Will we someday go to war over these issues for reasons that have some similarity to the years of violence in, for example, Northern Ireland, or the Palestinian/Israeli conflict?? I don't believe so, but we do need "people in the middle" to have a voice in the debate and help our nation find appropriate areas of compromise. The Founding Fathers were very vocal in their disagreements but - for the good of the nation - found they could work out acceptable compromise. We can and need to do the same. We have many problems that need attention.
We are a different kind of campaign. We believe we are NOT DIFFERENT from many people in our thinking when it comes to how campaigns should be run. We hear that from lots of citizens as we talk about our campaign to people throughout the 3rd Congressional District. We invite you to join in helping us get our message out: The way many in Congress speak and act is too partisan and we need to get back to the basics of effective governing.
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