I am thinking of running for office (Big Vanity with lights)

Myself ^ | November 4 | Moi

[MissouriConservative]

While I was casting my vote here in Kansas City, I looked at my state representative race for the Missouri House...and noticed that only one person was on the ballot and it was a democrat to boot. No Republican was running....and I was ashamed.

After talking with my lovely Mrs. MissouriConservative, I have reached a decision....I am going to run for the 44th district here in Missouri in 2006.

I know there are a few Freepers here in KC and would love to have them help in way they can. I am going to join a lot of local Republican clubs and begin networking. I not only need the physical help, but a lot of prayers and spiritual guidance. We cannot let a democrat run unopposed, no matter how democratic the district may be.

I am currently studying my opponent to be, and she has a lot of weaknesses....voting for medical pot usage, still trying to get Missouri to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, etc.

This district is changing, albeit slowly, and more people are moving to the suburbs and voting is slowly trending towards conservatives.

Whatcha all think?

[JSteff]

"Whatcha all think?"

Sure I will vote for you, what do you pay?

/:)

[Congressman Billybob]

This reply is not for you, because your interest is neither honest nor legitimate. But for others who might read your personal attack, like most politicians who are not bought off I have spent more of my own money than what I have received from even the largest outside contributor.

And it will cost much more than that for a legitimate campaign in 2006. I don't resent that. Or fear that. But I do resent ankle-biters who speak from malice and ignorance.

Billybob

[Manny Ortiz]

Ok, just to sum up.

You DID raise money via FR, even though you said you didn't.

And, NO, you are not going to give it back--even though you never really intended to run for office.

Ok, get back to giving people advice on how to get elected. LOL.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

You ran a hopeless campaign.

In the immortal words of Mama T..... SHOVE IT!

[Temple Owl]

Okay, but please run as a term-limited candidate.

[Oystir]

Congressman Billybob said, "like most politicians who are not bought off I have spent more of my own money than what I have received from even the largest outside contributor."

Wow, unless your name is Corzine or Bloomberg, you would be a fool. No clue of finances or politics.

[Joe Miner]

voting for medical pot usage, still trying to get Missouri to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, etc.

Medical marijuana is a loser if you are against that, guess you have never been in pain. Even the conservative state of Arizona approved that.

ERA? is that still alive?

Anything else against her, if not and she is cute you lose.

[Congressman Billybob]

My largest contribution was $2,000. I spent more than that of my own money. No big whoop. I neither have, nor would I spend, millions of dollars of my own money. That way lies madness, as I well understand.

I just resent, big time, attacks from people who neither know me or know my circumstances, accusing me of being some kind of crook because I made a practical judgment not to engage in a new version of Pickett's Charge, when the filing deadline came around in June, 2004.

One of my books, Why Term Limits?, (1994) dealt with the reelection of incumbents to Congress since 1790. Part of that dealt with the economics of such races. I updated the statistics in an article for the American Academy of Actuaries in 1994.

If you read that book, or that article, you will find that I have a solid basis for my conclusion that it will rake about $1 million for me to run effectively against the long-term incumbent in this District. Bottom line: I know exactly what I need to do for 2006, and I have a meeting in Washington next week to start the process of raising that kind of money without selling my soul in return.

Realism begins with research. I have done that.

Billybob

[Oystir]

I am getting confused. Are you a politician? Are you a member of congress? Are you contributing a million dollars of your own $ to run for office? Have you been in a primary? Have you accepted other peoples $? Does the other peoples' $ exceed the amount you have contributed to your "research?" Have you accepted other peoples' money but never applied for office? Are you blowing wind up my skirt?

[Congressman Billybob]

Since I've published seven books and over 500 articles to date, it's a fairly easy matter for anyone to punch a few buttons on the Internet and find out who I am, what I do, where I am, etc. I take politics and law very seriously, and try to be practical about both. Most of my publications are under my real name, John Armor, rather than my screen name, of course.

I may be the first person, ever, to set up an Exploratory Committee to run for Congress. That is routinely done by Presidential candidates. But for Congress or Senate, the law on that is a blank -- yet the minimum needed for a serious campaign for House or Senate in 2006 will almost certainly be above $1 million.

