Blog

The Internet, like anything else, can be used for good or bad. Too often it is used at the cost of our better angels. In my case, it provides a voice that I otherwise would not have. It’s a way for you to get to know me, so I can share my ideas. Together, we can mull them over, digest them, and mature and enhance them.

I expect that because I have refused funding from large organizations I will not be given much opportunity to speak on the major networks. It is unlikely that they will provide facetime to someone disliked by their sponsors and owners. I can’t afford sound bite ads on TV, so this will be my (our) forum. Since it lets me express myself more clearly and thoroughly, perhaps it’s for the best.

Because I have to work for a living and don’t have a whole lot of time to write, I will be breaking down these sessions into blog posts here. In these blog posts, I will flesh out an idea as best I can for (I hope) your reading pleasure and constructive criticism.

And so we begin:

I am a Democrat. I have always held values aligned with the Democrats. Even when I was an Independent, I saw myself as an Independent Democrat because I felt that the mainstream party had lost its way (more about that at a later time). The main reason I am a Democrat is because I believe in Democracy, where every human being has a right to one vote.

Democracy is a system that has functioned well, and been relatively stable, for over 245 years. That makes it one of the longest-lived, and I would argue, most free regimes on the planet. That’s saying something. The reason it has endured so long is that adaptation has been built into it. It is based on a brilliant system of checks and balances. But as citizens taking part in this system there is a debt we have to pay. We owe it our attention, our mindfulness, and our care.

When this system, this Democracy, was designed, there were so many things that were unforeseen, so many huge changes and so many complex problems. Up until now, our Democracy has weathered every storm. What a miracle! What a wonder! Right now, however, it has hit a bit of a rough patch. 

Entrenched organizations, corporations, and global interests are trying to wrest power away from the people. With their money and influence, they buy politicians so they no longer listen to us. They think they can do as they please because they have bought and paid for the government, and sometimes we lose hope and think we are powerless to stop them. They love that. That is their goal. That, of course, is how they win.

Underneath it all, however, they secretly fear us. They should because with our mindfulness, our attention, and our caring, we can take control at any time. We are already halfway there here in this state of Oregon. The amendment to the state constitution allowing campaign finance limits to be set, passed with 78% of the vote! I’ll bet many of you don’t even remember voting for that during the Presidential election in 2020, but you did. We did that, something people have been pouring their hearts and souls into for decades historically passed because you were paying attention!

Now it’s time to take it all the way home and set real limits to how much big businesses and foreign interests can give to political campaigns. it’s nearly within reach, it’s really possible!

That’s why I’m a Democrat, because sometimes we, the people, WIN. I would just prefer it to happen a little more often.

Thanks for your attention!

Patrick Starnes 

PS – This governor candidate is not accepting any Corporate money nor PAC monies only donations of $1000 or less from individuals.