cenobyte answers #7

As part of the Ask cenobyte Experiment, Silent Winged Coyote asks:

I’ve always wondered this and I’m curious as to how you’d answer so
here’s my question: Seeing as how you’ve been offered the chance to, what would be the required situation for you to run for a public office at any political level?

First, let me just say that the idea of a “winged coyote” is somewhat disturbing. Never mind a “silent winged coyote”. I mean, whether it’s ‘silent-winged coyote’, which prompts images of a hungry, mangy, slightly deranged predator mammal/carrion eater that you can’t hear coming through the air until you hear the smack and slurp of its cracked, sharpened teeth against your throat; or whether it’s ‘silent winged-coyote’, which brings to mind the same beast, but it’s completely *undetectable* when it hovers until you a) smell it, or b) see it upon you…well…just unsettling. That’s all.

Also: “Humber” is an AWESOME name/word/place name. It sounds like what bears do when they’re walking down a hill – they don’t quite “lumber”, because they get up to quite a clip. So they “humber”.

Anyway.

For me to run for political office at any level, the following requirements would need to be met:
1) My children would have to be grown up. Er. Adults. Um. Responsible people over the age of 18.

2) My husband would have to be in full support. Running for political office at any level at the moment could make things uncomfortable for him, as the nature of his job usually places his work within the context of having to work with government and/or government officials. It could be a conflict of interest.

3) I would have to be 100% debt-free (it won’t be long now!!!)

4) A political party would have to actually understand that I would not ‘toe the party line’. While there are some things I can keep my opinion to myself about, there are other things I would not do so for.

5) I would probably have to take down this bournal. And any other super secret bournals that may or may not be in existence.

6) Realistically, I would need an awful lot of fundraising to be done.

7) On a very personal note, I would have to quash my own feelings about (and dislike for) popularity contests in all their forms.

None of these are unmeetable requirements, and holding representative office is not an unreachable goal. While I’m sure I’d be okay with the death threats, public scrutiny, and word-mangling that happens to elected officials, I’m not sure I’d be okay with the huge responsibility it would be to represent the people whose interests I would be representing.

Oh. 8) John Gormley would have to buy me an expensive dinner and talk books and literature all night. He would know, and I know, that I would be (and am) one of the “left wing-nuts” he ridicules, but I would really like to talk about art and culture with him at the restaurant of his choosing. Actually, I’d really like that *anyway*, even if I weren’t going to be running for elected office. I’d bring him a gift, maybe something from my personal library, and I think that would be a really fun night.