Help — your help — wanted

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Have you ever considered running for office? I’ve encountered many people in my life who’ve thought about it. Most decided against it, for a variety of reasons. I’ll try and address your concerns and encourage you to run. Why? Because we really need you. Democracy, like capitalism, only works when there’s competition. We need more people fighting over who has the best ideas, the best solutions at the lowest cost, the best outreach and empathy for people.

We need people who want to be in politics not because they need a job, or because they stuck around and came up through the ranks, or because the party organization wants them, but because they see something wrong and they want to try and right it. So, as a public service, here are some of the common concerns among those who contemplate running for office, and my reasons why their fears may be unfounded.

“I have too many skeletons in my closet.” I can assure you that as long as you’re not running for president, you don’t have to worry about all the stupid things you might’ve done in your 20s. They’ll never come up, and even if they do, remember that your opponent — or the reporter — who’s asking about them did the same things. (Then again, if you’ve been arrested for something other than civil disobedience or not returning a library book, you may have to rethink your ambition.)

“It takes too much time.” That is certainly true. When you run for office, you’re out many nights after working all day. It’s probably better to get involved either when you’re young and have fewer family and work responsibilities, or after your children have gotten a little older or your workload has grown lighter.

“My boss won’t let me.” That’s a tough one. Many employers don’t want their employees to get mixed up in politics. They can’t afford to have all the Democrats, or all the Republicans, refuse to shop at their store, or buy their products, or use their law firm.

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