Politics Is A Contact Sport

Another Election Day has come and gone. And just like in sports, there are winners and there are losers. Running for political office takes courage. It doesn't matter what the office is you are seeking - local, state or federal, having your name appear on the ballot takes guts.

Bringing Home a "W"

To the ones who ended up on the winning side, congratulations. Some of you have battle scars which show just how rough politics can be. Take a few days to rest. Spend some time with your family. Thank your volunteers and supporters. And please don't forget to pick up your yard signs. But when all the hype has settled down and January 1 rolls around, the hard work begins. We, your constituents, expect you to look out for us. That doesn't mean that we will agree with you 100% of the time. But you now have an obligation to serve the people to the best of your ability, which will require dedication, sacrifice and humility.

For those of you who did not bring home the "W" tonight, life will go on. The sun will rise in the morning, as it does every day. You also need to take a few days to rest and spend time with your family and supporters. But I will warn you from experience - taking down yard signs after losing an election is brutal. Try not to beat yourself up too much. One of the hardest things for me was having to face my supporters. I felt that I let them down. Don't go down that path. If you did your best and worked hard, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes things are just not meant to be. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Sometimes you can't see that until months or even years later, but at some point you will look back at this election and understand.

Team Players

Politics is a team sport in some cases. It is pretty easy when you're on a team to see who is a contributing member and who is not. I know of candidates this year who were so focused on winning the World Series that they forgot about a little thing called the Playoffs! In my opinion, it is due to two things: selfishness and laziness. There is a problem when the volunteers are outworking the candidate.

With all that said, I go back to my original statement that it takes courage to run for public office. Many people sit in the stands and second guess the coaches, yell at the players and think they could do a better job. But would those same people be willing to open themselves up to public scrutiny by running for office? Nine times out of ten the answer is no.