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DEEP THINKING ABOUT AN ELECTION GONE BY

In a political world filled with rulers, pencils, patriotic magnets, emery boards, pocket magnifiers and, yes, even yard waste bags, I stood on the line of Dearborn democracy on election night with only a handful of red, white and blue business cards to hand to voters.

My friends teased that the election outcome might have been different if only I had given those glow-in-the-dark key chains to voters before they walked into their precinct to vote. Still others said I should have spent my money on a name change, preferably one such as Hubbard, a political name in Dearborn that dates back to 1942 and to this day still is like money in the bank.

It's one of the many aspects I've over-analyzed in my unsuccessful quest for a seat on the Dearborn Charter Commission, my first (and likely not my last) attempt at running for public office in the only city I have ever called home.

I was a little more naive than I thought I was. Even at the local level, politics is politics. Being a former Detroit News reporter and now a PR guy at Ford won't win elections. The two slates for Charter Commission spent the needed cash to get their positions heard and took eight of the nine seats. Dearborn Mayor Michael Guido's slate took five; three went to the second slate and one to, who else, a Hubbard. (For those keeping score, that means the Guido team will always have the majority vote.)

Please don't read my words as sour grapes. While I thought I worked hard, I clearly didn't work hard enough. Sure I put handbills into the doors of about 2,800 homes, thanks to the help of my sisters, brother-in-law, nephew, cousins, fiancée and Dearborn childhood friends, and had some great endorsements. I didn't do enough talking with more of my fellow Dearbornites. That is my own fault as I stayed within the strict budget I set for myself.

One thing I did learn is that campaigning in your hometown isn't as homespun as I imagined. Even at the municipal level you need to develop a comprehensive strategy and then have a laser focus and execute.

But even with defeat, there isn't a price tag for the bigger takeaways from this election. Such as the wonderful 2,577 citizens who did trust me enough to cast a vote for me (thank you), the invaluable learning experience and some of the amazing people I met along the way, including opponents, our current elected officials and those who keep our city humming along.

While Dearborn is different from the days when Henry Ford moved here to escape the big city life, we still retain some of that small town warmth.

How else can you explain some of the kindness I met while going door-to-door with my handbills?

One resident who at first appeared uninterested in talking to a complete stranger was minutes later showing me his woodworking hobby shop and then generously giving me one of his beautifully made cedar birdhouses before I departed. He even offered to loan me his tools to install the birdhouse at my home. "Just bring them back," he politely requested.

His kindness is just one example of why this city remains dear to my heart and why I will never leave it. It also is the reason I ran for Charter Commission - to preserve the very elements that make people want to live in Dearborn.

This is why I plan to sit in the audience of commission meetings and write what comes out of these proceedings on this very site you are visiting. The document we have entrusted this group of elected people to review - the City Charter -- is far too important to do otherwise. I was a bit surprised just how little some citizens knew about this all-important document. Dearborn's Charter is not unlike our national constitution in that it dictates the structure of the city, its rules and the by-laws that govern how the city operates. It essentially is the guiding framework of how the city must run.

That is the reason I have a deep interest in insuring my fellow Dearbornites are kept informed of the Commission's activities. Just as we sometimes have undesirable officials elected by good people who fail to vote, concerned residents can't fall asleep at the switch while the framework of our city is being reviewed.

Dearbornites will be hearing a lot more from me as I promise to become a more active member in this great community.

And who knows, next time I might even have those glow-in-the-dark key chains to hand out.