Posted by Admiral Joe P (Election Coordinator) in Question for the Candidates - About Questions
This question is for any candidate who chooses to answer.

I was in a conversation with someone discussing the election yesterday, and at one point my interlocutor expressed the following sentiment:

If only questions mattered other than to piss off the candidates…

1. Do you agree with this sentiment? Why or why not?
2. If you were in a conversation with someone and they said something like this, how would you react?
3. Do you think this sentiment is indicative of a larger problem with our club? If yes, what is the problem and what (if anything) would you do to solve it? If not, why not?

Joe

1. That’s an intriguing sentiment. I don’t feel I agree with it, at least not the way it’s said there. I can only speak for myself as a candidate, but I welcome as many questions as I can get. The more people engage with the process, the better off we all are. And even if someone did ask a question just to get under one or more candidates’ skin, others might still find the answers valuable. Which makes it all worth it to me.

2. In a conversation, I think I would find it disheartening. That this is the way someone sees a vital piece of our electoral process, is saddening. But it’s a place we can come back from, build faith in the system.

3. I see two problems within that statement. First, a feeling of disenfranchisement. Second, a lack of reason to engage. I want to lower the bar to entry in command, by setting aside space for people who don’t hold any government positions to put their thoughts and ideas out into command where they can be workshopped into complete proposals. Encouraging engagement, without needing to learn the ins and outs of command culture and all the bylaws might diminish or eliminate that appearance of a ruling elite, and emphasize that any contribution matters.

-Fleet Captain Sage Pennington