Fifty-some years ago, I expected that I would run for a political office “one day.” But for most of the past 50 years, I’ve believed I would probably be un-electable for most offices. Here is why.

I say too much. I would identify my positions. Most candidates avoid most specifics because they don’t want any potential voter to find an issue they disagree on.

I use divisive terms like oligarch, authoritarian, corruption, bribery.

• I condemn illegal actions by each and every presidential administration, from Carter through 47.
• Of course, the 2025 surge in blatantly illegal and unconstitutional acts is phenomenal, and we face a nightmare to unwind those actions and compensate those who have been improperly targeted.
• At the same time, we must unwind the [crankshafts] set in motion by 47’s team, which threaten a real civil war. (See “How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them” (2022) by Barbara F. Walter. https://amzn.to/3QK36v7).

I object to divisive terms like communist, socialist, libtard, agitator, paid protesters. (The Right has devoted vast energy to demonize and conflate the terms “democratic socialist,” “progressive,” “communist,” “agitator,” “protester,” and “activist.”)

I’m fiscally conservative.

• I demand rational arithmetic;  I don’t believe “number go up.”
• Legitimate audits of all spending.
• No earmarks.
• Strong limits on secret funding/projects.
• Strict measures against corruption.
• Legitimate audits for all gov spending.
• Billionaires must pay more & fairer taxes.

I’m socially liberal.

• I resist the Cult of Capitalism; the Market does not work for everything.
• Inequality is an escalating, crippling issue that needs to be addressed.
• We strive for everyone to have opportunity.
• We strive for everyone to have access to clean water, healthy food, clothing, safe housing, and health care.
• Genocide is evil.
• Eugenics is evil.
• White Christian Nationalism is evil.
• Diversity, equity, tolerance, inclusion, and accessibility are essential for democracy.

I’d like to be a pacifist. I’ve opposed nearly all US military interventions in my lifetime (too often silently).

I’m an atheist.

• I don’t believe in “God” as a deity; I accept God as a synonym for Love.
• I respect many of the messages in the Christian Bible and other religious texts & beliefs, especially the teachings of Jesus. But the texts were all written and revised by patriarchal men with specific local intent to control others.
• I despise manipulation of religious beliefs to favor elites and dismiss Others.
• White Christian Nationalism is evil.
• No government should ever favor one religion, nor treat people differently based on religious beliefs.
• (I shifted from agnostic to atheist after reading “Why I am Not a Christian” by Bertrand Russell 50+ years ago; my 2026 refreshers were “The God Who Riots” by Damon Garcia and “God is not Great” by Christopher Hitchens.)

I want to act too fast.
I want to act too slowly.
I seek consensus and compromise.

• I want to limit influence by absolutists, extremists and deniers.
• But we need to identify areas of consensus, and move with deliberate care, with some respect for the needs of many to adapt and adjust. 

https://www.markwelchblog.com/2026/06/26/the-democratic-platform-ill-support