I helped lead a political campaign to victory using tactics I now regret
victory using tactics I now regret
victory using tactics I now regret I didn’t do anything criminal and not
I didn’t do anything criminal and not
I didn’t do anything criminal and not anything even remotely illegal and I
anything even remotely illegal and I
anything even remotely illegal and I helped elect someone I really believed
helped elect someone I really believed
helped elect someone I really believed in a true progressive he voted against
in a true progressive he voted against
in a true progressive he voted against the Iraq war advocated for single-payer
the Iraq war advocated for single-payer
the Iraq war advocated for single-payer health care helped the disenfranchised
health care helped the disenfranchised
health care helped the disenfranchised the year was 1996 and I was a recent law
the year was 1996 and I was a recent law
the year was 1996 and I was a recent law graduate hungry to make a difference in
graduate hungry to make a difference in
graduate hungry to make a difference in fact at my law school graduation when
fact at my law school graduation when
fact at my law school graduation when the photographer arrived to take the
the photographer arrived to take the
the photographer arrived to take the class picture
class picture
class picture he asked the class to smile by saying
he asked the class to smile by saying
he asked the class to smile by saying money and they obliged
money and they obliged
money and they obliged instead I threw my fist in the air and
instead I threw my fist in the air and
instead I threw my fist in the air and said justice and now here I was campaign
said justice and now here I was campaign
said justice and now here I was campaign manager for US congressman in the
manager for US congressman in the
manager for US congressman in the toughest reelection campaign of his
toughest reelection campaign of his
toughest reelection campaign of his political career our opponent was a
political career our opponent was a
political career our opponent was a young smart dynamo moderately
young smart dynamo moderately
young smart dynamo moderately conservative female state senator who
conservative female state senator who
conservative female state senator who would give us a run for our money and
would give us a run for our money and
would give us a run for our money and you know the challenge with winning
you know the challenge with winning
you know the challenge with winning elections right
elections right
elections right elections are not won by the ideologies
elections are not won by the ideologies
elections are not won by the ideologies of either side they’re won by the people
of either side they’re won by the people
of either side they’re won by the people in the middle the undecideds and it’s
in the middle the undecideds and it’s
in the middle the undecideds and it’s the candidate who can persuade more of
the candidate who can persuade more of
the candidate who can persuade more of those undecideds to break to their team
those undecideds to break to their team
those undecideds to break to their team who wins most of a general election is
who wins most of a general election is
who wins most of a general election is about messaging to the undecided so I
about messaging to the undecided so I
about messaging to the undecided so I guess it’s no wonder that I didn’t speak
guess it’s no wonder that I didn’t speak
guess it’s no wonder that I didn’t speak up when a consultant to the campaign
up when a consultant to the campaign
up when a consultant to the campaign suggested that our tagline be working
suggested that our tagline be working
suggested that our tagline be working people first what does that even mean
people first what does that even mean
people first what does that even mean and I guess it’s no wonder that I helped
and I guess it’s no wonder that I helped
and I guess it’s no wonder that I helped develop a negative TV ad that morphed
develop a negative TV ad that morphed
develop a negative TV ad that morphed the image of our opponent into the image
the image of our opponent into the image
the image of our opponent into the image of Newt Gingrich now we wanted to make
of Newt Gingrich now we wanted to make
of Newt Gingrich now we wanted to make the case that about for her was a vote
the case that about for her was a vote
the case that about for her was a vote for the Gingrich agenda and there’s some
for the Gingrich agenda and there’s some
for the Gingrich agenda and there’s some truth to that but to morph her image
truth to that but to morph her image
truth to that but to morph her image into his to depict them as one in the
into his to depict them as one in the
into his to depict them as one in the same
same
same was just not true but that didn’t Donna
was just not true but that didn’t Donna
was just not true but that didn’t Donna me at all at the time I remember pretty
me at all at the time I remember pretty
me at all at the time I remember pretty vividly sitting in that studio with the
vividly sitting in that studio with the
vividly sitting in that studio with the ad team some recent polling had just
ad team some recent polling had just
ad team some recent polling had just come out our lead had narrowed she had a
come out our lead had narrowed she had a
come out our lead had narrowed she had a real shot and all I could think of is we
real shot and all I could think of is we
real shot and all I could think of is we need to go bathe we need to go negative
need to go bathe we need to go negative
need to go bathe we need to go negative I remember sifting through photos of her
I remember sifting through photos of her
I remember sifting through photos of her until we could find the most on
until we could find the most on
until we could find the most on flattering one and then manipulating
flattering one and then manipulating
flattering one and then manipulating that photo even more until it was more
that photo even more until it was more
