Candidate Endorsement

I just realized something pretty significant.

If I run for mayor of Greensboro, I will become the first candidate ever endorsed by the Truth Party.

And when I say that, I need to make something very clear.

The Truth Party is not a political party.

We’re not trying to become the Democrats.

We’re not trying to become the Republicans.

We’re not trying to get our name printed next to somebody’s name on a ballot.

Hell, I’m not interested in asking anybody to change their party registration.

Keep it.

Republican? Fine.

Democrat? Fine.

Independent? Fine.

Don’t know and don’t give a damn? You’re welcome too.

Because the Truth Party isn’t really a party.

It’s an idea.

It’s people.

It’s the idea that citizenship means something more than showing up every couple of years, pushing a button, and then spending the next two years bitching about what happened.

It’s the idea that ordinary people still have enormous power—but only if they actually use it.

That’s why I started this thing.

I went out and talked to more than a hundred people. Not politicians. Not consultants. Not focus groups sitting behind one-way glass eating sandwiches.

People.

Young people. Older people. Black people. White people. Gay people. Straight people. Conservatives. Liberals. People who vote all the time and people who barely pay attention to politics.

And the more people I talked to, the more obvious something became.

We’re spending an incredible amount of energy talking about what divides us, while we’re ignoring how much we actually have in common.

People want to be heard.

They want government to work.

They want their neighborhoods to be safe.

They want somewhere affordable to live.

They want opportunity.

They want their kids to have a decent future.

And they want to believe that somebody in government actually gives a shit what happens to them.

That’s the Truth Party.

There’s no secret handshake.

There’s no loyalty oath.

There’s no giant headquarters in Washington.

There’s no room somewhere filled with consultants deciding what you’re supposed to be angry about tomorrow morning.

It’s people.

And here’s where the idea gets interesting.

The Truth Party can endorse somebody.

Not because of the letter beside their name.

Not because they’re on our team and the other guy is on their team.

But because we believe they’re trying to accomplish the things this movement stands for: participation, transparency, accountability, community and government that actually works for ordinary people.

And apparently, the first poor bastard we’re going to try this on is me.

I’m the guinea pig.

John Eagleton for Mayor of Greensboro. Endorsed by the Truth Party.

That’s going to be a pretty interesting poster.

And I’m going to start putting those posters around Greensboro.

Not because I expect somebody to see a poster tomorrow morning and say:

“Well, that’s settled. I’m voting for that lunatic.”

It’s a teaser.

I want somebody walking down the street to stop for three seconds.

John Eagleton for Mayor?

“Who the hell is John Eagleton?”

Then:

Endorsed by the Truth Party.

“What the hell is the Truth Party?”

Beautiful.

Now we’ve started a conversation.

Because that’s what the next couple of years are really about.

I’m going to keep talking.

More importantly, I’m going to keep listening.

I’m going to keep putting ideas out there.

Some of them will be good.

Some will need work.

And I’m sure I’ll come up with a few that make everybody say, “John, what the hell were you smoking when you thought of that?”

That’s okay.

Because I don’t think leadership means standing behind a podium pretending you already have every answer.

I think leadership means saying:

Here’s an idea. What do you think?

Then listening to the answer.

I want young people involved.

I want older people involved.

I want business owners, artists, teachers, bartenders, firefighters, cops, students, retirees and the guy sitting alone at the bus stop involved.

Because it’s their city too.

And if this works, maybe Greensboro becomes an example of something much bigger.

Maybe we demonstrate that politics doesn’t always have to start with:

Which side are you on?

Maybe it can start with:

What can we accomplish together?

That’s the experiment.

That’s the Truth Party.

No ballot line.

No political tribe.

No requirement that you agree with me about everything.

Just people willing to participate.

And occasionally we’re going to find somebody willing to stick their neck out and actually run for office.

When we believe that person represents those principles, we’ll say so.

We’ll give them our endorsement.

And for the very first time, we’re about to find out what that endorsement means.

It starts right here in Greensboro.

It starts with one campaign.

One city.

One experiment.

And one slightly crazy 69-year-old guy who apparently looked at retirement and thought:

“You know what would make this relaxing? Running for mayor.”

So here we go.

John Eagleton for Mayor of Greensboro.

Endorsed by the Truth Party.

Not a new political party.

A new reason to participate.