Beginning last Wednesday and continuing until Feb. 19 at noon, citizens wanting to be candidates for elected offices could put their names (and their necks) on the line.
This is a responsibility not to be taken lightly and is not for the weak at heart. You will be subject to ridicule and criticism and your motives and your intentions may be questioned. You must be willing to give up your time and a lot of energy just to get elected and after all of that you get to serve the constituents of New Albany and Floyd County, most of which didn't even take the time to go out and vote. It is one of the most important thing a person can do and the ones who do it need to be supported.
Too few people take the opportunity to serve the public as an elected official. Many are turned off on politics, others just don't have the time, energy or money to feel like they can make a contribution. I think it is time that the best candidates step forward and enter the arena so that the voters have a clear choice and direction when making a decision. In these times of trouble, it is important that the best and the brightest step forward so that the decisions that will shape our community for the next generation will put us on the right track and help us avoid the mistakes from the past.
Some of those that do sign up and run do it for the wrong reasons. They have one issue that they want to exploit or they have an ax to grind. It is becoming all too common for people running for public office to tell us what they are against instead of what they stand for. I would prefer that a serious candidate for public office would have a plan of his or her own instead of counting on the voters to select them because they are not the other person. Although it is a very popular way to get elected I would like a chance to choose who best espouses the ideas and that will lead our community into the future with at least a fighting chance instead of voting for the lesser of two evils.
Running for public office is harder than just buying some signs and putting them up. You must be willing to give up a lot of your free time in order to put up a formidable campaign. Your family must support your decision and be willing to help you out when needed. You must be willing to accept defeat. Most people that run for public office lose, if you cannot accept that reality then maybe politics is not for you. Abraham Lincoln lost several elections before he won one, so persistence pays off.
For the first time in quite awhile the local Republican party has an interesting primary. Usually there are only one or two contested races on the GOP side and it has made for low voter turnout or crossover voting from local Republicans. With the 9th District Congressional seat and the State Senate 46th both contested this year, it is possible that we see one of the highest voter turnout in the Republican primaries than we have seen in quite some time. I believe this is good for the process and will only lead to better campaigns.
Voting is considered one of the most important rights that the founding fathers bestowed upon us. Without candidates that excite us, more and more people are going to stay home. If you feel like you have something to contribute and would like to be a candidate for public office, visit the County Clerk's office to sign up. The more good people that agree to run for office the more discussion will take place. Possibly some of the problems that we are facing, as a city, county, state and a nation can be solved with a little old fashioned debate on some tough issues.
Matthew Nash is not a candidate but he does support this message. He can be reached at dmatthewnash@gmail.com
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