that photo even more until it was more unflattering you’ve seen these ads I’m
unflattering you’ve seen these ads I’m
unflattering you’ve seen these ads I’m not here for absolution rather I’m here
not here for absolution rather I’m here
not here for absolution rather I’m here to explore how the sting of these early
to explore how the sting of these early
to explore how the sting of these early ethical transgressions helped form and
ethical transgressions helped form and
ethical transgressions helped form and sustain for me a personal moral compass
sustain for me a personal moral compass
sustain for me a personal moral compass that I’ve come to rely on for the rest
that I’ve come to rely on for the rest
that I’ve come to rely on for the rest of a career in public policy it was
of a career in public policy it was
of a career in public policy it was actually these early missteps that
actually these early missteps that
actually these early missteps that helped me grow a commitment to elevate
helped me grow a commitment to elevate
helped me grow a commitment to elevate the debate I know we all have it that
the debate I know we all have it that
the debate I know we all have it that voice that personal inner ethicist but
voice that personal inner ethicist but
voice that personal inner ethicist but it’s our institutions it would seem that
it’s our institutions it would seem that
it’s our institutions it would seem that drown out this voice until we no longer
drown out this voice until we no longer
drown out this voice until we no longer hear it and then we no longer trust it
hear it and then we no longer trust it
hear it and then we no longer trust it these are institutions that drive home
these are institutions that drive home
these are institutions that drive home our duties to our shareholders that
our duties to our shareholders that
our duties to our shareholders that celebrate our profit motive that push
celebrate our profit motive that push
celebrate our profit motive that push political campaigns to the edge of truth
political campaigns to the edge of truth
political campaigns to the edge of truth and then reward viral tweets when they
and then reward viral tweets when they
and then reward viral tweets when they have gone too far have we tired yet of
have gone too far have we tired yet of
have gone too far have we tired yet of this hyperbolic state of affairs and
this hyperbolic state of affairs and
this hyperbolic state of affairs and where do we even begin to restore the
where do we even begin to restore the
where do we even begin to restore the ethical health of our institutions well
ethical health of our institutions well
ethical health of our institutions well I submit that we can start by changing
I submit that we can start by changing
I submit that we can start by changing the way we’ve been debating public
the way we’ve been debating public
the way we’ve been debating public policy our level of political debate has
policy our level of political debate has
policy our level of political debate has eroded and I think it would even shock
eroded and I think it would even shock
eroded and I think it would even shock our framers they understood the tensions
our framers they understood the tensions
our framers they understood the tensions between the branches of government they
between the branches of government they
between the branches of government they created them by design of course they
created them by design of course they
created them by design of course they understood the tensions between
understood the tensions between
understood the tensions between individual rights states rights and the
individual rights states rights and the
individual rights states rights and the federal government they certainly
federal government they certainly
federal government they certainly understood the challenges of taxation
understood the challenges of taxation
understood the challenges of taxation and the need to promote interstate and
and the need to promote interstate and
and the need to promote interstate and international commerce and while we may
international commerce and while we may
international commerce and while we may think that our issues of today are so
think that our issues of today are so
think that our issues of today are so much more Colette complex our political
much more Colette complex our political
much more Colette complex our political parties are organized around the same
parties are organized around the same
parties are organized around the same contest of ideas perhaps it’s time to
contest of ideas perhaps it’s time to
contest of ideas perhaps it’s time to remind each other that it’s not only
remind each other that it’s not only
remind each other that it’s not only okay to disagree but it’s essential to
okay to disagree but it’s essential to
okay to disagree but it’s essential to the health of our democracy to disagree
the health of our democracy to disagree
the health of our democracy to disagree but let’s look at the typical debate of
but let’s look at the typical debate of
but let’s look at the typical debate of today to do so I’m gonna propose some
today to do so I’m gonna propose some
today to do so I’m gonna propose some fictional legislation and I’m gonna call
fictional legislation and I’m gonna call
fictional legislation and I’m gonna call my legislation shoes for schools this
my legislation shoes for schools this
my legislation shoes for schools this bill proposes using federal education
bill proposes using federal education
bill proposes using federal education funding to provide a stipend for
funding to provide a stipend for
funding to provide a stipend for low-income families who are struggling
low-income families who are struggling
low-income families who are struggling with back-to-school expenses
with back-to-school expenses
with back-to-school expenses like shoes our hope is that by providing
like shoes our hope is that by providing
like shoes our hope is that by providing this stipend students from low-income
