petition drive status report

This is an e-mail I received, followed by my reply to him. It seemed worth sharing with you all.

Hi Ted,

Bob

Bob, thank you for your message. It is valuable to me in many ways – and none of them hurt my feelings.

I too am surprised if I have significant name recognition after only a year here from Idaho – and glad the reactions weren’t negative.

I am definitely not Republican (or Democrat), feeling both parties have been co-opted at the national level long ago. I focus almost entirely on the individuals and principles rather than party affiliations (though i almost never find a Democrat I feel has honor and sound principles behind him).

I am frustrated by the people who hunker down in their foxholes waiting for the grenade to find them. Dang it, can’t they see we have to stand and fight united or we will surely lose? Ah, but I’ve been running into that attitude for a long time and am used to it. “I don’t want to be on any lists” might be safer for the moment, but I think it is a losing attitude in the long run.

I also understand the mistrust many have for someone who doesn’t share their religious beliefs. I wish they would look at the people in toto, rather than that one aspect, but know many cannot. In my experience, there are good and bad both in and out of every religion. I haven’t found it to be a reliable guide. Nevertheless, I shrug and move on. It isn’t something they can be talked out of.

“Far Right” is a label of the Left. I fit neither pole of the left-right line. Here is where I actually fit politically:
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz/quiz.php (top center) However, that will not endear me to many either. On this topic, I prefer to stick with HOW I would do the job of Sheriff rather than political philosophy. I think most people of all political views would prefer my execution of that office over most alternatives.

I sure understand those who have given up hope of getting back to Constitutional government. I don’t put it any greater than 50/50 myself. However, electing a Constitutional Sheriff is the most peaceful, least devastating possibility we have left. Failing that, it is going to get real ugly for all of us, and the odds of winning liberty shrink significantly. But I am used to that answer as well… the comfort of their foxhole is an attractive delusion in my mind.

I didn’t want to run for (Constitutional) sheriff here, now, and reluctantly offered my name up when I discovered nobody else would do it. At the outset I gave the odds of a successful petition drive at 1 in 5 and, if we beat the odds there, the chances of election victory at 1 in 5. Both being wild guesses, but useful in decision making. Thus the total picture is a 1 in 25 chance of full success. The real purpose would be to force discussion of the important issues facing the Sheriff – and maybe influencing him in positive directions. Even that is not really strongly likely, but I continue to try for peaceful solutions to what I see coming our way.

Sure, I will welcome the petitions you did complete. It isn’t over until it is over. Perhaps you may get them to the Farleys who might be willing to accumulate any that do come in.

I thank you again for your efforts, your willingness to give it a try and again, your thoughtful analysis of what it really looks like out there. It gives me another view of the culture we live in… which, in my opinion, is among the best in the USofA. If we can’t inspire proactive political moves here, that just isn’t how this is going to be won (or lost).

Ted