Marcus Williams files for U.S. Senate
Submitted by scharrison on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 1:17pm
Well, at least he's consistent:
Marcus Williams filed as a Democrat in the US Senate race. He actually really surprised some folks and got 13% in the primary two years ago, coming within five points of the much more heralded Jim Neal. I don't think he's a serious threat to win the nomination but he could have some impact on the race.
That 13% was 170,865 votes...
- scharrison's blog
- 1998 reads
Potentially Good News for Marshall?
People forget that Williams won more counties than Jim Neal. With Williams, Cunningham, Lewis, and some lesser known candidates potentially filing, it's looking more and more like 2008, when Kay Hagan was the only woman on the ballot out of five candidates. Then again, 2010's voters will be much more knowledgeable than the 2008 voters.
I always wanted to be the avenging cowboy hero—that lone voice in the wilderness, fighting corruption and evil wherever I found it, and standing for freedom, truth and justice. - Bill Hicks
paper idea for ya
Some enterprising political scientist should study Marcus Williams as a case of the "name on the ballot" effect.
The fact that this guy pulls in consistently high, sometimes double-digit numbers in every primary without campaigning or having any natural constituency or political base (that I know of, at least) is fascinating.
Marcus Williams
is a bright and articulate attorney who was a real leader in Legal Services a couple of decades ago, during the era when I worked for a different Legal Services office. (Legal Services is the old name for what has evolved into Legal Aid of North Carolina, the non-profit statewide law firm for poor clients in civil law cases.)
Unfortunately, in recent years he has run several times in statewide races for top offices (like U.S. Senator) without having ever served in a local or district elected position anywhere. It has undermined his credibility as a viable candidate.
I have never been able to figure out why individuals who could be competitive as candidates for elected positions if they would start at an entry level and work up, instead keep swinging for the fences the first time out--and sometimes time after time.
Dan Besse
sometimes local offices are not an option
I don't know Mr. Williams circumstances but sometimes local offices are not an option. One of the issues that my Mom is running up against is why is she starting with a race for NC House as her first foray into public office. She lives in the tiny part of Mecklenburg County that is not in the city or town limits of any of our 7 municipalities so she is limited to county commission as her only local office she could run for. The CC district she lives in is mostly Republican so her chances of winning would be slim but the House district encompases parts of east Charlotte that has a good chunk of registered Democrats.
I am not a big fan of people starting with Congress or State wide office as their start but we need to look at the circumstances of such a run.
Local or district
For an experienced community leader, state legislative office can be a perfectly reasonable entry-level elected post. Those are relatively small, local-level districts.
I'm not even passing a moral judgment on individuals who choose to run for a state-level office on their first time out. I'm just noting the serious drawbacks to such candidacies, whether or not winnable local alternatives exist for them.
First, they usually have no public record to point to for those who don't know them to evaluate. An individual may have achieved great things in life, in private settings, that are difficult to objectively demonstrate.
Second, their experience is less likely to be transferable to success in the work of the elected office. Working by persuasion and some bargaining with other elected politicians and non-elected interest groups involves a skill set that overlaps with success in business or professional life, but is also distinct.
Finally, as the ultimate political bottom line, first-time candidacies for high-profile offices are almost always exercises in futility. The candidate may be a great person with remarkable skills, but very rarely do they have the starting name recognition and financial resources to win, nor can they raise them during the course of a campaign. It's EXPENSIVE to get known in a positive manner by millions of people. A good reputation in your business or profession and a couple hundred thousand dollars just won't stretch to do it anymore in a state our size.
And kind of a PS, here. Not everyone who runs for high-profile state office his or her first time out is an ego-driven head case. Unfortunately, that's the kind of situation that tends to attract people who are. John Edwards? I rest my case...
Dan Besse
The legacy of John Edwards
He never held office before becoming a Senator and was able to win. Serving in local offices is not a pre-requisite, but it ought to be something that voters take into account, especially for state House and Senate races. There are too many legislators who do not understand how local government works and who do not comprehend that their decisions can impact local governments.
A Friendly Disagreement With Dan Besse
Without engaging in an exegesis regarding Mr. Besse's comments, I respectfully ask the readers to visit our website to determine for themselves which components of prior public service are functional equivalents of skills needed to be successful in elected office. Our website is: NowWeShall.com
Congrats
Hey Marcus, I checked out your website. Congratulations on your election as president of the Robeson County Bar Association. I hope that your practice is going well.
How's your running these days? I'm still at it, although my race times have fallen off.
Dan Besse