If you want to be involved in politics and bring around social change, you got to get out there and shovel the cow dung. Many of the things you do in politics aren't particularly nice or honest, but if it gets the larger goal then it's a success. The best politicians are those who get the most things done for their constituents, and not those who are the most honest and have the most integrity.

Think about it for a minute in other realms. It's pretty hard to be a farmer unless you're willing to get your hands dirty, and keep the barn clean. Sometimes you have to kill a sickly cow so he doesn't make others sick, or he doesn't have to suffer. You might just have to shovel some shit from time to time. When you compost it or spread it on the fields, good results can happen.

Too much focus on politics is on keeping people's hands clean and being ethical. That is rather silly as politics is never about being ethical, it's about getting goals. It doesn't really matter how you get a bill through the legislature to improve air quality, only that it gets done. Sometimes integrity is the best policy for being successful, but sometimes it ain't.

So if you want to be successful in politics don't be afraid to play dirty and get your goals. Manipulate others, make the public change their minds. Stick your hand up the heifer and save the calf's life.