MY TRUTH: Election season is always upon us!

By Cheryl Smith

Enjoy this summer because it’s about to be another election season.

While folks are already gearing up for the 2024 elections, campaigns have already been launched and there will be elections before and after the 2024 March primaries and November general election.

Expect people to come to you with solutions, observations, lies, and pledges.

Vote for them and they will do better than the Emancipation Proclamation or any army, they say.

Let’s talk about seeking political office.

Actually the Democratic and Republican Parties could start off with filling vacant precinct chair seats.

That’s actually a great place to start if you are having any thoughts about seeking political office. You can learn all you need about the political process.

Actually I’d suggest this route for those wannabe political consultants too, but that’s another subject for another day.

We have people who feel “called,” to seek elective office. Some had a dream. Some are visionary or see a need/opportunity. Still there are others who began a journey or were recruited.

Whatever the situation, we do need candidates.

We need people who are going to do the work and more. The really good elected officials are the ones who do their jobs and also do more because they see that from where they are positioned they have access to more resources to do more for the benefit of the masses.

Wow, that’s a mouthful.

But you still get the people who are going to perform their duties—nothing more, nothing less.

And while we are saddled by the dilemma of people not being able to seek an office because the position doesn’t pay; we also have those seeking positions only for the money!

I guarantee you that somewhere there’s an election going on, even if it is for camp leader, choir director, team captain; whatever.

But we have those oh so important positions, for people right in your neighborhood — who you can reach out and tough, to effect change.

While we don’t need folks out there bursting people’s bubbles or being dream killers; we don’t need people encouraging folks to step up to a battle that we know we don’t support.

Which brings me to my truth.

Time and time again, I’ve heard from candidates who say they entered a race because they were encouraged by people saying, “you should run,” or “get in there,” —only to jump in the race and find those same people don’t help finance the campaign, they have a million and one things to do so they can’t knock on doors or kiss the babies with you and they ofttimes don’t even vote and if they do; well after you count “me, honey, mom and dad, and the next door neighbor— based on the numbers, you know they didn’t vote for you!

So the point is, if you aren’t going to get in the game and give your all, support those who will. Give money, time, encouragement, critiques (HONEST CRITIQUES), and VOTE!