This 21-year-old runs a town.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post magazine: This 21-year-old runs a town. (What were you doing at that age?)

[Indian Head, in case you were wondering, is located at the south end of MD-210 on the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland (map). It is as far away from the Capital Beltway that a driver can get and  still be on 210.]

Something huge happened in 2016, something we don't yet fully understand. There was such a revulsion toward politics as usual that America located and elected the actual least presidential person available, and he wore it like a qualification. Nobody has any idea how this is going to work out, because a revolution of this magnitude hasn't happened in America in our lifetimes.

But as it turns out, a much smaller revolution of the identical kind occurred a year and a half ago in a town of about 4,000 a mere hour from the White House. In an election in Indian Head, Md., the experienced, longtime elected town leaders were all thrown out and replaced by people who had never held elective office.

The least experienced of them all at anything, even in being alive, was elected mayor: Brandon Paulin, 19 years old, whose entire employment experience up to that point was selling raffle tickets at Redskins games for $10 an hour. He received more votes than all the incumbents combined. Whatever just happened the world over, it seems to have happened first in Indian Head. Is it the leading edge of the wave? Is this is a sneak peek at the new world order, where anyone but a politician can get elected?

[Takumi]

Hopefully he's doing a better job than Ben Wyatt.
https://youtu.be/8PgxVt4kdTk

[noelbotevera]

I'm afraid for my own generation to run a town. I've mostly seen my current generation tapping away on smartphones.


Dagnabbit, I'm old.

[nexus73]

I'm afraid for my own generation to run a town. I've mostly seen my current generation tapping away on smartphones.


Dagnabbit, I'm old.

Even older people with smartphones find them irresistible.  There's a joke that goes like this: Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man how to use the internet and he'll leave you alone for a month!  It's an old joke but the potency of smartphones combined with social media, selfies and apps have done more damage to the social order than if we had been invaded by pod people...LOL!

Rick

[Scott5114]

I'm afraid for my own generation to run a town. I've mostly seen my current generation tapping away on smartphones.


Dagnabbit, I'm old.

Most of the time when I'm in the breakroom at work, I'm tapping away on my phone. People probably assume I'm sitting there texting or posting to Facebook. I'm actually running a business.

There's an old saying about books and their covers.

[kalvado]

I love the tune of "you need to have at least 4 years of mayor experience to run for mayor office"

Maybe another quoteworthy paragraph from the article:

Ryan Hicks is the town manager, the appointed executive of town government, who is paid enough to live on. He's lived in Indian Head for most of his life and wants to see it built back up to how he remembers it, or even before that, when the town had a bowling alley. It is, he says with a good-natured laugh, a struggle.

He knew Paulin from years of town meetings but still was surprised when he heard the kid was running for mayor, remembering himself at 19. But he voted for him.

Just in case, Mr. Hicks was town manager for a while - I can see documents mentioning him in that position dated 2012 and 2008..

[noelbotevera]

I'm afraid for my own generation to run a town. I've mostly seen my current generation tapping away on smartphones.


Dagnabbit, I'm old.

Most of the time when I'm in the breakroom at work, I'm tapping away on my phone. People probably assume I'm sitting there texting or posting to Facebook. I'm actually running a business.

There's an old saying about books and their covers.

But I'm speaking for the majority. Of course there's the oddballs - the ones who need it for work, college, or in your case to run a business. Often times it's mostly just texting or social media. When I look at their phone screens, my suspicions are usually proved correct.

Still though, that saying is still accurate.

[Bruce]

Just because people spend time on devices, it doesn't make them incapable of holding office. You'll grow out of this phase of hating your generation soon enough.

I'm more worried about the generation of young, spirited people not being able to run for office against career politicians with no term limits and much more campaign funding. Not to mention not having enough financial stability to take time off from work to campaign for a few months, which is required even for tiny city councils.

[Scott5114]

I'm afraid for my own generation to run a town. I've mostly seen my current generation tapping away on smartphones.


Dagnabbit, I'm old.

Most of the time when I'm in the breakroom at work, I'm tapping away on my phone. People probably assume I'm sitting there texting or posting to Facebook. I'm actually running a business.

There's an old saying about books and their covers.

But I'm speaking for the majority. Of course there's the oddballs - the ones who need it for work, college, or in your case to run a business. Often times it's mostly just texting or social media. When I look at their phone screens, my suspicions are usually proved correct.

Still though, that saying is still accurate.

Do you have evidence for that?

[kphoger]

I have a strong feeling the whole town isn't going to go up in flames or anything.

[epzik8]

It's so funny because I'm also a 21-year-old Marylander (soon to be 22). I should move to someplace within the corporate limits of Bel Air, Aberdeen or Havre de Grace so I can write myself in as mayor the next chance I can.