HEY CAIN, I'm thinking...

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

...about running for office, but I have no idea where to start. Do you (or anyone) have any suggestions regarding reading materials or places to start?

[Cain]

Hmm, good question.  Lemme think about it a little, and I'll get back to you.

I have information on things like how to run campaigns, manage the media and so on, but I don't know how your party selection process works.  Presumably the office you are going for involves primaries etc? 

I'll say this much: a political scientist with skill in statistics is someone you really want on your team.  I'm sure you could grab some M.A. or PhD candidate for that role quite easily.  A poli-sci quant will be able to break down the constituents you need to appeal to, their positions on various issues, demographics etc quite easily, which gives you the skeleton of a campaign platform and strategy.

The main issue is going to be overcoming the status quo bias.  As a rule, incumbents have the advantage over newcomers, because "better the devil you know" plus they have the resources to hand out favours to politically influential backers.  Creating discontent with that status quo will be the path to victory.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Hmm, good question.  Lemme think about it a little, and I'll get back to you.

I have information on things like how to run campaigns, manage the media and so on, but I don't know how your party selection process works.  Presumably the office you are going for involves primaries etc? 

I'll say this much: a political scientist with skill in statistics is someone you really want on your team.  I'm sure you could grab some M.A. or PhD candidate for that role quite easily.  A poli-sci quant will be able to break down the constituents you need to appeal to, their positions on various issues, demographics etc quite easily, which gives you the skeleton of a campaign platform and strategy.

The main issue is going to be overcoming the status quo bias.  As a rule, incumbents have the advantage over newcomers, because "better the devil you know" plus they have the resources to hand out favours to politically influential backers.  Creating discontent with that status quo will be the path to victory.

I am probably going to need to choose a party affiliation, which could be problematic given that I've been a registered Republican for over a decade, yet I have no interest in running under their auspices. Unless I want to try to change the nature of the party back to a more Nixon-era ethic, anyway.

I'm thinking that the best way to start would probably be one of these little part-time city positions... some of them sit empty, so I wouldn't even have competition, and then it goes on my resume... but I have to figure out where/how to get involved to even find what to run for, and what the position involves.

Not sure I even have time for this, but it seems like I spend most of my free time politically agitating anyway, might as well make a career out of it...

[Cain]

That sounds reasonable.  And yeah, if you ran as a Republican, you'd almost certainly face Tea Party-esque primary challenges.  Something equivalent to our local town and parish councils sound like an ideal starting point - they're small enough that a dedicated person can normally force their way in with a little bit of effort, then use that position to do favours and build contacts with the right people for a further political career.

Incidentally, if you ever do make it big, I am willing to relocate to the USA, so long as I can have a deal which beats my current working circumstances.

Cain,
always up for a bit of "opposition research" and muckraking.

[Doktor Howl]

Teabaggers?

In MY Portland?

[Cain]

Sadly yes

http://www.oregonteaparty.org/

I actually have no idea how influential they are on Republican primaries in the state...but that is what the Poli-Sci quant is for.  He or she can crunch the data on that.

[Doktor Howl]

Sadly yes

http://www.oregonteaparty.org/

I actually have no idea how influential they are on Republican primaries in the state...but that is what the Poli-Sci quant is for.  He or she can crunch the data on that.

We have them here, but they were unable to influence Tucson's elections successfully, and sort of faded away.

I just have trouble getting my mind around the idea of these yahoos being in Portland.  It sort of turns my mental image of the place on its ear, and is yet another good reason Nigel should run.

Nigel:  Be warned, though, that every person who goes into politics gets their entire life shoveled out into the public eye, to one degree or another.  Not a reason not to do it, just something to brace for.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That sounds reasonable.  And yeah, if you ran as a Republican, you'd almost certainly face Tea Party-esque primary challenges.  Something equivalent to our local town and parish councils sound like an ideal starting point - they're small enough that a dedicated person can normally force their way in with a little bit of effort, then use that position to do favours and build contacts with the right people for a further political career.

Incidentally, if you ever do make it big, I am willing to relocate to the USA, so long as I can have a deal which beats my current working circumstances.

Cain,
always up for a bit of "opposition research" and muckraking.

Lovely! An astute campaign adviser is worth his weight in gold.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Teabaggers?

In MY Portland?

They're the nastiest kind, too.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Sadly yes

http://www.oregonteaparty.org/

I actually have no idea how influential they are on Republican primaries in the state...but that is what the Poli-Sci quant is for.  He or she can crunch the data on that.

We have them here, but they were unable to influence Tucson's elections successfully, and sort of faded away.

I just have trouble getting my mind around the idea of these yahoos being in Portland.  It sort of turns my mental image of the place on its ear, and is yet another good reason Nigel should run.

Nigel:  Be warned, though, that every person who goes into politics gets their entire life shoveled out into the public eye, to one degree or another.  Not a reason not to do it, just something to brace for.

I think about that every time I do something stupid.  Or when my dad does...

I also totally expect my junkie ex to come out of the woodwork.

[Cain]

Yeah, it'll definitely happen but, as always there are ways to deal with that.

Ways other than having bikers doorstep them at 3am, that is.  Though that shouldn't necessarily be ruled out.

Also, it wouldn't surprise me if the Portland teabaggers are worse than the more rural ones.  They're more disconnected from the values they would like to see in their community - they're in enemy territory, so to speak, and so have probably developed a quite impressive siege mentality.  That kind of stress usually strengthens and radicalizes the group identity...

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Yeah, it'll definitely happen but, as always there are ways to deal with that.

Ways other than having bikers doorstep them at 3am, that is.  Though that shouldn't necessarily be ruled out.

Also, it wouldn't surprise me if the Portland teabaggers are worse than the more rural ones.  They're more disconnected from the values they would like to see in their community - they're in enemy territory, so to speak, and so have probably developed a quite impressive siege mentality.  That kind of stress usually strengthens and radicalizes the group identity...

Yes, exactly. They have a very, very strong sense of identity and it's strengthened by the "persecution" they perceive by living in an area where their ideology is largely rejected.

There are also a lot of teabaggers in rural Oregon, unsurprisingly. Townies always seem ready to side with whoever wants to fuck them the hardest.

[Cain]

They're radicalised nature is actually quite useful, in a campaign.  Prodding them with sticks to get a hilarious overreaction is easy, and then you can tar the opposition with those freakouts

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

They're radicalised nature is actually quite useful, in a campaign.  Prodding them with sticks to get a hilarious overreaction is easy, and then you can tar the opposition with those freakouts

Yeah, that's pretty much what radicals are good for.

[East Coast Hustle]

I love the idea of you holding elected office in PDX.

If you end up actually running, I'd be happy to help out however I can, and I may be able to offer some actual useful help.

ECHGF might be able to use her employee discount at the UPS store to help you with mailings and stuff like that, and my downstairs neighbor owns Triumph Screenprinting so I might be able to get you a really good deal on shirts and hats. I know it's not exactly the same as having a degree in PoliSci on your campaign staff, but every little bit helps. Depending on the position you run for and your platform I might also be able to use my influence with my former employers to get you a big leg up on the LGBT vote.