Running Against the Invisible Man

Running for office has been the greatest learning experience of my lifetime. I am running what would be truly considered a grassroots campaign, driving my car around to each fire station, police station, VFW, American Legion, business, farm, grain elevator, truck stop, diner and church talking to everybody. I have learned one thing, no one in the Indiana 28th State House District can ever remember meeting Jeff Thompson. This is a State House member who has been in office for 12 years yet no one can remember anything about him. I always get the same response from people, "oh yea I think I got something in the mail from him, but I threw it away." The greatest common complaint has been until recently that he is in office so he must be part of the problem as an incumbent. It seems that in 12 years he has two major advantages, first we live in a major republican area and second he has ran unopposed on a few occasions. It seems that few people have paid attention to him since there have been no scandals and he seems to have just eased through 12 years doing as little as possible and getting by. The surprise has been the idea that NO and I mean NO candidate or state politician in this district has ever just sat down and talked to the people. No one has asked them what things are going on that are particular to this district that effect you. I have never once had to ask for a vote and in every conversation I have walked away with the people I am talking to offer their vote to me by just giving them my undivided attention for a short time. It seems that this is the greatest testimony to the overall problem with government today. They want more and more control on our daily lives, removing more and more Liberty from us, however they are invisible. How can a government of the people and by the people be invisible and unreachable? It cannot but it seems to breed the idea if I can't see you then you can't see me, or that if we are invisible to you then you are invisible to us. The problem with this is that we cease to be people just some one to smooth over long enough for you to vote for them, then you are no longer there. I would challenge anyone running for office to do what I have done. Since I live in a district that represents a large portion of farmers I started with the large local farmers and set up an advisory counsel that I can refer to on anything agriculture when it comes up for a vote. The same with business and health care. It isn't just about votes it is about getting everyone involved back into their local government not just the candidate. If you want to re-establish your Liberties then we have to take them back ourselves and to do that there can be no invisible men running for office any more. There must be more interaction without the distraction, because distracted people create invisible candidates and invisible voters.