I was thinking about... politics

I think about politics a lot.

I’ve been doing it for a long time. My first memory is going door to door with my dad for Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign.¹ Working on political campaigns in New Hampshire is what eventually brought me to Washington as a member of Senator Warren Rudman’s staff.² I’m a political nerd. I remember conversations with colleagues about sports and saying, “I don’t follow organized sports, I follow politics.” Little did I know…

Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time reading tea leaves and thinking about the politics of policymaking. I break politics into two types. Election politics, where I started, and policy politics where I operate now.

Election politics

Election politics is lucrative, but fraught with peril. Campaigns end, one way or the other. As a political operative, you then must go hustle a new client. I enjoyed campaigns. They are intense, hectic, and exhausting. There is an end point where you turn your work over to the people and they go to their polling place and vote. I didn’t like being labeled as a “Republican” operative. There were Democrats and Independents I liked and who I thought would be a good, elected official. Crossing party lines is tricky, and I’m not sure you are ever “trusted” by your client or candidate.

Policy politics

Policy politics has the advantage of enduring employment. What I mean is if you understand a policy area, and spend time trying to see it implemented, you will confront the politics. In my experience, most people in the policymaking world are focused on the policy, not the politics. They have a deep understanding of the elements and conditions needed to achieve their policy goals. While I have the intellect and experience to develop policy, it doesn’t really interest me. I enjoy working out the politics of getting that policy adopted. In 40 years, I’ve learned policy, unlike campaigns don’t have a “use by” date.

Why does all this matter? Shouldn’t the merit of the policy be what makes the difference? If your goal is to change policy, then you need to see a path to do that. Wishing politics didn’t matter is to ignore reality. You must understand the reality of the political landscape. As the saying goes, “the map is not the territory.”³ If you do this enough, you get a certain feel for the politics.⁴ I may not be the smartest guy in the room, but 40 years of experience helps me understand the territory.

Making sausage

A recent example is the government funding bill (known as a continuing resolution or CR) passed in the House.⁵ I didn’t really care what was in the legislation, what was of much greater interest was how it got passed. The factors (and factions) that lead to its passage were instructive. Not so much for this one-off CR, but what it portends for future legislative action in the House. My sense as I bang this out is there is a movement toward normalcy. The members of Congress in both parties and in both houses are tired of tribal politics and grandstanding by individual members. We shall see when the CR’s expire next year.⁶

Elections matter

Members of Congress may be beginning to see the reality in the last few elections. Although I readily admit there are plenty of examples where that appears not to be the case. I continue to believe, Pollyannaish as it may be, that most of our elected officials enjoy their jobs (for a variety of reasons) and want to go about their work toward a result they can be proud of. I suspect the 2024 presidential election will be a watershed moment in the country. If we elect people who take the job of legislating and governing seriously, then the chances are good we will see a return to a time when our elected officials saw their job as something more than getting reelected.

What do you think?

So, good reader, are you interested in my political takes? If not, let me know. I’ll be writing them sparingly over the coming months if, as I hope, the winds are shifting back to a something worth writing about.

1. 1963 if you are curious

2. 1980 if you are curious

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map–territory_relatio

4. same can be said for fishing

5. CR is Hillspeak for kicking the government funding can down the road

6. “It’s stupid, you know,” Buck told Punchbowl news. “Impeach that person, censure that person, it’s all political, so members can go raise money and talk tough back home.”