Wanted: A Few Good Candidates

By Jim Irvine

Are you sick of the same old politicians? Do you with there was a candidate who understood your life and your issues? Do you and your friends wish there was someone like you on the ballot? Tired of having to "compromise" in the voting booth? Now is your chance to have that perfect candidate. He or she is looking back at you in that mirror. Maybe now is the time for you to run for office.

Never held office before? No problem. Every politician starts somewhere and run that first time. Many of our state legislators had never been elected to anything until they were elected to their current jobs. You can be one of them and start working from within to make government more like what you think it should be.

Don't want to travel? There are many more local politicians than there are State or Federal. Keep your current job, be home every night, and still contribute to making your community a better place. Someone has to do it, and if not you, then who? You can't be too critical of the job someone else is doing if you are unwilling to do the job yourself. Now is the time to get involved.

Successful candidates come from all different political, economic, and social backgrounds. They come from all races and religions. They are professional businessmen, teachers and stay-at-home moms and are comprised of all age groups. (In 2001 Derrick Seaver was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives out of High School, winning the primary while still in high school.) The only one who is ever going to represent your views on every topic is you.

Both political parties are looking for good candidates and can help you learn how to raise money, organize a campaign and win an election. Buckeye Firearms Association has helped many pro-gun candidates just like you win key elections. Candidates are needed for city, county, and statewide positions. Every year many races go uncontested because there are not even two candidates who file for the position. Surely you can do better than an empty slot on the ballot.

As the saying goes, all politics is local. You win elections by getting votes from your friends and family where you live. You must be able to talk about your ideas and what is important to you. As we have seen in President Obama, speaking skills are a huge asset, but as President Bush proved, poor speaking skills can be overcome. Every candidate has strong and weak points – the key is to play to your own strong points. If you have ever thought you could do a better job, now is the time to get involved and prove it.

In Cuyahoga County alone, there are filing deadlines for municipal races in 37 communities and all 84 school board seats in the next two months. Soon after will come the races for the entire Ohio House of Representatives. Whether you are looking for a career change or simply want to make your community a better place to live, now is the time to "throw your hat in the ring."

For more information, contact the county headquarters for your political party or your statewide party:

Ohio Democratic Party
http://www.ohiodems.org
614-221-6563

Ohio Republican Party
http://www.ohiogop.org
614.228.2481

Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman, and the host of Firearms Forum, Ohio's first talk radio show about guns and gun rights.