By Mike Meister-Former Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate
To run for office requires that a person have certain attributes. First, is that the individual has a true desire to serve the people he seeks to represent. Second, is understanding that there are no guarantees in life. Even though you may be the better qualified candidate ultimately you may still lose. It’s politics not a job interview. In light of recent events surrounding the resignation of Lt. Gov. Sheehy I was asked to write about perhaps the most important attribute that a person seeking or holding office can have. That attribute is having the hide of a rhinoceros.
When you put yourself out there to be a candidate for an elected office some very interesting dynamics go into motion. First, everyone who supports you wants to be your friend. Your ego is stroked at every turn. If you cannot reign in that incredible feeling that comes with being the center of attention it will ultimately destroy you as you will be presented with very interesting choices and dilemmas. It is important to surround yourself with quality folk who are unafraid to remind you that you are not superhuman and you need to use your head.
On the other hand, there are the folks that will not support you just because you have the wrong party label. These folks are looking for a way to destroy you as you a person. They don’t know who you are, they have never met you and yet, you become Satan incarnate and are the scourge of their very existence.
People you have never met attribute things to you that are patently false but feel they have the right to spout off about anything under the sun whether they have a basis for their belief or not. It is extremely important that those same quality people who are knocking you down a notch when your head swells are there to pick you up dust you off and remind you that you truly are a decent human being.
When I ran for Governor I was going through a very difficult time in my life. My wife of 23 years had left me and our children. She just moved out. Apparently people who didn’t know us or anything about the situation took it upon themselves to write to the State Chair and tell him that I was a wife beater and worse (If there is something worse). This was simply not true.
Imagine sitting in your office when you get a call from a person you know and his first question to you is “Did you beat your wife?” I came to find out that a person had written him had written to a college paper claiming that slanderous lie. I told him in no uncertain terms that it was untrue and I also told him that if he did not protect me from this nonsense I would resign immediately and sue the college in question to clear my name. After looking into it closer the college realized there was no truth to the allegation and the story was never published.
The Republican Party chair, at the time, was heard to say on many occasions that I was on some “quest to find myself.” What an ass. One does not run for office to “find one’s self.” Of course he didn’t know me then and he doesn’t know me now, we’ve never met. Regardless, he felt it appropriate to psychoanalyze me. In hind sight we probably should have turned him in to state authorities for practicing mental health medicine without a proper license.
I was laid bare more than once by reporters asking me questions about my divorce. I was used by reporters to gain access to events that they were not invited to and then blamed for “conspiring” with that reporter even though I knew nothing about her actions. A right wing blog wrote all kinds of silly and nonsensical things about me, which gave hours of endless amusement to my staff and irritation to me.
We often expect far too much from elected officials or candidates for elected office. Most folks just want to serve and most want to do it for their sense of civic duty. The few that do it for their own ego or self-gratification are usually found out and marginalized. Then there are those who forget they are under the microscope such as Rick Sheehy. I wish him luck and am truly saddened by what happened to him and his family and sincerely thank him for his service even though I may not have agreed with him and his boss on many issues of the day.
Republicans will smear anyone. #shameful
Mike, I fully agree with you. Running for office can be really painful if you do not believe in what you are doing, or have not tolerance for those who disagree, or unprepared for those who will hate you no matter what you do. We live in the dark ages of politics where a gaffe or personal mistake kills a political career. Unfortunately, voters who do not pay attention to how government works or the details of what it is suppose to do, we are subjected to identity politics where just creating the perception of immorality or insensitivity will destroy the most competent person running for office. Sad.
Boo-hoo. Politics has always been a blood sport and always will be so anyone dumb enough to run for office should know what’s coming. I don’t suppose that you were grossly unprepared had anything to do with what happened in your campaign. Plus your leftie media pals didn’t like you much so they actually reported on your background and your policy positions. The voters crushed you at the ballot box. End of story and political career. Boo-hoo.
