Krieger

Dark Jedi, if you want to be open about your views, then run as a minor party candidate, and besides, as a minor party candidate people will help you for free (assuming the minor party is organized in your area). What are your political views?

Also, have you ever been elected to a public office before?

Rusting Car Bumper

Wow. Green party. If me mentioned he was a squating monkey with green hair he still would have gotten the green vote.

It doesn't do much good to atheists to marginalize ourselves by joining marginal parties.

DC

PandaJoe

Keep the atheism quite until after you get elected (if you do ).
After that, let everyone know what you beleive, but remind them that you are still the same person they voted for. If any Church/State issues come up, try to come up with a good slant that makes it look like you are trying to prevent the gov't from interfering with religion. The usual saying is that we are trying to kick God out of the government, you should say you are triyng to kick the government out of God. Or something equally stupid, to make everyone think you are on religion's side.

ex-idaho

First I want to congratulate you on choosing to run. I think that is the greatest thing any citizen can do.

Second I want to offer myself up to assist you any way possible. I ran for the state house this past year and even though I didn't campaign (company transferred me and I was no longer in the district) I did pretty well. I ran as a Independent with the support of the Greens. This was a great way of running since I could form my policy ideas without interferrence and could get the support and manpower that the Greens could offer.

When I ran the atheism issue was a concern for me. I chose not to make an issue of it but never to deny it. It never came up. If it had come up I would have openly declared my lack of belief but strongly affirmed my belief that we are all free to believe what we choose that I will die to protect that right.

Look, if someone ask and you and you dance around it you look weak and like a panderer. We have to stand up and be proud of who we are and what we believe. If you loose at least you loose with a clear conscience.

Dark Jedi

Thanks for your support, folks.

As for atheism: I have a flaw. I'm honest. This could make me quite a refreshing sight in politics, but will play heavily against me in getting elected.

My plan is not to run under the atheist banner (There's a party I could get behind, though!) but to answer the question if asked.
I got my Unitarian Minister cert, and can play that card honestly if asked. ( I'm quite good at telling the truth, without compromise, but still letting the good side show forth).
Direct questions I cannot avoid, though. "Do you believe in God?" or "Are you an atheist?" I must answer with a straight yes or no.

Yo, Idaho!
I may use you. I am currently waiting for something to clear up, financially. If it works the way I hope it does, then I will be able to support my family for approximately 2 years without a job.
If that works as I hope, I am officially filing and announcing.

On that note, any info you may have on investment groups that buy patents appreciated.... Automotive and Nautical patent, geared toward luxury and high-end production vehicles....

I will be running independant. I would run Democrat, but the party is pretty enamoured with Stan Matsunaka. I have no hope of opposing him in a primary as an unknown. The idea of Independant with a third-party backing is a good idea. I agree on most counts with the Libertarian concepts.

A plus: I love to listen to the old folks talk about the past. As such, I am endeared to just about any I meet, nearly instantaneously. Continuing to visit the VFWs and such will draw me a LOT ov voters. (Ironically, as a Vet and involved in a war, I can visit the VFW, but cannot join. Religious prerequisite...).

All the info is helpful, keep pouring it on!

BTW, this is posted in an open forum for a reason. I will not be accused of hiding my atheism or of having a hidden agenda, should it come up.

Grad Student Humanist

Good plan! I hope it doesn't become an issue.

dangin

Just because an out atheist has never won, does not mean it will never happen. You guys are being realist, and I can appreciate that, but it's time to stop hiding. Look at the fucking prayer breakfast thread and see the way the country is going. Electing hidden atheists doesn't help anymore than electing protestants.

Conventional Wisdom used to say that catholics couldn't be president. I'd like to introduce you to John F. Kennedy.

Adulterers couldn't be president, take Gary Hart for an example. But Clinton kind of killed sex as an issue. No one cares about it anymore if the country is running well.

And let's not forget that Clinton toked, but didn't inhale in order to get elected. Well Bush snorted coke off of stripper's tits, and Gore smoked pot daily for a decade and both of them were electable.

If we, the freaking atheists ourselves, keep saying we aren't electable, how can we expect to change america?

Rusting Car Bumper

Actually I'd say that getting elected has little to do with our problems other than being a symptom of them.

DC

Krieger

The only reason open atheists can't get elected is because the US political/economic establishment uses fundamentalist religion to maintain its control over a majority of the population. The people are not a threat when they are only thinking about some "wonderful" afterlife.

Toto

Boondocks for Feb 6