I noticed a theme lately in my conversations about Tucson Weekly staff writers and freelancers. The sentence often repeated, "Sometimes people love them and sometimes people hate them." Jim Nintzel falls proudly in that category, and after writing for the Tucson Weekly for more than 25 years, there's good reason. His latest pursuits is basically poking stick at a world most of us have little faith in this day and age—politics. At the last few media literacy events I've participated in, I've brought up this political poking the Nintz has been up to, because in each group there always seems to be someone getting ready to run for political office—big or small. It's nice to see democracy in action, and everyone feeling that they can have a voice and a vote, and offer themselves up as future politicians. God bless them. Seriously. Back in 2007, my first year at the Weekly as staff writer, I remember sitting down to proof a cover story Nintzel wrote, basically, "So you want to go into politics?" It was actually titled, "Campaigning 101: 10 Simple Rules for Running for Office," and I remember thinking it was brilliant. There we were in the middle of an election season, a season in which it seemed like everyone fancied themselves our next Pima County Supervisor or even, thanks to our Project White House, president of the United States of America. This is America, after all. So back to media literacy and the questions we field at different media panels in town—how do I get coverage, I'm running for office. I take them back to that cover story Nintzel wrote on Nov. 1, 2007. Eight years later, it's a story that keeps on giving. Ready to be the next McCain? OK, at least a smarter, younger and less press negative McCain, right? Start reading.
— Mari Herreras, mherreras@tucsonweekly.com
