I decided this time not to run as a County Democratic Committee person for a number of reasons. I only needed five signatures to get on the ballot and I probably could have gotten the votes if I had worked people sufficiently hard in September. I might have been able to even run in a district unopposed. Getting into such a low level office is relatively easy, but the responsibility and work it would entail would be more then I'm currently ready to do.

I would have certainly been able to do some good work on the County Committee, even as a first year grunt with little power. But I also would have the responsibility of ensuring people in my Election District got out to the polls and that they voted for candidates that would best represent the Democratic values. Those relatively simple tasks simply seemed too burdensome for a full-time college student who is working full time when not in college.

I wanted to be a representative that worked for his people and ensured that I always did what the Democrats in my election district truly wanted to see done in their communities. It's kind of hard to do that from Plattsburgh at school it would seem. I'm still moving around and would probably be out of the County in another year when I got a job. I simply am not in a period of my life to run.

Somehow I feel my excuses for not running where not unlike those made up by others who would be good representatives but could not find it in their lives to change our country and put it back in the right direction. I can claim that I will run in two more years, but it begs the question: if not now then when? We make too many excuses for not running for office when we should be doing more.