The World According to Oatney

My Achilles Heel

When campaigning, it is difficult for me to stand for long periods of time, but oftentimes I can't avoid doing so, especially at Lincoln Day dinners and other similar functions, and friends tell me the hurting feet and the aching back show in my face. I sometimes do not look as though I am enjoying myself, my wife has said. In light of that, I think voters need to know exactly how I do feel about hitting the hustings and meeting the folks. I love political functions and anyone who knows me will tell you that I thrive on politics like a fish thrives on water, and if I didn't want to win or didn't want to try, I wouldn't even bother getting out to do it because of the personal difficulty involved in doing so. Most importantly, I love meeting new people and making friends.

I've never thought about my disability when considering whether or not to run for office other than realizing that I can't do it alone and that I need help and because I have lived with physical challenges all my life, it is second-nature in many ways-I can't let it stop me or stand in the way of doing the things that I feel called by the Holy Spirit to do. I wish that I could convey to every person that I encounter in detail what their support would mean to me, and fortunately I have had the time to do this with at least some potential voters.

Those who would vote for me for the Republican State Executive Committee will give me the greatest personal honor that has ever been bestowed on me. I will work hard to open the work of the SEC to ordinary Republican voters, and I will always stand for what is right, not what is popular. Most importantly, I will stand on conservative conviction in all matters, and I will work not only to increase our Republican majority in Tennessee, but to grow our great party among those who might previously have not considered us.

Labels: Conservatism, Elections, Republican Party, Tennessee politics

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 3:10 AM