I had the pleasure of having dinner with Dan Seals this evening the candidate for Illinois's 10th District. What a candidate! Whenever you read all that happens with politics, you have the feeling that perhaps there are no clean candidates. But when you get close to the process you realize that many politicians are very similiar to yourself. Strong feelings on some issues, willing to listen on others, they have children and just want to help make a difference.
You also realize how difficult campaigning is. Dan's campaign has not recieved some of the national recoginition that other campaigns have because it was not seen to be a competitive campaign. However, a week before the election Dan is running neck and neck.
What is amazing is how much name recoginition is needed. Dan is something like 20 points ahead with people that know his name, but less than half the district know his name. That is why the money and volunteers are so important. We all read about the horse race that politics is, but what politics really is about is getting your name out there. Making sure people understand and believe what you are about, as opposed to your opponent.
That takes money, it takes people willing to invite their friends over and ask for money. It takes people willing to take a day off work and stand at the polls and make sure that the people that said they would vote for your candidate do. It is not enough to write posts to blogs, you actually have to take action and get out there. Dan explicitly said how much he appreciated the blogs, that people would send money from all over the country (he mentioned getting $8 dollars from someone in Texas).
This was my small insight into politics tonight.