Dems: Walk in the Skin of Your Recruits

Peter Hinga
Jul 10, 2017 · 6 min read

There’s a lot of talk right now about the DNC needing to recruit candidates for 2018.

I request that everyone with a megaphone in the progressive political space take a deep breath and step back for a moment. In a representative democracy, candidates should naturally emerge to represent their community regardless of partisan breakdown. A national party should spend less time focusing on recruiting others, and focus more on representing themselves as a team others should want to join. We are currently looking at a 58% increase in declared Democratic candidates compared to this time in 2014. That’s exciting, though I’d argue that is more in spite of the national party than inspired by the party.

To better illustrate my point, I’d like to set a scene.

Man i love a 3-piece

In the words of my idol, “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his [her] point of view […] until you climb into his [her] skin and walk around in it.”

With that in mind, let’s walk around in the skin of Kelly Nowakowski.

It’s 1997, and at 17, Kelly had no doubt in her dreams. As a star soccer player in her state and just witnessing Team USA win Gold the year before in Atlanta, she knew one day she too would stand on a podium with the rest of Team USA as Old Glory raised to the top of the rafters.

So, in her senior year on a cool autumn eve, Kelly knew her decision that night would have a profound impact on both her long term dreams and her life’s trajectory. Sitting at the kitchen table with her parents, a stack of recruitment envelopes sat in front of them as ESPN played in the background.

After a deep breath, Kelly opened her letter from UNC. The letter’s headline read: Crown Jewel for an institution of Athletic and Academic Excellence. As a die hard lover of Mia Hamm, this recruitment letter presented the greatest sense of validation in Kelly’s 17 years.

A bold Cardinal “S” graced the Return Address of her next envelope. Though soccer was her main dream, having just finished a paper on Sandra Day O’Connor, Kelly started to get an inkling that she wanted to serve her country through law after her time on the field wrapped. What better place to start than O’Conner’s Stanford?

Finally, the third letter to open hailed from her parent’s alma mater, Notre Dame. While her parents were supportive of whatever choice she made, Kelly knew they had been lighting a candle for the past four years praying she’d be a Domer. With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Kelly unveils a brochure that says in bold letters, “I mean, have you seen the other guys?” Simultaneously, a former player from ND comes on ESPN and says, “ND has one special skill, and that skill is losing.” … The table get’s a bit awkward.

Now, ask yourself, what team do you think best supports Kelly’s dream?

Fast forward 20 years.

After choosing family loyalty over personal ambition, while playing at ND, her team went through some coaching changes and nothing really gelled. After college, an injury she suffered while playing for a third-rate European team ultimately led to Kelly’s professional retirement.

Yes, I know Notre Dame won the tournament or were runners up in this period…this is a story people, deal with it.

At 37, Kelly is a beloved high school teacher and coach. She’s married with two young children and is an active volunteer at the local Planned Parenthood clinic. She also lives in a R+5 district with an incumbent who has yet to hold a Town Hall in five years.

For Kelly’s family, money is tight right now because her normal summer job in retail at the local mall is no longer available.

As a high school teacher and soccer coach, Kelly has had four students held back this past year due to absences. False rumors of ICE raids have kept many parents and children locked inside their homes, leading to parents losing jobs, students choosing absences in exchange for security, and a total breakdown in relationships between the town’s police and the broader community has occurred.

In the locker room, Kelly has overheard some of the girls on her team discuss how they are scared to go to the local Planned Parenthood clinic for emergency contraceptive assistance due to the large and emboldened crowds of protesters outside the clinic.

Witnessing all of this, Kelly is once again called to represent Team USA by running for Congress as a Democrat.

She knows that winning an election in this seat is a long shot, but to a woman who dreamed of gold and the Supreme Court at 17, long shots are her jam.

Still, she knows running for office will mean that all of her dirty laundry will be public. She knows that her kids will hear other adults talk trash about her, and she knows refinancing her home to loan a longshot campaign could potentially lead to bankruptcy.

Last week, our week of Independence, the DNC sent out a fundraising email with potential slogans for 2018 that included “I mean, have you seen the other guys?” And, on the liberal program AM Joy, the host, Joy-Ann Reid, stated that, “Democrats have one special skill, and that skill is losing.” The panel then laughed a little and the only pushback she received from three other progressive pundits was, “Oh, that’s not fair.”

To be clear, Kelly is a grade-A badass…but she put her faith behind a lackluster recruitment before, why should she do it again?

Before Dems talk about finding candidates to recruitment, the national party and public figures on the left need to first consider this: Are Democrats as a party worth the sacrifices it takes to run for office? Will this team have your back when you need them?

Are they worth risking your family’s autonomy?

Are they worth risking embarrassment to the hundreds of people you’d need to beg for money?

Are they worth the risk of being seen as a failure to your family if you lost?

Ask yourself, would you run if you were Kelly?

Personally, I think she should, and I’d like for those who make money talking about these things believe this as well.

Running for office in today’s world is a thankless position unless you’ve either been groomed for public office since birth, you’re a rich asshole, or you’re Louie Gohmert (how does that guy keep winning?!).

As an active member of the Democratic Party, I’m not asking for big grand plans for the future from national folks. All I’m asking is this, “Why won’t my public facing brothers and sisters hold pride in their beliefs and confidence in our values?”

I’ve had friends bunkered in their homes out of fear of ICE. I love that I can now tell my niece and nephew that they can love anyone they wish without having to strategize the civil union conversation to follow. I believe that if the majority of economic growth goes to one segment of the population, that segment must pay their equal and fair share of taxes so our society can keep functioning.

To the folks in the party with a megaphone, walk around in the skin of people like, Kelly or any other potential candidate before you go on air, or before you send out a blast email.

I’ll agree, losing to Trump is a painful blow to the ego, but pick yourself up, dust off, then CHARGE FORWARD!

Peter Hinga

Written by

Vagabond screenwriter and political hack.

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