As I attempted to run for Akron mayor, I was given a unique front row seat to the candidates.

I also got a lot of interesting off the record insight into these people too.

There is a part of me that really wants to tell you all the gossip I heard. Much of what Ive heard I have no proof of. Im not an investigative journalist. But much of it sounds really plausible.

You are fed so much bullshit by all the politicians in your life that I think it would be really nice to just level with you.

Thats what Edward Snowden has been for us. Love him or hate him: at least we were given the truth for once.

But ultimately Im probably not going to tell you the things Ive heard out there. Why? Because its not going to matter.

• Dan Horrigan will be our next mayor.
• Our taxes will go up because were massively in debt.
• We will get an arena downtown.
• Our water bills will substantially increase.
• Our population will continue to decline.

There is nothing we can do about those things because there is too much momentum behind Dan Horrigan. And Dan is not a visionary.

Im sorry. I wish there was something more hopeful I could tell you. But there is not.

In fact, the leaders of our cities across the country are mostly small minded. They got into politics because it beats working for a living.

I wish the world was full of inspiring leaders like Bernie Sanders and even Donald Trump. But its not.

The scariest/saddest thing Ive learned about our world on this journey is how depressingly void we are of good leaders. The best people are in business because money and capitalism are the actual leaders of America.

*American government is just a shadow of business.

But I will share a little piece of gossip I heard on the street.

*Ill tell you a little bit about what I learned about YOU.

I got to talk to many, many people in Akron. That was amazing. I grew to love being on the street with my sign. It was almost a drug for me. I loved being with you.

Talking to you gave me some pretty cool insight into your awareness of your government and politics in general.

For the most part I talked to people that were highly engaged in voting and the issues. Other people didnt have much interest in talking with me.

So the people I talked with were probably the most politically aware in our community.

What I can tell you is: you have almost no idea what is going on in government.

Its not your fault for the most part. You are legitimately trying to understand what is going on.

The problem is the information you are receiving is being manipulated from top to bottom.

From what you are told about issues and people on a ballot, to what you actually get to vote on on a ballot, to how something is positioned and written on a ballot… You are being played, manipulated and politicized from top to bottom.

Being an educated voter is almost impossible. Your news sources endorse issues and politicians. So they are biased and manipulative. Business throws tons of money at candidates and issues which is then given to marketers that know how to manipulate your thoughts.

There is almost no unbiased information out there. And then when it does come out it looks just like the biased information.

And then finally, even if you somehow learned the truth, youll find that it all leads to candidates that are just lazy, self-serving and corrupt.

It sucks.

So, ultimately, it doesnt matter who I think you should vote for mayor. Dan Horrigan and all his baggage will be our next mayor.

I told you that on June 16, the 8th day into trying to run for mayor.