Just over two months ago, Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2022. This opened an absolute whirlwind of activity in the succeeding weeks. Punditry and horse trading began in earnest within days of the announcement. Republicans and Democrats alike are making the case that this particular Senate seat isContinue reading “What I’m watching for in the Ohio Senate Primary”
Tag Archives: Politics
We should stop calling it a vacation
This is NOT a “woe is them” post to earn your pity for elected officials. When they step into the public arena, legislators assume a certain level of public exposure. But I have a question for would-be advocates and their managers: when you’re telling your volunteers about the congressional calendar, and “a day in theContinue reading “We should stop calling it a vacation”
Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.
“Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.” It’s a phrase I first heard as a young lieutenant. Like many graduates of liberal arts colleges, I’d mastered the art of adding more than enough fluff to any presentation to fill my allotted time. But what my classroom instruction failed to convey was the lack of patience theContinue reading “Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.”
It can only go so badly…
It’s important, from time to time, for advocates to be reminded that their lobbying meetings can only go so badly. The reality of our work is that the worst response we can typically get is “no.” But sometimes that’s not the low water mark of a meeting. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve workedContinue reading “It can only go so badly…”
Prime time with POTUS
Are you planning on watching President Biden’s prime time address tonight? If not, why? Just a few years ago, asking that first question would prompt predictable responses. Viewership of those defining public moments was reliably high. But has it changed? I’d offer an observation to the administration about tonight’s address. Media has changed drastically –Continue reading “Prime time with POTUS”
The Audacity to Lead
Going much further than simply inviting women to the party, we need to make sure they have a seat at the table!
Campaign in Poetry, Govern in Prose
This will not be the last “big deal” in this congress or administration to advance through budget reconciliation. The process has big implications for President Biden’s team…
It’s quiet…a little too quiet…
If you’re a parent, you’ve come to know the duplicitous nature of silence. At one and the same time, silence is a blessed reprieve and an ominous cloud on the horizon. But in those waking hours, silence leaves us asking “what could those little disaster factories be getting themselves into now?” Except when we canContinue reading “It’s quiet…a little too quiet…”
Three Things to Stop Doing on Social Media Right Now – Advocate Edition
You need to cast the net you can handle in the water where the fish are feeding.
You Win with People
A few years ago, I was working for a member of Congress who decided to leave office before the end of his term. It was an absolutely wild experience. Just months earlier, it seemed he was on an entirely different trajectory. But on an autumn day he announced, without fanfare, that he would be leavingContinue reading “You Win with People”
Part of the Possible 