As if I don't have troubles enough

Heard from a friend yesterday. He'd just fielded a call from the local political Mafia. They're trying to get him to run for school board. He has no interest in it at all, but they don't seem to be taking no for an answer. The people ragging him about it are his friends, whom he does not wish to offend, but he's afraid he's going to make someone mad. So he calls asking me how to extricate himself from this mess without causing a lot of hard feelings.

I told him I gots no idea.

Said he'd called his older brother for advice and he laughed at him... for twenty minutes.

And then had the gall to tell him that maybe they were on to something and he should run. Don't you hate asking for advice and getting a response like that?

Personally, I don't know what to tell him, other than change his cell phone number, not answer the phone at home and just generally lay low for six or eight months.

Sooooo, anyone have any thoughts on this? I'd like to be able to give him some good advice if I can. The problem is that he should have asked someone with a little sense to start with instead of calling me.