NA Confidential: Baylor for Mayor memes

Drew Curtis, founder of Fark.com and a candidate for the governor of Kentucky, offers an excellent essay about what he's learned on the campaign trail. There are many analogies with New Albany, and in fact, my only major regret this year is that I was unable to make it to the Public House in September when Curtis was there. Please click through and read the complete piece. It's a must.

Someday, Tech Will End Our Dumb Two-Party System, by Drew Curtis (Wired)

I NEVER THOUGHT I’d run for public office.

Of course I never thought I’d found an irreverent news site called Fark.com, run it for 16 years and counting, write a book, fight off a patent troll, go to business school at age 38, and do dozens of other things. But even two years ago I would have considered myself the furthest thing from a politician.

Nevertheless tomorrow, when Kentucky voters head to the polls, they will see my name on the ballot, as an Independent candidate for governor.

My friends thought I was insane to do this—why take on a year’s worth of tedious work to fight for a job taking on problems that likely can’t be fixed? Well, like pretty much all of us, I feel like the political process isn’t representing our interests. A couple of parties dominate the process, limiting choice and grappling for power instead of trying to solve real problems. But at Fark, I have seen how effective the Internet can be at taking down entrenched gatekeepers and empowering regular people. So this year, I decided to see if I could harness that power toward changing politics.

I based my run on a theory: that the Internet and social media have finally made it possible for a third party candidate to win. Regardless of how things turn out, I’m convinced I was absolutely correct. And I’m also convinced you’ll see more candidates like me in the near future. As a matter of fact you should consider being one of them. To help you in your run, here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way.