RE: Introduction Questions

[Rod Cameron <rodcm@aol.com>]

You asked for a personal story from our experiences.  Since I just ran, and lost, a campaign for state representative in Iowa, I have some fairly fresh experiences to relate.  To save some space, I'll focus on one telling conversation I had.  Running against a three term incumbent, I knew I'd need considerable funds to succeed.  So during the task of fund raising, I explored almost every avenue available to me.  One of those was to write and call PACs and lobbyists, especially those considered friendly to Democrats.  One such lobbyist was a former Democratic Speaker of the House in Iowa who represented groups well aligned with my political stances.  After we spoke on the phone for a few minutes, he paused then said, "We will be supporting your opponent.  We're just not into pissing off incumbents."  I understood his position and thanked him for his honesty.  But the comment left a bad taste in my mouth because it represented a prevailing attitude among "stake holders" in institutions, business, and other groups-- support those in power so that they can get cooperation from them later.  My conversations with candidates on other levels reveals their experiences were similar.  I'll stop my whining now.  Thanks.