this stipend students from low-income
this stipend students from low-income families will improve school attendance
families will improve school attendance
families will improve school attendance and thereby school performance so in the
and thereby school performance so in the
and thereby school performance so in the typical debate of today a typical
typical debate of today a typical
typical debate of today a typical response to a proposal like shoes for
response to a proposal like shoes for
response to a proposal like shoes for schools looks like this party a responds
schools looks like this party a responds
schools looks like this party a responds with you’re a wasteful spending right
with you’re a wasteful spending right
with you’re a wasteful spending right and then party B responds with if you
and then party B responds with if you
and then party B responds with if you don’t like this program then you hate
don’t like this program then you hate
don’t like this program then you hate the poor it might have in my job as an
the poor it might have in my job as an
the poor it might have in my job as an advocate for issues that affect
advocate for issues that affect
advocate for issues that affect low-income populations I see this debate
low-income populations I see this debate
low-income populations I see this debate play out again and again your wasteful
play out again and again your wasteful
play out again and again your wasteful spending your hater
and sometimes this debate is disguised a
and sometimes this debate is disguised a little so one side says you’re wasteful
little so one side says you’re wasteful
little so one side says you’re wasteful spending
spending
spending data point data point data point and the
data point data point data point and the
data point data point data point and the other side says you’re hater you know
other side says you’re hater you know
other side says you’re hater you know the data point data point data point but
the data point data point data point but
the data point data point data point but we’re still back to name-calling with
we’re still back to name-calling with
we’re still back to name-calling with data points but what if we really valued
data points but what if we really valued
data points but what if we really valued that contest of ideas what if we were
that contest of ideas what if we were
that contest of ideas what if we were careful with language and claims of
careful with language and claims of
careful with language and claims of urgency
urgency
urgency what if our debate looked more like this
what if our debate looked more like this
what if our debate looked more like this what if party a said yes we have low
what if party a said yes we have low
what if party a said yes we have low income families who struggle but a
income families who struggle but a
income families who struggle but a costly federal government program is not
costly federal government program is not
costly federal government program is not the way to go instead we should provide
the way to go instead we should provide
the way to go instead we should provide market incentives and meet families
market incentives and meet families
market incentives and meet families needs at the local level what if party B
needs at the local level what if party B
needs at the local level what if party B said ok government can be costly and
said ok government can be costly and
said ok government can be costly and market incentives do work but they can
market incentives do work but they can
market incentives do work but they can be uneven and region by region they
be uneven and region by region they
be uneven and region by region they could be different and they don’t
could be different and they don’t
could be different and they don’t protect families against discrimination
protect families against discrimination
protect families against discrimination so let’s have a comprehensive federal
so let’s have a comprehensive federal
so let’s have a comprehensive federal program that ensures fairness now how
program that ensures fairness now how
program that ensures fairness now how much harder was it to have that kind of
much harder was it to have that kind of
much harder was it to have that kind of debate you know clearly not that hard to
take this even further the
take this even further the superficiality of our current debate is
superficiality of our current debate is
superficiality of our current debate is creating an informational void and it’s
creating an informational void and it’s
creating an informational void and it’s also creating some organizational chaos
also creating some organizational chaos
also creating some organizational chaos the new generation of the party faithful
the new generation of the party faithful
the new generation of the party faithful may not understand right now what
may not understand right now what
may not understand right now what they’re supposed to be faithful to what
they’re supposed to be faithful to what
they’re supposed to be faithful to what I like about the yes but instead model
I like about the yes but instead model
I like about the yes but instead model is particularly the
is particularly the
is particularly the portion yes government can be costly
portion yes government can be costly
portion yes government can be costly yes low-income families struggle this is
yes low-income families struggle this is
yes low-income families struggle this is the counter-argument right this strategy
the counter-argument right this strategy
the counter-argument right this strategy that many of us learned in high school
that many of us learned in high school
that many of us learned in high school debate club is now frightening lis
debate club is now frightening lis
debate club is now frightening lis absent from state houses and in Congress
absent from state houses and in Congress
absent from state houses and in Congress it’s as if our current desire to never
it’s as if our current desire to never
it’s as if our current desire to never show weakness is actually undermining
