I couldn't. My skin is too thin. I couldn't take the underhanded dealings, the attacks, corruption and blackmail that would go along with it.

Years ago, a good friend of mine who was a real stand-up guy and a straight arrow attorney was being encouraged to run as a judge, as there were some positions opening up. At the time, being a judge was a really prestigious, high-paying job with great benefits. He was the right age and had a completely blemish-free reputation.

His response was, "No thanks." When asked why, he responded, "Because then I'll have to join the 'Secret Handshake Club' and if I don't, they'll threaten me or my family, and if I still don't cave, they'll try to dig up something terrible about me and when they don't find anything, they'll manufacture something even worse and career-ending and ruin me."

I didn't quite get it then, but I sure do now. I mean, look what they did to Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. Who can survive that?