That is serious business. It is not like a Mickey Rooney movie, "Hey, kids, let's put on a show." Then all the sudden they have sets, costumes, pit orchestra, etc. It makes sense to test the waters before jumping into a race for Congress.

Look for the final FEC figures on fund-raising for the 2004 races to be issued in late December. They will report the minimum for any winning candidate. Look for a seven-figure minimum number.

Check me out any way you choose. It's all there in public, and on the Net. No, I am not blowing wind up your skirt.

Billybob

[Oystir]

Well, I am yanking your chain a bit..but be able to answer questions directly, which I don't think you have during the course of this thread. My two cents.

[Congressman Billybob]

It'd okay between me and you. I got hot under the collar when someone else called me dishonest. Shee-ut, I resigned from the Bar of the US Supreme Court because I was so disgusted with their ruling on the campaign finance "reform" law. (Yes, my resignation is also a matter of public record.)

Suffice to say, matters of principle are rather important to me. My parents taught me that, and I took it to heart.

Didn't mean to jump on your case. Didn't know whether you were one of the attackers.

John / Billybob

[billbears]

I may be the first person, ever, to set up an Exploratory Committee to run for Congress. That is routinely done by Presidential candidates. But for Congress or Senate, the law on that is a blank

Well not really....

Giuliani exploratory committee-1999

Jerry Springer exploratory committee--2003

Mention of Jim Oberstar exploratory committee-1984

GK Butterfield exploratory committee--2004

exploratory committee of Maryland State Senator Andrew Harris, M.D. (R)

CBB's announcement of his exploratory committee

I really didn't want to chime in on this but this is just a quick review from Google of about 20-30 seconds. You weren't the 'first' by far. Even Jerry Springer had an 'exploratory committee' before you did. After reading this thread, personally I have to say I think you owe HLL an apology. She actually was on the ballot in her state and looks like she received quite a few votes.

[Congressman Billybob]

The reason I said "may" is that I contacted the General Counsel's Office at the Federal Election Commission as a first order of business. The lawyer there told me that the law "did not provide for an exploratory committee for Congress." I took that as true; apparently it is not.

HLL ran for office and lost. I took a hard, practical look at my resources and decided not to waste additional time and resources by running and losing. I do not owe her an apology.

Whether a decision to run, or a decision NOT to run, is a good one, depends on the circumstances in the District, at the time. Vanity campaigns, which have no real chance of victory, suck up energy and assets which could more productively be spent on other campaigns with a real chance of success. That is all I am saying, and I stand by that.

Billybob

[LibertarianInExile]

Don't just join Republican clubs. You need to be networking in middle-o-the-road groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary/Elks/Kiwanis/KofC/JayCees, etc. to make your name known as much as possible.

If you have a particular expertise, it would be a good idea to volunteer that expertise at particularly apt times to media to get any exposure you can. Name recognition is huge at the local level.

Block parties are also a good idea so that your own neighborhood gets used to you (if it doesn't already know you well) and is ready to vote for you.

[alcuin]

. . the income generated and expenditures made in his non-candidacy . .<<<
I believe his column, which has a life of its own, is the controlling legal authority.

[alcuin]

GOOD SELF: See what happens?
BAD SELF: Yeah, but not to us!
GOOD SELF: Hmmm . . .

[Manny Ortiz]

"Suffice to say, matters of principle are rather important to me. My parents taught me that, and I took it to heart."

LOL!

YOu lied about using FR for fundraising, insulted a real life candidate (called her "roadkill") and then refused to admit you kept the money you got for your non-run.

You are a piece of work.

[Manny Ortiz]

"Vanity campaigns, which have no real chance of victory, suck up energy and assets which could more productively be spent on other campaigns with a real chance of success. That is all I am saying, and I stand by that."

If you had run, you would have been running against a popular conservative Republican incumbent (who got elected).

How was your "run" (which didn't happen) not going to be a vanity campaign?

HLL didn't run against an incumbent conservative Republican. She had the courage to run as a conservative in a VERY liberal district. She probably knew it would be a tough fight. She also doesn't seem to have written a thousand "columns" (that is, "threads") about it on FR like you have done about your Hamlet-like decision.

The only vanity I see here is yours. Big time!