After the Tea Parties, Run for Office!
We get a lot of questions about why FreeAndEqual.org would be so involved in supporting ReTeaParty.com and the Tea Party movement in general. What does ballot access reform have to do with these Tea Parties?
Our main mission at Free and Equal is to break down ballot access barriers by any peaceful means available. Whether it is by petitioning to get candidates and parties on the ballot, supporting initiatives which reduce barriers to participation, lobbying state legislatures to reform their laws, filing and supporting lawsuits to strike these barriers down, or mobilizing public opinion to bring electoral reform to the forefront of the political debate, Free and Equal intends to be there.
However, ballot access is not an end unto itself. Electoral reform is just one important way to achieve a much more fundamental goal. Constitutional government can happen only when every citizen has an equal share of the rights and responsibilities to run it.
That’s where the Tea Parties come in. The achievement of this goal becomes possible when educated people are willing to rise up and take back their government. The Tea Party movement is the strongest outpouring of this activity in America today. We are excited to be able to help it along any way we can. Everything we do is a reflection of our independence and our desire to return political power to its rightful owners.
Free and Equal has established a goal make sure every federal race in 2010 is contested by an independent minded candidate, whatever their party affiliation. In the Tea Party movement, we see an army of regular citizens who would do a much better job of representing the people at every level of government than the current crop of professional politicians.
The hardest step to take when one becoming active in politics, is taking the first one. We are told so many lies to inhibit our participation. The truth is, yes indeed, you can fight City Hall. You are not alone. One person can indeed make a difference.
Here’s another truth of which the politicians are keenly aware, one they are desperately hoping you’ll forget – they can only stay in office with our consent.
Those of us in the Tea Party movement have taken that first step. We have reclaimed our Constitutional right to peacefully seek redress of grievances.
The Tea Party can not and will not end on July 4th. What will happen when people leave the rally?
During the Vietnam War, I was in elementary school. My teachers told me that communist countries like Vietnam or the Soviet Union claim to hold free elections, but that is a lie because they only allow one government approved candidate on the ballot.
These days, I walk into the voting booth and see race after race with only one or two government approved candidate on the ballot that have a legitimate shot. And I have to ask myself, what country am I living in again?
We can no longer afford to give the career politicians a free pass. They have no incentive to change their ways until the people have an opportunity to choose something else on Election Day.
To those who will make this challenge, the Tea Party movement offers you an army of politically savvy and motivated supporters. You will not be alone when you answer the call to enter public service by running for office.
Our organizations remain completely nonpartisan because we recognize the system we live in today. People ready to redeclare our independence reside in all parties.
Free and Equal naturally encourages people to run as independents or under a third party banner. At the same time, we recognize that living in this two-party system means many good candidates will choose to run as a Democrat or a Republican for purely practical reasons.
We are working to create an environment where party labels mean less than one’s individual convictions. We invite all candidates to seek the support of the Tea Party movement.
There is no formal process to seek this support. The people in this movement, not us organizers, will decide which candidates merit their support.
We are looking for candidates who will uphold the principles of fair treatment and equal justice under the law.
We want candidates who oppose bailouts, the rise of our national debt and the favoritism of corporate welfare.
We need candidates who will defend our Constitutional rights to privacy, fair trials and free expression.
We seek candidates who have a record of transparency, people we can trust to be honest and direct with the people that elect them.
We put out the call now – start planning to run for office for 2010. Know that the average citizen can do a better job representing the people that the professional politicians.
To those of you who will answer this call and challenge the incumbent political class, there’s a whole lot of great people already here to help you.
Michael Mishkin said:
Hello,
I am considering running for office. I am fed up with the way things are going and I do believe I can bring better representation for the people. I believe in what this country was founded upon and believe it is under attack. Please contact me by email or by phone to help me understand better how to prepare for a run for office. My phone is 704 960 6632.
Thank you
Michael Mishkin
May 19th, 2009 at 4:23 am
SeattleBruce said:
Kudos to you for operationalizing the Tea Parties - ‘what can we do now?’ will be an oft asked question and we need to answer it well! Also Kudos to you Michael Mishkin, for wanting to put yourself into the mix and run for office! I am actually weighing the same thing myself. I would recommend that people look into all the avenues there are to do that. With all due deference to the essay above about fair ballots - the Republican party is still a great repository for ’small government’ and ‘fiscal restraint.’ The party leadership that has led the party away from these historical roots does need to be confronted and replaced, imho. If your state’s party doesn’t support this kind of sensible thinking - I would definitely consider a party like America’s Indpendent Party - the 3rd largest party by voter registration in the US - to help you run there! But take this fight into and inside the Republican party!
May 24th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Georgia tauchas said:
I agree that we need to step up and have an Independent candidate for the 2010 elections whereever they may be. Thank you Mike for being a willing candidate. I live in Iowa and Gov Culver is up for election and it would be great if there was someone to run as Independent against him. I am disabled and not in position to run myself but I am willing to volunteer to get the word out to people via internet etc.for candidates.
May 24th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Alexandra Fincher said:
I agree we should run for office…and our Patriots are coming along…
TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY
JULY 4th 2009
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
City Hall
Little Elm, TX
We are concerned American citizens, independent individuals, who love, support and defend our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
We, are a grassroots organization who are tired of the irresponsible spending, increasing taxes and the ever-growing role the federal government wants to have in our lives. We are protesting government inequity in taxation and infringement of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and who demand our elected officials to uphold, protect and adhere to the Constitution our forefathers sacrificed their lives to give us.
Our Mission:
To Restore America
For the People
By the People
Of the People
Using Article 5 of the United States Constitution/States Convention Method
Of Amending the Constitution
Assaults on any political party will not be tolerated
Sponsored by: 5th Article Patriot’s
May 25th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Misty One said:
I disagree with Michael. If you don’t know anything about how to get elected how can you possibly know how Government works. All you will do is be a void exposing our nation’s soft under belly.
May 26th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Michael Mishkin said:
Well lets see. Government is for the people and by the people and I am one of the people willing to stand up for the people rather than get schooled on how to lie to the people. Characteristics of a leader in government should be honesty, integrety and be a servant of the people. He or she must stick to what is right and good for all the people and not defer to any particular group for votes or the like. The fathers of this country had this attitude in mind when it came to government, read the letters of Washington, Jefferson and such. What I am saying is a leader will need people work well and are gifted in areas that he may not be and support him in those ways. If it be organizing events, finding out information in different areas of decision, or just getting word out to the people of whats happening with this leader.
The bottom line is it’s time to stand for whats right and stop letting this country get taken over by people who know government and are building it against us!!!!
June 1st, 2009 at 11:35 am
Jonathon Hill said:
Hey Michael,
My hat is off to you and I wish you well. Nothing wrong with not knowing how to get started. I doubt our Founding Fathers knew how to get a nation started, but they talked and prayed and figured it out.
Check out the Leadership Institute. I recently attended a “Future Candidate School” one-day workshop that was very good and covered a lot of basic campaign stuff. Their website is http://www.leadershipinstitute.org/
Someone recently told me of a guy that’s running for Congress in GA, check out his speech that he gave at a recent TEA party: http://www.jonesforus.com/
Hope that helps!
Jonathon Hill
June 6th, 2009 at 9:07 am