I am thinking about running for Congress.....

[BrendaQG]

As you all know Barrack Obama has won a the presidency. The gov. of IL Rod Blagojevich will have to appoint someone to take his place. I think it is likely that Danny Davis will be the one he ultimately picks. He is not a popular man with a 23% approval rating, he is under federal investigation, and there is great pressure to pick a black man to replace obama.

The candidate you will see the most buzz about Jesse Jackson Junior may want to challenge Blago for gov in two years and would not take the job IMO. I am thinking it will be Danny Davis of the district I have lived in all my life.

If it is then davis's house seat will be open. The last time that happened there was a special election. I am thinking of running in the election. Likely as a republican or green party candidate. Here is my platform.

The first thing I would do in congress is sponsor legislation to reduce by half all congressional, and senatorial salaries and the salary of the president. Allowing for no increase in compensation until the recession has ended.

The second piece of legislation I would want to get going is a big public works bill. (of course with special attention paid to roads and bridges in my district. A bill that would provide thousands of manual construction jobs (i.e. lots of willing workers with picks, shovels, and sledge hammers).

The third piece of legislation I would want to work on is legislation related to fundamentally changing our nations energy economy. I would adopt and push the Tboone pickens energy plan, electric heat for the midwest, means methane powered cars for the US as the first phase of a conversion to a nuclear-hydrogen powered fuel and energy economy.

I am pro life, interpret the second amendment the same way as the supreme court did in it's latest decision (so does Barrack Obama btw), I am pro domestic partnership and ambivalent about same sex marriage. I am a fundamentally conservative person but I would not psuh my views on others. Though I am a black, transsexual I would not play the politics of identity (the politics that says I MUST be a democrat).

This is how I would run.

What do you all think would I have a snowballs chance in hell?

[BrendaQG]

Perhaps.

I only think I could win because of the properties of my congressional district.

[BrendaQG]

In the western area outlined in brown.* that is where I have lived all my life. Overall I am well liked and known for great smarts, speaking ability and intelligence. I think that I could count on good word of mouth here.

Then there is the area around UIC. It is full of UNIV professors and students who are on the whole progressive and open minded. Though even there I know of some soft bigots.

Then there is that near north side area. (So called for being just north of down town.) It is not "boystown" per se but it has more than it's share of LGBT people. It's hard to say how this area would break. Knowing that I would be running against the democratic party OR even perhaps in a primary against a machine* democrat that would be a tough area.

The area between where I have lived and am known and that little corner of Humboldt park I lived in for a year is an area where there are allot of church going black people. How they would break would depends entirely on who Gov Blagojevich picks.

That is going to make a big difference. If he and the democrat party bosses pick a white person, or even a black person like Todd Stroger ( The wildly un popular Cook County Board President.) to run against me. That would piss those people off. My greatest challenge would come from a young lady who is also from western Cook Co. She has been a state senator here in Illinois for a long while. I would have to convince people that I am the better person for the job with better ideas. I think the Cut all congressional, senatorial, and the presidents salary in half thing would have real impact. If news media reported that I proposed such a thing, as a real candidate for congress, then the lame duck congress might just go ahead and do it. (Congradulations new congressmen Half the salary).

[Oli]

How do you think the voters would react to your nude posing for a transsexual porn site and infrequent forays into prostitution?

[thx1138]

Just remember the most important tools a politican has are: bribery, blackmail and intimidation. More importantly as a Muslim you will have to present yourself to the Jewish lobbies, think tanks and afirm/prove that you are NOT "antisemitic". This is where the bribe money comes. :>)

[NYBURBS]

Look it would be an uphill battle but never look for validation or confirmation from a 3rd party. People such as Braveman might be "pragmatic" but little is ever achieved by listening to nay sayers. Worst case scenario is that you get to see how things work and speak to people about your particular message, but don't get any of the vote. What your background is with porn or escorting will come out in that but then again it all depends on the district you are running in and how you face that message.

Too many people want to leave public office to "professional politicians" and it is part of the reason we are all currently fucked. So if you have something to say then by all means get your message out there.

[thx1138]

Additional advice: don't use these 10 most irritating phrases: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...g-phrases.html

[BrendaQG]

Just remember the most important tools a politican has are: bribery, blackmail and intimidation.

LOL. Nowhere is that more true than in the county of C(r)ook!

More importantly as a Muslim you will have to present yourself to the Jewish lobbies, think tanks and afirm/prove that you are NOT "antisemitic". This is where the bribe money comes. :>)

One might think so but in this district that isn't really true. There really isn't a strong jewish presence here. What Jewish people there are by and large don't have a big problem with Muslims and vice versa.

The population here is mostly black and Hispanic. The only places where that would not be true is downtown Chicago, and the near north side area's of my district.

I have however noticed that I am treated differently by the people around here since I appeared there and said what I said. The one and only bad reaction I saw was a comment on a blog which mentioned "of course the fundies would have a problem with it." I had to let them know what's what.

How do you think the voters would react to your nude posing for a transsexual porn site and infrequent forays into prostitution?

Let me tell you a story. Not that long ago, just to the west of here a congress man named Henry Hyde (R) represented a Congressional district for about 40 years. When he was in his 40's he had a extramarital affair. That came out and he was still reelected by a land slide. He called that affair when he was about 40 a "Youthful Indiscretion". Well I am still youthful. Right?

IL republicans are not at all like the bible thumpers most are used to. Arguably the church and the moralizers have as much if not more influence in the Democratic party here.

@ NYBURBS

Thanks. I get where you are coming from. Depending on what the Gov does if the house seat in my district is open I will take a good run at it. What do I have to loose? Nothing. What do I have to gain. The political power play of the year by winning as a log cabin republican in the heart of Obama Nation.

[thx1138]

Good luck.

[trish]

I'm with you on the public works projects and energy policy.

I don't advise people to carry guns but I lived with guns all my life. My support doesn't live in die depending on one's interpretation of the second amendment.

My support is diminished, however, by your pro-life stance. I do really think a woman has the right to decide whether or not she wishes to allow a few hundred thousand barely differentiated cells to continue to develop within her own body.

I don't think Congress is going to do anything one way or the other about the choice/life issue or the gun issue. On the other hand Congress can create energy policy and it can create public works programs.

So I'm endorsing BrendaQ. You go girl.