Saturday, December 05, 2009

Should Alan Khazei really be in this race?

IF he such a wiz at running no-profits and achieving the maximum public good out of sheer volunteerism and enthusiasm, then maybe the US Senate isn't the best place for him.
US Senators have to serve long apprenticeships, the job is level about one's pristine ten point program and more about your ability to negotiate with useless old golems like Mitch McConnell. It is hard unrewarding work and it takes a decade or more to build up the seniority you need to really influence things.
Seems to me that in all that time Alan could be extending City Year's reach, improving it's financing, founding new volunteer driven enterprises...In other words doing much more good than he could ever achieve as a freshman US Senator.
Hell, he beguiled the Boston Globe's editorial board into an endorsement, imagine those social skills at work on behalf of any number of public spirited projects.
I mean Humble Elias concedes the man has talent, I'm just not sure that talent is a good fit for the United States Senate where patience, tradition and deference to the rules are the big benchmarks.
Dollars to Donuts he'd get bored & frustrated by 2016 and take a flyer in the New Hampshire Primary whereupon we are all bound up in another Bay State Presidential melodrama...Dear Ghod lets give that one a rest shall we?

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