"Jack. You don't have any governmental experience. Why do you think you would be effective in office."
"Have you ever seen the anime "solo leveling?" or maybe "Kaiju No. 8?"
"Can't say that I have."
"And that's why you don't think I have experience."
"How do two anime have anything to do with govermental experience?"
"Well, let's roll the clock back to me as a kid. I spent my summers and free time working with my father and grandfather on public infrastructure projects. Replacing sewer lines, pouring concrete, and laying asphault. So i'm intimatly familiar with what it takes to do an infrastructure project. As a young adult in post 9-11 America I was a ground security coordinator at an international airport working alongside Law Enforcment and Military personell to keep air travel safe. In my 30's I was a public Librarian in a county where the commissioners were doing everything they could to shut them down and hevily defunding the Sherrifs department, and worked to deligitimize public transportation while they increased their own compensation. I worked alongside the community to secure the Libraries funding protect them from the County Commisioners. And every step of the way learning about Law, Ecoonomics, Community infrastructure, and Tax Codes."
"And recently? No one has seen or heard from you in years."
"No one that knew me before certainly, but I've been active in the gaming community working on getting my social anxieties under control so that if/when I found myself in public office I'd be able to keep that anxiety in check and work with people that I heavily disagree with while searching out people that share ideals and goals with myself."
"Video games, really?"
"Well, in the Destiny community my team and I built a network of Raid Sherpas that opened the gates to new players and old players that didn't have their own teams. But unlike many Sherpa communities we avoided teaching exploits in favor of teaching the mechancis. We made sure everyone was active and not just relegated to sitting in the corner or running the content on their accounts for them. So that when they finished a raid with us, or not, they felt confident enough in their builds and abilities to enter the more toxic aspect of the LFG raid community to seak their own teams the way we did. And now I'm working to do the same in VRChat. While at the same time learning from the community that exists there and being reminded that no matter how good I am at what I do, there's always people better than me at other aspects of the same thing. Rather humbling really, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything."
"I don't think video games can prepair you for governmental responsibilities."
"Okay bud, you go in there and do what I do. See how you fair. I give you a day. Week at most. Month tops. Before you rage quit or get your account band because the communitiy pegs you as a narc or spy."
"Why don't they hit you with that?"
"Oh, believe you me if I wasn't who I was. Litereally there for the love of the game while at the same time trying to prove I have the communites best intrests in mind they would have. Hell, some coreners still try, but how is that any different than being in the Shark infested waters of Politics? People taking shots at you because they can, don't agree with what you're saying, or think you're being insincere. Learning to work with people ethically opposed, or working from a position of weaponized mistrust because of the abuse they've already suffered at the hands of people trying sell them the same thing I've been working to build with them."
"And what's the Mem?"
"Ha, so you have been following what I've been doing."
"Ya got me."
"You watch those anime yet then?"
"No, never watched anime before I've heard it's full of questionable content."
"No more or less than any other genre of animation."
"Long and short of it is that in Solo Leveling someone having to do what they do to help their family no matter how detrimental to their own well being ends up becoming the most powerful in their field because of continuing to work on their own. And instead of becoming cruel like many that do with that level of power uses it to help and uplift them, turning foes into alies."
"And Kaiju No. 8?"
"An older dude who works on a clean up crew after monster attacks suddenly finds himself with extrodinary power to fight the monsters while teaching the younger members of the team how knowledge and co-operation can be more effective than over powering force."
"I've heard your name associated with My Hero Acadamia. What's that about?"
"No matter how dark or dire the circumstances doing what you can. With a smile. And uplifting those that will take your place when age, exhaustion, or injury make it no longer possible to be the hero everyone looks to for guidence."
"And youre uh...hobbies?"
"Ah, yeah, those. Spoilers aside, those have been about finding a way to offer hope. Telling stories that anyone could see themselves in. After all, isn't that what Stan said about Spider-Man? Anyone could be under the mask, Peter Parker just happened to be his own stand in."
"Going to clean up your Language if you get elected?"
"If the occasion requires it I can temper my tongue and speak with elegance but I won't stop being me if that's what you're asking."
"The beard and hat?"
"Ha. Not a chance. I'll take the hat off out of respect or mourning but it stays on. I'm fairly certain I can find one that stays within the Uniform Code. The folks in VRC already put together an outfit for me that I think will work. Not a fan of carrying the guns, but then that's the responsibility. A heavy weight that you wouldn't wish on anyone to carry so you carry it yourself until you can find someone to help you carry it or to take it up if it becomes too much. Won't cut the beard or hair unless it becomes safety issue. But I'd argue that those two things show my sincerity and respect for the communities I'm hoping will trust me not to do to them what my predicssors have one."
"You say that like you've already got the job."
"Fake it til you make it."
"But you don't want that responsibility, why do all of this?"
"I think JFK said. 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.'" And I have a rare combination of skills that have the potential to make me succesful where others have failed and the ability to open doors for people that have never had them opened for them before."
"Sounds like a White Savior complex."
"More like recognizing where I come from and the world I live in and what I can do to help change that. Besides, no matter what these Jackasses in power might try to convince you of none of this is a single player or comp game. It's co-op with friendly fire, and as many of my teammates have learned over the years I don't put up with friendly fire. Purposful or accidental."
"Besides I'm just going to be there to Grade papers and answer questions. End wars if I can, prevent new ones if I can't, and by the end of it everyone gettitng a chance to visit the moon one way or the other."
"You're obssessed with space aren't you?"
"Just a kid that was promised the moon, given the shit stick in it's place, and trying to make things right for myself and others. If there's someone else out there with a similar background they're probably too smart to do something this dumb."
"You think running for the highest office is dumb?"
"Only a fool thinks they are the only ones that can do the job, and only a narcissit that thinks they know what's best for everyone."
"Isn't that what you're doing?"
"Na man, I'm just the doorman."
"China?"
"Competetor not enemy."
"Ukraine?"
"Russia needs something, I tend to find out what even though I'm pretty sure I already know and hopefully get the shooting to stop at the same time."
"Isreal?"
"The weapons were meant for defense not offense and that's a mess we're all responsible for cleaning up."
"Iran?"
"A new world Nuclear agreement with regulations even the U.S. will adhere too."
"Grocery prices."
"Africa"
"going to mind my buisness and offer help where they need it in the form of 'Docs and Chow'" got a friend in North Africa I want to check in on and make sure is doing okay. If not, do my best to honor his life's work."
"Mexico?"
"Work on an E.U. style travel arrangement with both them and Canada."
"Central and South America?"
"Well, first I've got to have a sit down with the Cartels and see if they'll trust me enough to help them properly clearn things up and then help form the A.U."
"A.U.?"
"American Union. Indipendent nations working together on common goals, free trade, free travel, open markets."
"You really think you can pull all of that off in a single term?"
"If I've done the prep work right, yeah. If not I still have to try."
"Why?"
"Because, my 10 year old self needed to believe people like my 40 year old self exists. Succesful or not, we try. Use the constitution as a road map, the voices of our ancestors to show us the errors, and the promise of a better world for our decendents the guiding star."
"Seems hopeful."
"Yeah, I mean, someone else ran on that platform already i'm just standing on it."
"So what is your platform then?"
"Foundations."
