I’m writing this piece as results are rolling in from Super Tuesday in 2024. As expected, former President Donald Trump is the story of the week, running a near clean sweep (Nikki Haley secured 17 delegates by winning Vermont). More than 600 delegates ahead of his only remaining Republican rival, no one is giving great odds to the “what if” crowd of folks trying to make hay out of process and convince anyone that we’ll see a race other than Biden v. Trump 2.0.
But that’s what we will have. We will have the same rhetoric from four years ago. We’ll see the same foibles and follies from both sides. We’ll see die hards go all-in for their side. And we’ll hear moderates around the country groan as they prepare to pinch their noses on the way into voting booths this November.
But for issue advocates, we also know that there’s another reality below the surface now that the real competition is drawing near. We know that the calendar starts to compress, and our work gets that much harder.
My message this week is simple: focus on what you control.
Don’t get me wrong, I think a lot of really important governing will NOT happen this year. I think ongoing spending fights, leadership battles, and yes, the general election will all bring momentum to a standstill on countless issues that matter to millions of Americans. But you’ll read that negative take anywhere you look in the next 8 months. And it will usually frustrate the hell out of you.
That’s perfectly normal.
Fifteen years ago, I’d follow these races intently. I’d look at polls every day and devour every news story. But to what end?
The race itself is beyond our individual control. The outcome is beyond our control. And its impact on the rest of the governing structure during the contest is beyond our control.
A few years ago I decided I’d had enough. That was part of the reason I left partisan electoral politics and jumped into issue advocacy. I knew the issues I’d work on would transcend volatile election cycles. Because our governing system doesn’t end with the outcome on Election Day.
If you’re committed to fighting for an issue, any issue, this year you may need this reminder I share with advocates at nearly every training session. It’s a reminder that the system moves on, and that neither success nor failure is permanent.
Nearly every time I’m with aspiring advocates I share a statistic with them that causes some surprise. Did you know that the average piece of federal legislation in America takes 7.5 years to become law? No matter the group, that reality tends to shock more than a few people in the room.
With all the coverage of our national politics, we can be lulled into a false sense of productivity. We find ourselves assuming that common sense solutions are common occurrences. But new ideas and new solutions take time to germinate in DC. Lots of time in fact. The same is true in state capitals and localities, too. Change takes time. And no singular election is a slam dunk for your cause.
No singular election is the final nail in the coffin either.
If you’re frustrated with the candidate options in front of you this year you’re probably not alone. Hell you may not even be in the minority. But fixating on that external reality is playing the short game. This year’s challenge to you is practicing showing up for your cause despite that frustration. How are you going to train that mental muscle? How are you going to commit to fighting like hell regardless of the outcome in November?
In the end, we only control whether WE choose to show up for what matters most to each of us. Even if it’s an uphill battle. Even if we are a lone dissenting voice. Even if it seems pointless. If you want to tap into real optimism for the future, you’ll have to find your own path to the belief that showing up, regardless of outcome, is what really matters. It’s how we take pride in our system and continue to make it better, one hard fought day at a time.
That’s why I focus on advocacy, not partisan politics, and why I hope you’ll choose to follow along in 2024. Because we’ve seen this show before. Maybe that means we can create just a little space to let it play in the background while we work – instead of gluing ourselves to the program. I’ll be working on that in 2024, and if that sounds appealing to you, I hope you’ll subscribe and work on it with me.
Part of the Possible 