| April 7, 2006 Editor’s Desk by Aaron Selbig, insurgent49 It’s been a political week here at Insurgent Headquarters. On election night last Tuesday, I took my ten year-old son down to Election Headquarters at the Egan Center. Having already subjected him to a trip to the voting booth (and an associated civics lesson) earlier that afternoon, I was afraid his ten year-old mind might burst from the sheer boredom of it all. He was beginning to get that “I’d much rather be playing Madden 2006” look in his eyes. He perked up, however, when the Egan Center began to bustle with action. Mayor Begich, reinvigorated after a long, hard campaign by his thirteen-point victory, strode into the room followed by at least a hundred enthusiastic supporters (and a couple of bagpipe players). Waving their signs and chanting, “Three More Years”, the Begich folks, and the man himself, were beaming with pride. After he’d given a brief speech and made the rounds with the media, Mayor Begich approached my son and I. He made a joke about an ongoing feud I’ve been having with a conservative talk show host, and then bent down to shake Gabe’s hand. All of a sudden, the kid was speechless (and this kid is never speechless). Mark Begich has that effect on people. He’s a natural born leader and, although I personally disagree with some of his actions as mayor, his passion and enthusiasm for the job (one he’s wanted since he was a kid) is undeniable. Gabe got to meet all four of the mayoral candidates that night. He was impressed with Thomas Higgins’ “Out of Iraq Now” t-shirt and, after we’d chatted with Nick Moe for a bit, he asked, “How old is that guy?” He’s nineteen. And he pulled in 1500 votes, many of them college students getting involved in politics for the first time. Towards the end of the evening, we spotted our friend Jack Frost, donning his coat and heading for the door with his fiancé Rosie. He looked tired. I gave him a hug and congratulated him on a clean, hard fought campaign. Knowing Jack, it won’t be long before he pours himself into another project. Afterwards, I was reminded of how easy it is to get involved in politics in Anchorage, and in Alaska in general. In a state with a small population like ours, your voice can be heard. Your vote carries more weight. It’s easier to meet and get to know your elected leaders, and easier to get them to listen. In California, for instance, how likely do you think it would be to bump into the Governor skijoring on the Coastal Trail? For one thing, there’s no way that Arnie is into skijoring. And for another ... does California even have a Coastal Trail? Hmm ... they probably do, but still. Here in Alaska, anyone can get involved in government. Nick Moe can run for mayor at the age of nineteen and, in the process, engage his peers in the process. Thomas Higgins can run for mayor (his sixth campaign for public office, I believe) while holding down a job as a stagehand at the PAC. Jack Frost can turn “Rambo prawns” radio fame into a legitimate run at the mayor’s job. Who knows? Maybe someday Anchorage will have a Mayor Selbig. Gabe Selbig, that is. |
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