What I've been reading lately

I have some very exciting things planned for myself and this blog coming up but it's leaving me with scant time to write as I would like to. Still there is so much going on in the world that I'd like to discuss with you and share so I've decided to start a weekly roundup of campaign and election-related material that I've found interesting.

Here is round one:

You Don't Have to Like Bernie Sanders to Like Bernie Sanders on Jezebel
This is possibly the most eloquent expression of my feelings on Bernie Sanders' 2020 candidacy and I didn't even write it. For lefty progressive women who are not comfortable with Bernie or those trying to understand us, this is a great read.
Female Donors Gaining Influence as 2020 Kicks Off on OpenSecrets
I wrote and thought a lot about women donors in grad school so I am always interested in following these trends. Where a candidate's money comes from, including gender breakdown of donors, says a lot about them and the trends show that women are leveraging our economic power to our political advantage like never before.
The Electability Trap from WaPo
Enough with this "but other people won't elect a woman" bullshit. It's a trope and a lie that only perpetuates itself.
The Shutdown Made Sara Nelson America's Most Powerful Flight Attendant from the New York Times
Trust me, you're going to love this woman.
Ranch Lady on the Hill and elsewhere
This is the most quintessential Iowa Caucus moment ever to ranch on ranch dressing. The intimate setting. The entitlement. The ranch. If I had to summarize the caucus experience in nutshell, this would be it.
Bernie Sanders Asks Surrogates to Engage Respectfully With Democratic Rivals
It's been really interesting to watch the dialectic in Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign of trying to do better and old habits dying hard.
Dollars on the Margins from New York Times Magazine
To quote straight from the piece "A living wage is an antidepressant. It is a sleep aid. A diet. A stress reliever. It is a contraceptive, preventing teenage pregnancy.It prevents premature death. It shields children from neglect."
Campaign Culture Must Change by Brice Barnes on Medium "Campaigns are the last species of business to adapt to change. It is the ultimate workplace where there are no rules, no boundaries, no employment handbook, and typically no formal Human Resources department. Everything goes and it truly is the survival of the fittest and strongest. As a professional in the land of no rules, especially as a woman, and even more so as a mom, I find myself working within an industry lacking a handbook for people like me." I am feeling this so hard as I think about my next steps in my career path, my desire to be in the same place as my husband and to eventually start a family. Weird how you guys started crying.
Elizabeth Warren is Not Doing Call Time or Fundraisers on CNN and elsewhere
It should be noted that Bernie Sanders had this same policy in 2016. And it makes sense...if you're in a crowded primary and running against special interests. That said, an I cannot stress this enough, Democratic donors large and small know who Sanders and Warren are and where to find them. Candidates: unless you are a national name you still have to do call time. Sorry.

What are you reading? What else should I read? Let me know if you liked this round up and you'd like to see more.



Campaign Love and Mine,

Nancy

The First Modern Presidential Campaign

I have this joke with friends who are indulgent enough to let me drag them to historic Presidential houses: Every President ran or participated in the first modern Presidential campaign. About 50% of the time when I visit these homes a tour guide will make that claim about the home's erstwhile inhabitant. In addition, as I mentioned in a recent blog post, I have been listening to Slate's excellent Whistlestop Podcast which has only reinforced what I have been saying all season: every Presidential election is an historic election. First of all, that's what history means. There is no such thing as "most historic." Second of all, a lot happens in 4 to 8 years. I'm not saying this year isn't special, even the most casual observer will note my feelings on our opportunity to elect the first woman President. I'm just saying the game has been changed before. Here are 16 examples of "historic" campaigns.


1789: George Washington: Okay this is a softball. First president, first presidential election although there wasn't much of a campaign to speak of.
1796: John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson: First contested presidential campaign. Also the first peaceful transfer of executive power which...was not guaranteed at the time.
1800: John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson: Rematch! The first peaceful transfer of power between parties under the US Constitution.
1804: Thomas Jefferson vs. Charles Pinckney: Twelfth Amendment! This is the first Presidential election in which there were separate ballots for President and Vice President. Previously, the runner up just became the VP which...had been a problem for Jefferson and Adams.
1812: Madison vs. Clinton, non William Jefferson/Hillary Rodham category...First wartime election.
1840: William Henry Harrison vs Van Buren Seriously you guys, I cannot recommend Whistlestop podcast highly enough and this was my favorite episode. Just check out the quote there from below.

