"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 26 September 2010

New Candidates For Office

Aurora Citizen has a post listing residents questions for candidates to answer. Also  an opportunity to post a bio.

I took advantage of the opportunity. People  need to know who they are being asked to support.

For me, it's a personal bond  of trust with the voter .

When you've lived and  served as long as I have, there's a lot to tell . Advertising space  is limited by cost. The Citizen is free and the opportunity  too good to miss.

People without experience, tend to dismiss the relevance of experience. I don't understand why they feel the need to do  that. Voters don't  expect candidates who have never held office to know everything . Most citizens put themselves in the shoes of a new Councillor and try to understand what it's like  to be learning in the spotlight. 

If they decide to vote for you, it's because they are giving you a shot at the job.They don't expect marvels.

They watch new  Councillors with great interest to see how they perform  and how quickly they learn.

If the Councillor learns fast and does well, it's a mark of their own judgement in making the choice.

It may be, not enough people exercise their franchise to vote but those who do, value their right. They pay attention.

Not all  candidates have taken advantage of the opportunity in the Citizen thus far.

I've read the ones who have.

It's natural to put one's best foot forward. There's not much point in asking people to vote for you without giving  them  reason to do so.

I commend the candidates who have and urge the others to do so as well.

I have this advice to offer.

Talk about yourself  and why you believe  you can make a  contribution.

Don't be shy. It's a contradiction in terms

If you do not have a sense of yourself....an ego....you are wasting everybody's time including your own.

Don't be making sly negative comments about others in the running.  They are easily sniffed out and unlikely to be to your advantage.

Politicians are inclined to paranoia at the best of times. During an election the condition is rampant.

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