I used to work as a finance assistant at a committee in DC, then I got sent to work on a campaign for the last couple weeks of an election. I noticed that the local campaign staff seemed really suspicious of me. Now I'm working as staff on a targeted race and even though my boss on the ground is really smart and my national desk is awesome they seem like they are always frustrated with one another. Is this type of thing common? Why can't we all just get along?
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Great question! This is indeed a common phenomenon and one I have often experienced myself. I also want to say I'm sorry you're getting caught in the middle. First let me address the why and then what I think we can do about it.
The frustration between committees or endorsing organizations and staff on the ground is based on a couple of a vicious cycles.
First off, DC and the committees have a map. By this I mean the DCCC, for example, has a certain number of seats it needs to flip or hold but doesn't really care which ones they are. When you're doing well--raising the money, polling competitively--you're generally going to get more support from them, both in terms of the direction you're going and in terms of resources. At the same time if/when the map changes and you're less competitive than other races, resources are redirected elsewhere. This can feel really frustrating to campaign staff and candidates since it's largely out of your control. In addition, campaign managers and candidates frequently make the point that early investment from a committee will allow the campaign to meet the polling and fundraising thresholds that DC has set forth for them in order to prove that their campaign is competitive and it's a lot easier to say, "raise $250,000 this quarter" than it is to do it. So there can be a little tension around this chicken and the egg phenomenon.
Second, not everyone is as awesome at their job as we are. Your DC contact might have 5 different campaigns telling them that the goals are too high, the suggested messaging doesn't fit their race, or that honk and waves really are important in their district. Even if you are the exception and these things (or others) really are true for you it's hard for someone not on the ground to distinguish between that and other campaigns that are just unwilling to cooperate. Similarly local activists and staffers are sometimes wary of DC politicos who have been known to come in with a one-size-fits-all approach and negate the value of local opinions and talent.
The solution, in my mind, as it is to almost every kind of of intra-campaign tension, is for us to cut each other a little bit of slack and have some empathy. We all want to win. We all think we have something to contribute and so it smarts on either end of the equation when it feels like your talent and experience is being negated. (This is easier said than done and I am reminded of a recent incident in my own life when I did a B- job at exactly the advice I'm now giving you.)
It also helps to come with evidence, or at least test a hypothesis. If you don't agree with advice you're getting, "I 'feel' like this will work better" is a lot less convincing than running an A/B test or presenting Analyst Institute tested best practices. Especially this year, no one really knows, well, anything. So unless an idea is so far out of left field it could hurt the campaign, almost anything is worth trying. Then if it doesn't work you've made a good faith effort to work with your supporting partners and if it does, then great! I've often settled disputes with candidates by saying "just do me a favor and try making the ask that way and we'll reevaluate based on what happens."
And if you're caught in the middle, as it sounds like is the case, my best advice is to keep your head down and not get pulled into the drama. As I said, everyone in this situation is ultimately on the same team and when you win no one will remember who was frustrated with whom.
That's all I got!
Campaign Love and Mine,
Nancy
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