What’s a political campaign without a little “Humor”?

Recently, I made an appearance on the Lee Elci radio show to discuss my candidacy and my hopes for Stonington. As I was being interviewed, I found myself intrigued. Most people wouldn’t expect a politically-based radio talk show to be a barrel of laughs, but there I was, laughing and enjoying myself. But why can’t politics and campaigning be fun and creative, while still focusing on important and serious topics?

To me, creativity goes hand-in-hand with successful leadership. The ability to brainstorm and come up with alternative solutions to problems is at the core of any great leader. Author Linda Naiman once wrote:

“Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. Innovation is the production or implementation of a creative idea. If you have ideas, but don’t act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.”

Yes, our town has had innovation in the past six years, but there is a key difference. What Stonington needs now is a little creativity to solve the same issues we have had year after year.

During my radio interview, we discussed my recent campaign tool where I went around Stonington with a Good Humor ice cream truck. In a Letter to the Editor, a reader wrote in that he was upset with my “sweet” campaigning strategy. I tried to find a creative way to get my message out to the people in a non-conventional way, just as I plan to do if elected into the office of First Selectman. I went around Stonington with my information card, explaining who I am, what my background is, and some major issues I would like to address. I engaged our local community in a political discussion through non-traditional means. Political talk doesn’t have to be stale and boring—it can have a sense of “Humor.”

It is my hope to take a fresh approach on different issues plaguing Stonington, so that we can really work on these collaboratively. We have to be more creative to find solutions.

And so, I invite all our residents to reach out and engage in a political conversation this week. Your elected officials are, by definition, public servants, who are put in office by the public. It is time to re-establish public trust and breakdown the formalities. My door is always open for opinions and discussions, and my freezer is always full of ice cream that we all know I’m willing to share.

Warmly,

Glee