Presidential Walkabout: Audacity, Uncertainty, and the Road Ahead

OK.  As most of you know, I’ve got a crazy idea.  Most of you like it, some of you express concern. And I’m not sure what to do.  So I need to write it out, hear myself think, do a little pros and cons, that sort of thing. 

What’s my crazy idea? I’m considering doing what I’m calling a presidential walkabout, or presidential pilgrimage.  I’d write ‘Presidential Pilgrim’ on my guitar case, toss a backpack on my back, and hit the road. Walk around, figure out where to stay on a daily basis, interview people for my podcast (my podcast of which I have published not one episode, I acknowledge), be of service, and meet people wherever they are at.  Learn about the pulse of America a little bit. 

I really like this idea.

I’d start a couple revenue streams – a fundraising pot for my political campaign, which I believe could cover travel expenses and food, and a second way for people to donate to my personal life, so I could do things like cover student loan payments, and other expenses that can’t be covered by political funds. 

I’d spend all my time walking, learning, listening to political podcasts, working out my political perspectives, creating content for the socials, working on my podcast, and learning about America while doing what I can for people in the areas I pass through.  Hopefully living off the kindness of the people I meet, along with whatever money I can save between now and then.  Possibly sell all my stuff and live off that as well. 

It would be a little scary, and possibly a bit dangerous.  Not knowing where to sleep, possibly walking on dangerous roads or through dangerous neighborhoods, being vulnerable to whatever type of person I come across.  So…I don’t love that bit. 

But that’s the idea.  Would it work?  As chat GPT said, if my ultimate success or failure depends on making it into the white house in 3 years, sure, it’s a bit quixotic.  But then again, crazy things can happen when you take crazy chances.  Could my podcast catch fire, could my Instagram take off, could people be into my take on things, and want to support me? It’s possible. 

What about a lesser version of success?  Could I make some impact on the national conversation? That’d be a measure of success. What would that look like?  I have the impression that most podcasts and news shows are pretty polarizing: lots of media are one-sided, kind of propagandist, and spend a lot of time slam-dunking on the other side. 

How many podcasts are about trying to find common ground?  Shared values?  Discovering differences with respect, and showing curiosity about how people came to their political perspectives? 

And I think that’s going to take me to the white house?  Just because I can facilitate a respectful political dialogue, between a democrat and a republican?  Between myself and a MAGA supporter? 

Well, in a word, yes.  But that’s why I’m doing this writing.  To explore just how absurd my idea is.

But that’s just one component of my strategy.  I have my chosen profession (contractor – a representative of the working-class), my socials (broadcasting my stances on the issues), and my blog (where I get to explore more in-depth my stances on the issues).  I’d have the record of service I’ll be doing in the communities I pass through, and I’d have….the idea of the pilgrimage on my side.  Someone willing to walk, without a safety net, to get to know America…to earn the acknowledgement, respect, and appreciation (or derision) of everyone who heard of me. 

A drop in an ocean.

Egocentrism. 

Mania.

Self-sabotage.

Quixotic at best.

At worst…delusions of grandeur? 

This isn’t the kind of project that leaves a lot of room for doubt.  I kind of have to hold onto the delusion that it matters, that it’s working, that people will eventually pay attention.

So…

I’ve mostly gotten good feedback on this nutso ambition.  Everyone acknowledges that it’s crazy.  That’s fine.  I’m one of them. What about if I were the dog that caught the car and landed in the Oval Office 3 years from now.  Do I honestly believe that I would be the best person for the job?  That I could govern and lead better than anyone else in the country?  Or maybe just better than anyone else that is running? Given my complete lack of experience in government, it seems that there might be some gaps in my knowledge of how to run a tight ship. 

Given my stances, and the complete grassroots nature of my potential candidacy, however, do I think it would be possible to send a better message to the entrenched, monied interests that currently run American politics that the people no longer want them around?  I don’t think so.  I wouldn’t take a dime from anyone who wanted ANYTHING in return from me.  In fact, I wouldn’t even be trying to court votes, per se.  I’d be trying to be aggressively myself, personally, and politically.  And if that happens to align with what a majority of American voters want, then sure, I’d take the job.  But I’m not interested in taking the W if it costs one ounce of my soul. 

And that’s a big part of what this crazy exploration would be about – reconnecting with my spark, lightening my soul with the spirit of adventure, rediscovering the absurd wildness of following a dream.

Because why not? 

More than one friend has pointed to purpose as a point to this journey.  Right now, I don’t have a great felt sense of purpose in my life. And when your government is…sliding toward a vision of the future you vehemently disagree with, it doesn’t matter how many great dances you have, how awesome your D&D campaign is, how many pounds you managed to shed…none of that really matters when your civil liberties are being threatened.  When I look back on these years, what will I tell my proverbial grandkids?  That I remodeled a pretty sweet bathroom? 

Mayhap I could be more effective being political in other ways?  Supporting a local political candidate, or a national one at the local level, that I agree with, that has a better chance of winning the presidency?  Or perhaps it’s more important to take back congress, and I should put my energy to supporting someone trying to unseat a republican at the congressional level?

Maybe.  Hard to say right?  The potential impact I might make + the value of the lived experience of following my crazy dream vs the impact I might make + the value of the lived experience living my mostly enjoyable life.

Cuz that brings up another point – I love my life right now.  I have an awesome house with awesome housemates: we cook, we craft, we dance together.  I live in a beautiful place, surrounded by nature, and wonderful people, and the aforementioned D&D campaign I wrote?  It slaps.  I could focus up on my career, (or hell, switch careers, since I’m kinda sick of the contracting thing), get a job in politics, and ride out the next 4 years, hoping we take back the white house in 2028.  It’d be a good life, but for the gnawing daily feeling of not doing enough. 

But maybe I could do enough, if I got involved in politics here…………

Just a couple more ideas to work through here:

1)     Iterations

2)     Incrementalism

First, iterations.  It’s been suggested to me that maybe I don’t go on foot.  Get a van.  Put my tools in it.  Do service as a handyman wherever I go.  That way I have a place to sleep at night at the least.  One level of security that would admittedly take a giant load off my mind.  I’d be sacrificing the je ne sais qua of the walkabout mystique, but my chances of dying (or at least of great discomfort) go down significantly.

Second: incrementalism: if I want to do this thing, I could try it out a bit at a time.  I want to go by foot?  Start from my house, some weekend, and spend the night ‘out there.’  Try meeting people, and see where it goes.  Put the time into my podcast, see if it gets any traction.  See what kinds of roadblocks I hit. 

I like this idea too.

Conclusions: I don’t know.  Open to suggestions.