Earlier this week, I wrote about receiving
AFSCME's endorsement for my city council race. I wanted to take a moment to talk about another kind of endorsement I've been getting, which means a great deal to me — the unsolicited public endorsements of friends and colleagues from my professional life as a publisher and writer. Nicole Lindroos, Matt Forbeck, and Ryan Dancey have each known me for ten to twenty years, and have been my competitors as well as collaborators at various times. At the risk of appearing immodest, here are some excerpts from their blogs commenting on my run for office.
Nicole Lindroos, general manager of Green Ronin Publishing: "It is precisely this incisiveness, this shrewd understanding of fiscal responsibilities and unflinching willingness to go to the guts of a problem that has made John such a formidable businessman. He would be an excellent asset to any board of directors, advisory committee, or council."
Matt Forbeck, game designer and novelist: "While I know next to nothing about Maplewood, I know John, and he’s just the kind of candidate any city needs. I’ve counted John as a good friend for years, and I’d trust him with both my checkbook and my kids, much less helping run a city in which he and his wife Michelle live."
Ryan Dancey, business consultant and former brand manager at Wizards of the Coast: "
I suspect that John’s politics, at least on the big issues, and mine, are quite different . . . On the other hand, I know him to be absolutely honest, rigorously logical, and compassionate. On that basis alone I would support him for any office he might seek to hold."I've always tried to run my business in a responsible and ethical manner. It's humbling to see people who have known me for such lengths of time give me a positive grade, and then some. Now my job is to earn such confidence from the voters of Maplewood.
Labels: biography, campaign 2007, endorsements 2007