show weakness is actually undermining
show weakness is actually undermining our ability to problem-solve as a
our ability to problem-solve as a
our ability to problem-solve as a society progressive friends I think it’s
society progressive friends I think it’s
society progressive friends I think it’s time for us to admit that sometimes
time for us to admit that sometimes
time for us to admit that sometimes government can be really expensive and
government can be really expensive and
government can be really expensive and inefficient it’s gonna be okay
inefficient it’s gonna be okay
inefficient it’s gonna be okay conservative friends I think it’s time
conservative friends I think it’s time
conservative friends I think it’s time to recognize that we have a lot of
to recognize that we have a lot of
to recognize that we have a lot of economic disparity in this country and
economic disparity in this country and
economic disparity in this country and there are a lot of low income families
there are a lot of low income families
there are a lot of low income families who struggle and can’t afford basic
who struggle and can’t afford basic
who struggle and can’t afford basic needs like shoes after all if we’re not
needs like shoes after all if we’re not
needs like shoes after all if we’re not willing to name the problems of
willing to name the problems of
willing to name the problems of government how are we ever going to
government how are we ever going to
government how are we ever going to improve it and if we’re not going to
improve it and if we’re not going to
improve it and if we’re not going to name the fact that we have low-income
name the fact that we have low-income
name the fact that we have low-income families who are struggling how are we
families who are struggling how are we
families who are struggling how are we ever going to address their disadvantage
ever going to address their disadvantage
ever going to address their disadvantage so I’m proposing a pipedream no I don’t
so I’m proposing a pipedream no I don’t
so I’m proposing a pipedream no I don’t think so I think this is what democracy
think so I think this is what democracy
think so I think this is what democracy is designed to do instead let’s take a
is designed to do instead let’s take a
is designed to do instead let’s take a pledge to elevate the debate imagine if
pledge to elevate the debate imagine if
pledge to elevate the debate imagine if we asked every candidate for public
we asked every candidate for public
we asked every candidate for public office will you elevate the debate could
office will you elevate the debate could
office will you elevate the debate could we have progressive candidates that
we have progressive candidates that
we have progressive candidates that talked about the challenges of
talked about the challenges of
talked about the challenges of government and pledged to improve it
government and pledged to improve it
government and pledged to improve it could we have conservative candidates
could we have conservative candidates
could we have conservative candidates that talked about the challenges of an
that talked about the challenges of an
that talked about the challenges of an unregulated free market but still pledge
unregulated free market but still pledge
unregulated free market but still pledge to support responsible business as we
to support responsible business as we
to support responsible business as we grow hungrier for a more ethical body
grow hungrier for a more ethical body
grow hungrier for a more ethical body politic so will our commitment to
politic so will our commitment to
politic so will our commitment to participate more thoughtfully I can
participate more thoughtfully I can
participate more thoughtfully I can envision a day where I would be asked to
envision a day where I would be asked to
envision a day where I would be asked to speak to the merits of a program like
speak to the merits of a program like
speak to the merits of a program like shoes for schools and if that day comes
shoes for schools and if that day comes
shoes for schools and if that day comes I promise to do the best job I can make
I promise to do the best job I can make
I promise to do the best job I can make the best arguments available and get
the best arguments available and get
the best arguments available and get some good data to back it up but I am
some good data to back it up but I am
some good data to back it up but I am also prepared to lose the other side has
also prepared to lose the other side has
also prepared to lose the other side has a valid point of view and it’s by
a valid point of view and it’s by
a valid point of view and it’s by respecting that point of view that I’m
respecting that point of view that I’m
respecting that point of view that I’m inspired to be more on my toes
inspired to be more on my toes
inspired to be more on my toes I’m inspired to be a better advocate and
I’m inspired to be a better advocate and
I’m inspired to be a better advocate and I’m inspired to elevate the debate I
I’m inspired to elevate the debate I
I’m inspired to elevate the debate I would like to believe that we would have
would like to believe that we would have
would like to believe that we would have won that 96 race without the silly
won that 96 race without the silly
won that 96 race without the silly tagline or the negative TV ad I’ll never
tagline or the negative TV ad I’ll never
tagline or the negative TV ad I’ll never know but I do hope that the next
know but I do hope that the next
know but I do hope that the next generation of hungry idealists will take
generation of hungry idealists will take
generation of hungry idealists will take the necessary steps to recalibrate our
the necessary steps to recalibrate our
the necessary steps to recalibrate our institutions restore meaning and save
institutions restore meaning and save
institutions restore meaning and save democracy
”
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