Why I Wish Rosemary Bray McNatt Had Run For UUA President

(if Rev. McNatt happens to read this, I hope she sees this as the compliment it was intended to be)

I have been asked why I have been disappointed in the campaign run by both Hallman and Morales. I think it can be boiled down to one word: deflection. Both candidates deflect more often than they answer questions directly. And deflection can only go so far; at some point a candidate must answer the question posed or lose credibility.

That said, I think I should tell why I wish Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt had run for UUA President.

If you, like me, have read Rev. McNatt's memoir, then you know that Rev. McNatt can be brutally frank about the rough parts of life. No deflection there. And that's something that I think that the UUA needs...brutal frankness.

Also, I think there is something to being a minister in New York City....a sort of no-nonsense directness that Rev. McNatt would have brought.

A third thing....Rev. McNatt (I believe) has a following among many UUs that could be marshaled in a positive way. With that, I think there are some internal discussions that could happen (like the continuing humanist/theist thing....or what exactly we mean when we talk about congregational polity) in a different way because some people would come to the table who might not have before.

Fourthly, Rev. McNatt's former life as a journalist means that she has a way of communicating that doesn't automatically put people off. No "minister-ease" or "theology-ease".

But of course, I am seeing these things from afar. And maybe I am projecting qualities on Rev. McNatt that she doesn't have. However I do think that there are some issues that the UUA is facing that really could have used Rev. McNatt's presence.

The UU Presidency Campaign I Would Like To Have Seen

Robin Edgar asks me who would I like to have seen running that is not running. I think that's a great question.

After GA in 2006, a really well-connected UU friend told me that they thought that a friend of theirs was seriously considering running for UUA President. When I asked who that person was, my friend told me that they would tell me once that person made a decision one way or the other.

The person who was considering a run was.....Rosemary Bray McNatt.

But Rev. McNatt is not the only person who I think would have made this campaign interesting. Pluse the grapevine told me that Marilyn Sewell and Terry Sweetser seriously thought about running.

The candidate I think we needed in this campaign was somebody who has a real vision and is really passionate about being the public face of Unitarian Universalism. And could articulate that passion. I just don't think either Laurel or Peter are that person. But I could be wrong. Or it could be that I'm just truly disappointed in the campaign both of them have run. Who knows?

'None Of The Above' for UUA President

Now that we are 3 weeks out from the election of a new UUA President, I thought that I would throw my $0.02 in on the campaign and the candidates.

I endorse 'None Of The Above'. It pains me to do that but it is the right endorsement for me.

I have watched both candidates campaign and (hate to say it) find nothing inspiring in either one of them. When asked direct questions about how they are going to deal with certain things related to the budget and staffing, both deflect. When asked about things related to anti-racism (whatever you feel about the UUA's anti-racism programs, it is a legitimate issue), both deflect. All their answers seem like non-answers.

But most of all, what is driving each of these candidates to run for UUA President? What is their passion? While both Laurel and Peter look to be nice people and I truly believe that both believe that they can and will bring something to the Presidency, in hearing them at different candidate forums neither one of them sounds like they have a driving passion to be President. And I'm sorry, while competence is important, passion is just as important. And I don't see that passion in either Peter or Laurel.

So, while I know that either Laurel or Peter will be the next President of the UUA, my endorsement goes to 'None Of The Above.'