One of the outcomes of a political system in which big money is required to get elected to anything above local office is that elected officials are disproportionately wealthy, and working people end up underrepresented just in the matter of who is in the government, making decisions—never mind our under-representation at high-dollar fundraisers and meetings with lobbyists.

So, as the effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gears up, it's interesting to hear that Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin President Mahlon Mitchell is considering a campaign to replace Walker. Mother Jones' Andy Kroll writes that:

Mitchell's role in the protests catapulted him into something of a celebrity among union members and activists in Wisconsin, especially considering that firefighters were exempted from Gov. Scott Walker's anti-union budget repair bill. Now Mitchell is eyeing a bigger stage: the governor's mansion. In an interview with Mother Jones, he said he was "seriously considering a run" for governor in a potential recall election targeting Walker. He said he believes Wisconsinites are sick of professional politicians not following through on campaign promises, and that a populist candidate running against Walker stands a better chance of unseating the governor. The ideal candidate would be "able to talk with common people about common issues," Mitchell said. "Tell 'em what you can do and what you can't do."

Several names are being floated as challengers to Walker, and Mitchell isn't among the most commonly mentioned names. Such a high-profile race would be a risk for a candidate new to politics—I'm not going to go the cornball "trial by fire" route in describing it, but you know CNN would—but the prospect of having a working person and a young leader of his union as the standard-bearer against Scott Walker isn't to be dismissed lightly.