The Real World Congressman
Kevin Powell is apparently running for a seat in the 10th Congressional District out of Brooklyn, NY.
“I have watched America go through many changes over the past few years, because of September 11th, because of the war in Iraq, because of Hurricane Katrina, because of the exploitation and manipulation of our values and our differences, and I want to use my voice, in Washington, DC, on a national stage, in a way that affirms our humanity, not denies it,” said Powell via a statement.
“America is not the country it once was, but we are still not the country we can be either,” he added. “It is time for new leadership, a new generation, to push us forward, and I want to be a part of that wave of fresh ideas, of new visions, for these times, for the 21st century.”
Vote or die, people! A brilliant Colbert Report interview is on the line here.
(via SOHH)
Tags: Brooklyn, Congress, election, government, Kevin Powell, New York City, politics, The Colbert Report.
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Although I can admire Kevin Powell’s lofty ambition of becoming a candidate for the 10th Congressional District and using his talents to serve the public, its suprising that if he has held political aspirations, he would not have first sought a city council or state assembly seat.
Powell is a veteran of MTV’s Real World, a respected author and certainly quite capable of promoting and defending his ideals, but may be quite surprised at the viciousness of political campaigns. Having been involved in a number of political campaigns on a local and state level in California, I wish Powell much success on his first order of business which is to raise the necessary funding required to run an effective campaign. If he succeeds at raising such funds he can then set out to hire the consultants and strategists that are capable of winning a congressional campaign.
I’ll be first to stand in line and promote the inclusion of more people of color into the ranks of elected officials, but feel Powell would be better served by seeking a lower post from which he could hone his political skills and launch a more viable campaign for a congressional seat.
Should Powell succeed at raising the necessary funds and hiring the right talent, he then has the difficult task of garnering the necessary endorsements from current elected officials, as well as associations, unions and assorted interests groups that can sway sizeable voting blocks in his direction. The path towards a congressional seat for Powell will introduce him to the “Real World” of Politics and may find him making strange bedfellows in his pursuit of “fresh ideas” and “new visions”.
Whatever the outcome, I tip my hat to Powell and his willingness to step into the line of fire and take the heat in his pursuit of making America better.
from steven levitt’s “freakonomics” (pg. 11)
the entire book is chock full of interesting economic studies on assumptions and stereotypes.
powell may not have been in lower office before, but he has a ton of big business experience, is popular and understands the needs of his potential constituants. if he can cross-over into the labor arena and show he understands the issues, he’ll probably do okay.
and then colbert can interview him. ;-)