Hi, my name is Ryan A. Farmer and I've been lurking on Daily Kos since I joined in 2017. During the 2016 election (and especially afterward), I was looking for somewhere that was at least somewhat responsive to reality. Something to make me feel less isolated and like there was a broader community of people in this country that weren't completely crazy. And I found Daily Kos, and it helped. Like all people, this site and this community are not perfect, but I find it strives to engage reality and make the world better, which has been comforting as I quietly read my way through its lens on the news.
Now, I am running for City Commissioner in Portland, OR. While we are all understandably focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot forget the rest of our lives, and especially our elections this year. From the smallest local elections to the Presidential and Senate elections, our votes matter in how we handle this pandemic, the next one, and all of our lives during and in between. The best action most of us can take to fight COVID-19 is to stay home as much as possible, and doing this gives us perhaps more time than usual to consider our votes this year. This is especially true as traditional campaigning cannot be responsibly continued, making it more important than ever for us to be proactive as voters, to learn the issues, the candidates, and the solutions presented (or not). This community is especially good at being proactively politically engaged already, but it is good to hear from time to time that, yes, it is important. And that kind political discourse with others is a good thing that should be done in polite society.
For those of you in Portland (or that are simply curious), here is my introductory video on why I'm running for City Commissioner (position 2). The transcript is below the fold. You can learn more at www.farmerforportland.com, on Twitter @RyanAFarmer1, on Instagram @ryan.a.farmer, or on my YouTube channel.
Stay home, stay safe, and stay well everyone... and vote 2020!
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