I just had to add to this. I realize from experience that most of what MR. Meister is talking about is true. He fails to mention it takes a great deal of money first and foremost unfortunately. It does take skin of a Rhino indeed! I myself have run for Screwell Board in Papillion/La Vista only to find the District itself my largest competitor. They used their Foundation to funnel vast amounts of resources into their hand picked Candidates, There are Photo’s of district Employee’s at strategy Luncheon’s with those Candidates, Other Candidates were allowed to campaign on Screwell Property, in fact they were given schedules in which to show up and campaign. The District made their Parent/ Student Data base available to them for mass mailers, some were printed by the District. I have been involved with MANY campaigns in Nebraska and Utah and Sadly the worst case of Fraud and Voter tampering was here! I was actually attacked in October, 2009 by the City of Papillion. I was told by an insider that they were asked by the District to ” Get me ” A neighbor affiliated with the Foundation and Friends with certain Papillion City Officials made a complaint about my above ground swimming pool, Now keep in mind it was empty and winterized. I came home to see a yellow tag on my door saying I had 3 days to bring my pool to code, I quickly informed them that my Pool was not only perfectly legal by STATE statute, but it was EMPTY and Legal by CITY Statute. I asked Papillion to send me something to show how they could possibly say my pool was not legal, well.. after many phone calls and visits to the Courthouse I finally received a copy of the City Code, One problem though in the bullet points of the Statute numbered 1-6 they left out 3 and 5 which told them that my pool was in fact LEGAL all along. I went in to discuss this with them, having their copy and the one I found online and asked them why I was being attacked, and why they omitted the best parts of the code, They said it was an oversight, They then proceeded to threaten me with jail, and they asked me ” How are the Voters going to feel when the news paper reads Mike Weaver refuses to cooperate with City Safety standards?” Well… It is a good thing I was secretly tape recording EVERYTHING! Long story longer, I hired an attorney, contacted the News ( Which was doing a story on it) All of the sudden I get a call from a certain higher up asking me to come in and discuss this with him personally. I put in a new tape and went in to be threatened once again, I said I will not back down, they showed up at my house a few hours later with an armed Officer and another code enforcement official, and upon seeing my Wife videoing this, they got back in there cars and left. The very next day I was told that they were going to back down, I demanded an apology and got it! My pool has been used and NOTHING needed to be done LEGALLY as State Statute ALWAYS supersedes City code.
The point is, you need more than a tough skin, you need Money as I mentioned, you need tenacity, and you need right on your side. I find in Papillion it doesn’t hurt to have a Friend or Relative in high places,, like the Governor’s Son’s Father inlaw. Most important you must be honest with no skeletons in your closet! Trust me, they searched and searched, even credit checks illegally. I am seriously considering a lawsuit before the Statute of Limitations is up!
MR Sheehy is just another in a series of People appointed to high places by Our Governor only to be forced out for Skeletons in their closets!
Sasha, I don’t now if you are an intellectual comedian and I should be on the floor laughing or you really don’t see the hypocrisy and ignorance of your statement! If you don’t have an ego to begin with, you would not run for any office. Because those running always believe they have the answers. Just ask Ernie. Altruistic motives are always based on the foundations of personal belief and my way is the right way. 600 bills this year and that is a low number? There can not be that many problems in this state. We should have a filing fee of $500.00 for each bill submitted in the legislature with reimbursement for those that pass. Unless the fee is paid by a lobbyists. Then the fee goes up to $10,000.00.
So what Dan Brandt is saying, only the rich should be able to introduce bills. If this state has any problems, it stems from the rich and that will never change as long as the GOP control the Unicameral. I agree with Sasha, the GOP does this crap at the local, state and national levels. #shameful indeed.
Oasis, your ability to spin amazes even me. It is not about rich or poor. It’s about good governance with those willing to put their money where their mouth is to eliminate a lot of needlessly proposed legislation. If you truly believe that we need 600+ proposal for new laws each year, I would assume you would be looking for a way out of this state, and quick. Since you agree with Sasha I will explain this to you also, she states the Republicans will smear anyone as she smears all Republicans. (No I am not one) That is a hypocritical statement that is either well thought out for laughs or one made by someone who does not know what they are saying. You know the old saying, the pot calling the kettle black. OHHH, why am I even trying!!! Progressive has never equaled intelligence.