"It is a garden of delights of electoral history. It is the Woodstock of elections. It is the Studio 54 of campaigning. It's the election that cracked it all open. All the gooey madness that we know about now: the empty appeals to the crowd, the false advertising, the paradoxes, the booze and the circus atmosphere all started with this campaign."

This election is noteworthy for many things including the idea of actually running for office (speaking on one's own behalf) rather than simply "standing for office," and being the first Presidential election with universal white male suffrage! 80% of eligible electorate cast ballots. Not of registered voters, of eligible voters. Listen to the episode. It's wonderful. It's also where I learned the etymology of the word "booze."
1856: Buchanan v. Fillmore First time an incumbent President (Franklin Pierce) had sought and been denied his party's nomination. It is also the first Presidential election to be Democrat vs. Republican. As you can see the 1856 election was a real embarrassment of nobodies. I'll still make my boyfriend/exboyfriend/gay boyfriends visit their houses with me though.
1896: McKinley v. William Jenning Bryan #ManyPeopleAreSaying that this is the first modern political campaign due to McKinley campaign manager, Mark Hanna who began using tactics like polling and direct mail on a large scale for the first time.
1912: Wilson v. Roosevelt v. Taft This one gives me feelings. And it gives us the rise of the Presidential primary system. Although the first Presidential primary was held in Florida in 1901, former President and my favorite historical figure Teddy Roosevelt basically forced a more direct form of nomination on the Republican party because he wanted back in the White House and figured his personal popularity was the best route to defeating his once and future friend, President Taft. Read the Cliffs Notes version here. Spoiler alert: It doesn't work but it weakens Taft enough that Roosevelt can make a credible third party run handing the election to Wilson.
1920: Harding v. Cox First election following the ratification of the 19th Amendment and therefore the first in which women could vote #BeyonceVoters
1960: Nixon v. Kennedy and the first televised Presidential debate. Assuming you have not been under a political science rock, you may have heard about that.
1968: Nixon v. Humpfrey First election after the signing of the Voting Rights Act
1972: Nixon v. McGovern First election after the passage of the Twenty Sixth Amendment which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. (Also something something CREEP something something Watergate Hotel...)
1992: Bush v. Clinton this was the first election to feature a town hall style debate in which ordinary citizens as opposed to journalists asked candidates questions. Town Hall debates have been a staple of Presidential politics since.
1996: Clinton v. Dole The first election in which both major party nominees had websites. Check 'em out.
2004: Bush v. Kerry, but notable for the way in which the Dean campaign leveraged the Internet and in particular online fundraising.
2008: Obama v. McCain Obviously this was the time field organizing was invented! J/k, j/k, j/k definitely not, but it is certainly notable because the Democratic party saw a black man (Obama) and a woman (Elizabeth Warren) battling it out for an historic nomination.


And there you have it! It is late and I've been working on this for a while so apologies for personal snark and not following a rule by I decide which candidate's name came first. I hope you enjoyed this peek into history! Let me know if I left anything out.

Campaign Love and Mine,

Nancy

Libertarian Candidate Gets Matching Funds

Isn't it ironic? Dontcha think?

President Obama 'Comes Out'...for Equal Marriage

This is awesome. And historic. Today President Obama became the first sitting President to unequivocally voice his support for equal marriage. I'd like to include the video but it's soooo new you'll have to watch and read about it here.

Not only is this HUGE NEWS for our country and for LGBT rights, it's also great news for critics who have been wondering if a second term would mean a more aggressive and liberal Obama unhampered by worries of re-election. The fact that he came out with this and other baller news (like the fight for contraception coverage) during his re-election campaign really says something. Sure it is a savvy move to reinvigorate his base, but also the right thing to do.

I have sincerely never been prouder to support this President. Thanks to Marianne for being the first one to send this to me.

Taking Back Religion: Weak

There's already a lot being said about this ad all over the internet, so I will let your own conclusions about what my thoughts might be. It is so offensive, such a parody of itself, that I would totally buy it as Jason Sudeikis in a wig.

My only explanation is that Rick Perry is throwing a Hail Mary, or as we liberals call it, a Homosexual Gaga.

No Public Funding for Presidential Elections

This would be huge news. Except there's no way anyone was going to win a Presidential with public financing anyway.