An Unlikely Candidate: Reflections on My Run for Congress

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Arthur Sr. Lieber. An Unlikely Candidate: Reflections on My Run for Congress

Acknowledgments

Introduction. I Got My Butt Kicked, But . .

Part 1. An Unlikely Candidate in a Broken System. 1. My Decision to Run for Congress

On the day of the filing deadline, I hadn’t yet decided

The suspense was not quite over

2. An Introvert Runs for Public Office

Not your garden-variety introvert

3. My Relationship with the Democratic Party

Missouri’s Second District

My non-relationship with other Missouri Democratic candidates

Running a different campaign outside the Democratic establishment

The defining elements of my campaign

4. On the Campaign Trail

Talking with a teacher

Presentation to Lincoln County Democrats

A conversation with a values voter in St. Louis County

Meeting Steve Mosbacher, the Libertarian candidate

Running to the left in conservative Lincoln County

Here’s what I learned from that evening

5. Lessons from Barack Obama’s Website

6. Answering Candidate Questionnaires

What you should know about me, about my campaign, and Planned Parenthood

7. My Relationship with the Media

The Post-Dispatch and the Beacon

The Suburban Journals

Westplex 100.7 radio

The Beacon invites Todd Akin and me to write on issues

Journalists have a responsibility to inform the public about candidates

Local television coverage of campaigns needs improvement

My interview with Don Marsh on St. Louis Public Radio

Bill McClellan writes about my campaign in the Post-Dispatch

The Post-Dispatch makes several errors in reporting primary results

8. Reaching Out to Voters

9. Meeting Mr. Akin

10. The League of Women Voters’ Forum

The need for civility in politics

11. Video, TV, Billboards, and Yard Signs

Deciding to run TV ads

Billboards and yard signs

12. Election Day

Part 2. What We Can Do to Improve Our Political System and Process. 13. We Need Better Candidates for Public Office

Political dynasties prevent better candidates from entering races

Personal wealth makes it easier to run for office

Why introverts are at a disadvantage in politics

Politics has become complicated and compromised

Reducing the role of money in politics

An instant-runoff voting system

14. We Need Better Media Coverage of Campaigns

Local television: image, money, and advertising

Local PBS affiliate and “Donnybrook”

Newspaper coverage: The Post-Dispatch and the Beacon

The role of local progressive blogs

15. We Need Schools that Prepare Students for Democracy

Transitioning our schools to help students become active citizens

We need empathetic and supportive teachers

16. We Need a More Engaged and Informed Electorate

The role of emotion in politics

17. We Need Structural Change in Our Government

State governments present the biggest obstacle to societal change

Civil rights vs. states’ rights in the 1960s

Appendix 1. Campaign Strategy

What we learned from our use of direct mail

Going door-to door

Appendix 2. Don’t-nate

Appendix 3. Statistics

Notes

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Thanks to my wife, Gloria Bilchik, who encouraged me without pressure to enter this race if no other Democrat did. Gloria was also a terrific “coach” during the campaign, helping me learn to be more succinct and clear.

Thanks to Gloria’s mother, Mildred Shur, who with words that I will not repeat here gave me the ultimate incentive to run.

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Thanks to Carol Miller Lieber, who partnered with me in starting a new school, who helped me not to become a “Limousine Liberal,” and who may have taught me the most valuable three words in trying to connect actions with words: “practice the process.” It’s the best antidote I’ve found to hypocrisy.

Thanks to my brother, Robert Lieber, who taught me the unlikely combination of patience and persistence.

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