I like to play games. I find it makes the campaigning much more fun. It also helps keep me focused on the task in front of me without worrying about the bigger picture — the omnipresent need to convince Philadelphians to vote for me on May 19th.

So, instead of constantly worrying about whether my campaign strategy makes sense or stressing about the intrigue involved with Philadelphia politics, I play.

Most mornings and evenings, I have stationed myself at a transit stop to greet commuters and hand out palm cards with information about my candidacy.

I try to see how many people will take my palm card without having a single passer-by refuse to take one. A streak of more than 10 is pretty good.

I count how many people report having met me already on the campaign trail. Sometimes, I hear “I already met you at…” more than 20 times in an hour.

The rest of the campaign is game after game.

I see if I can raise more than $500 on the phone while traveling between events. I try to lock eyes with every person in a room and coax a smile from each one during my stump speech. I attempt to sign “thank you” letters before I can finish lunch.

Now, I am not saying that these games are going to be all the rage at my daughter’s next birthday party (it will be a big sleepover for a gaggle of eight-year olds), but they keep me from getting worn down on the campaign trail. Feel free to come out and play along…it is always fun to have a volunteer or two accompany me on the campaign trail.

Visit http://www.brettmandel.com/content/volunteer to do so.

Thanks for your support!