On May 20, I passed the 150-mile mark of my 1,000-mile walking tour of Massachusetts. In these first few weeks, I have had over a hundred conversations and personally collected even more signatures for getting on the ballot. Just over a tenth of the way in, I can now say without any doubt that this is how representative democracy was meant to be.
I know I will not raise as much money as major party candidates. Yet, I will be more than satisfied in raising just enough to keep my campaign going, because rebuilding this connection between representatives and citizens is all that truly matters in a republic.
Time and again I hear the same frustrations with the political establishment. Some people, like the 78-year-old farmer I spoke with in Sheffield, have given up and believe that it cannot be fixed. Others, like the former police officer in Tolland, believe we just need to make good on our constant threats to “throw the bums out.”
Most candidates that want to be a U.S. Senator only want to take their personal agenda and the agendas of their supporters and party to Washington. When they campaign, they speak in general platitudes, telling us what we would like to hear while spending the majority of their time raising huge amounts of money from a tiny group of funders and meeting with special interests.
This is not how representative democracy was meant to be.
Read the full op/ed here.
Bonus video:
None. Try reading the sign in the picture or the category of the post, silly troll.
What party does this man belong?