Running for Office: It's Like A Flamewar with a Forum Troll, but with an Eventual Winner
Kari Chisholm
When I woke up this morning, I certainly didn't plan to donate $8.34 to some guy named Sean running for state representative in Kansas.
But I just did.
Why? Because this cartoon right here is the coolest explanation ever of what a grassroots campaign is all about.
No state lege candidate in Kansas has ever had more than 644 donors. But Sean Tevis has already hit 4000 donors and counting - in under 40 hours...
And if you laugh as hard as I did, chip in your own $8.34, ok?
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Jul 18, '08
I laughed, and then I checked out his website. His views on immigration are worth checking out before folks donate. His website says that his views have changed due to conversations in comments, but he doesn't actually say what his views changed to, only that they are different. Not entirely comforting.
9:39 a.m.
Jul 18, '08
I know Dirk Kempthorne! (Could be because I was born in Idaho and keep one eye on Gem State politics.)
Jul 18, '08
I also read the rest of his website. I agree that his stance on immigration is unclear, and he doesn't say how it's changed. However, from reading all of his posted positions, he certainly looks like a person of good conscience. That's much more important to me than some kind of litmus test where if a candidate fails on one point, I refuse to donate. I suggest that potential donors read all of his views, and if he comes across to you as the kind of person you'd like to see in office, especially in Kansas, then donate.
Jul 18, '08
My favorite line in there is "Frack". Battlestar Galactica fan perhaps??
11:03 a.m.
Jul 18, '08
So...........hurray........the guy's way over the amount of his initial ask, and the backup money is still flowing in.
Three points occur:
It's great that a bunch of small donors can offer income parity for the candidate to achieve name recognition, but public finance is still a goal worth fighting for.
High info Blue Oregon voters are donating because they like the gimmick and are less concerned with specific issues.......kinda like the low information voters that go with name recognition.
If you have $8.34 to donate to someone with an awesome cartoon, it's past time for Merkley, Schrader, Van Orman, Barton, and various other local pols to get some cartoons of their own up to attract the high info voter/donors on Blue Oregon.
12:32 p.m.
Jul 18, '08
The cartoon is all right, but somehow I feel people would be much better off giving their money to a candidate running in one of Oregon's many close races who needs the money more, will be way more progressive than Sean Tevis, and will actually affect Oregonians.
Jul 18, '08
As much as I like the cartoon, I just don't know enough about the guy.
I like Nick's suggestion of keeping it in Oregon.
I'm donating to Ben Westlund, who has apparently put his own little cartoon ad (though not really funny at all) up on BlueOregon.
Jul 18, '08
Cartoons and comic books seem to be becoming popular:
Check out this from an Oklahoma Republican:
Brent Rinehart For Oklahoma County Commissioner comic book
Warning: Contents are absurd and sad
Jul 18, '08
Just in case anyone thinks this is so absurd that it's a joke..............
Here's an article in the The Oklahoman
Jul 18, '08
Aside from this candidate being a seemingly passionate human being who not only thinks outside the box to solve problems, but is clearly open to hearing other points of view, and perhpas changing his own based on what he hears.....it appears he might also inject some much needed humor into a very serious election season. His method is clever. I like the idea of smart people representing Americans.
What's up with the remember personal information button not working lately? ok ok, I'll wait for blueoregon 2.
3:58 p.m.
Jul 18, '08
Talk about a narrowcast! What the hell is downmodding? About %.001 of the population would get that cartoon...but I guess like the Velvet Underground, all of them are donating.*
*It's said that not many people listened to the VU back in the day...but all of them started bands.
5:11 p.m.
Jul 18, '08
Very cute cartoon.
However, whatever limited resources I have after giving to Obama, Merkley, and Nick Kahl will be going to my campaign for Gresham City Council.
I should see if my brother-in-law can come up with something good on my race. There's definitely plenty to work with based on all the conversations I have with people over at the Gresham Outlook - particularly in regard to the police levy.
Jul 19, '08
TJ, he's appealing to the users of Digg, the behemoth where XKCD is extremely popular.
5:00 p.m.
Jul 21, '08
Brent Rinehart's cartoon drawings look eerily similar to Beavis and Butthead. Coincidence? I think not.
Aug 10, '08
Ha!Thought I'd seen it all after election 08 but this is a classic,no doubt.Do you think it's Thomas Nast quality? When Andrew Jackson ran for president in 1828,his opponents tried to label him a "jack ass" for his populist views and his slogan,"Let The People Rule." Jackson picked up on their name calling and turned it to his advantage by using the donkey on his campaign posters. "A Modern Baalim and His Ass." Who sketched the first and most famous political cartoon in US American history ? Benjamin Franklin's,Join or Die in 1764 of which showed up in The Pennsylvania Gazette,May 9,1754.The present disunited state of the British Colonies. Who are those guys ? It's great but let me finish paying for the $50.00 T-shirt, I just paid for to pay off Clinton's debt.
Aug 10, '08