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March 22, 2006

Authenticity Matters Most

By Al Quinlan

"How will Democrats get out of the desert?" That is the million dollar question I am asked a million times. And after each election--each loss--a lot of familiar people go on TV and write articles, explaining their version of how Democrats can win again based on why we lost. They say, "We lost because of the war." "We lost because of abortion. " "We lost because we didn't talk about God. " "We lost because of taxes."

In 2004, the hand wringing was constant and it was difficult to watch. It was difficult to watch because the reason we lost became painfully clear. Somehow over the last 30 years, Democrats stopped being authentic.

We stopped being the party of the people, and only for the people. The public came to view us as "the Government Party" that was more interested in being part of government than in connecting with regular people. We stopped sharing our personal beliefs and only shared our policy proposals. We stopped giving people a reason to trust us and voters began to doubt our convictions. And we stopped believing that giving voters a sense of who we are and where we come from was a critical part of communicating. It never stopped being important to voters, but somehow it stopped being important to Democrats.

If Democrats are not in sync with what is important to voters, then how can we be authentic--how can we regain their trust?

Voters choose a candidate more and more based on who that person is, not just what they say they will do. It is a gut reaction based on how a candidate presents him or herself. Do they only talk about their 10 point plan on education or do they also share how hard it is to spend time with their kids? Trust is a two-way street: in our personal lives and in politics. If people trust that you respect them and are honest, then they will support you even if they disagree with you on certain issues.

It sounds so fundamental because it is.

Elections are not won based on issue checklists; they are won by candidates--real people. Candidates who are parents and trying to spend more time with their kids, not just policy experts on the deficit. Candidates who cannot sit down and watch a ballgame with their kids because of the racy drug ads and the violence, not just experts on tax policies for the middle class. Candidates who pray when their parents get sick, not just experts on health care. Candidates who worry about their neighbor down the street fighting in a war, not just another politician with a plan to win it.

Democrats keep presenting half of a candidate. We fail to present our personal side and that it is why so many voters fail to see us as real, grounded, and in touch with their lives.

But we can change this. We can revive authenticity in the Democratic Party. We can do this by first understanding how we reached this point, and second by recognizing and emulating authentic candidates we already have.

Democrats did not wander into the desert overnight. But if we want to find the way out, then we need to look at our footprints. It took time for this problem to build. We weren't authentic one moment and then just policy experts the next. And we didn't always believe that voters just wanted to hear about our policy ideas.

Our troubles actually stem from something very positive about Democrats. We believe that government is good. We believe that with the right ideas we can change people's lives and the country for the better. Government is about policies, issues, solving problems, and responsible leadership. It is a trait I hope never leaves the core of our party because we have seen what the corrupt opposite has done to Washington and the world today. Unfortunately, we wear the label of "the Government Party." Even though we are out of power in every house in Washington, we are viewed as "the Washington Party."

As responsible stewards of government, Democrats believed voters viewed their political debate through a prism of issues and policies. Republicans understood that voters viewed these decisions in terms of people: themselves and the candidates. That is why Republicans highlight personal qualities: who they are, where they come from, and what their core convictions are.

These different approaches to the electorate can be seen in the two parties' leadership and presidential campaigns over the past 30 years, beginning in the 1970's. George McGovern talked about the war and issues. How many in America at that time knew that his father was a minister?

President Carter was the peanut farmer in 1976. But in four short years, he went from being a "regular guy" to an expert on malaise. It was President Reagan who people knew best in the 1980's. He came from a small town. He rode a horse. He was a real guy. But Vice President Mondale had the kind of family President Reagan talked about. The Mondale's were close and deeply connected to one another. His father was a minister, too. But America only saw Vice President Mondale as the government and policy guy.

In 1988, former Governor Dukakis was another family man. His parents were immigrants and symbolized the American story. He was a devoted father and stood by his wife in troubled times. And yet it was the picture in the tank and his cold response to that terrible debate question about what he would do if someone raped his wife that defined him.

In 2000, anyone who collected a dollar for every time someone said "Gore doesn't look comfortable in his own skin" has a nice house by the beach. In 2004, Senator Kerry had a great plan; he just failed to show he had conviction and core principles as a person. And America chose President Bush--a very polarizing figure. It was okay that they disagreed with him on most ideas - he had conviction and they understood him as a person.

In election after election, Democrats have instinctively shown their desire to govern, solve problems, and deal with complex issues. This is another core trait of our party that I hope never disappears because so many challenges we face today are complex, and we need the best and the brightest among us to address them. But we have to believe that letting voters know who we are as people is just as important. We have to show our convictions.

This isn't about likeability or popularity. That is the mistake so many have made about President Bush. They think if we imitate him: ride a bike, have a beer, clear some shrub, then people will think we're a real person.

This is different. This is about presenting a story, a strong sense of self, and about communicating that story in a way that lets people know our moral compass is guided by a strong set of principles and a fundamental belief that the things we talk about are important to do for voters.

Think about it. If voters don't really know the candidate, then how can they believe convictions exist? In the end, our words are empty if we do not believe in who we are, and what we believe is critical for a candidate. It matters to voters and it must matter to us. This challenge isn't met by fixing our language and simply inserting "God" into a speech or talking about our parents. It's met by really believing that this personal connection matters--to voters as well as to our success.

That is why in these decades in the desert President Clinton is the exception. He brought forward the best traits of Democrats and understood how to speak to people. He made voters listen and gave them a sense of who he was as a person. He was, flaws and all, authentic. The lesson of President Clinton's victories, and the defeats of the others, is that we cannot lead without authenticity.

The good news is that we are half-way home. We know that our ideas are in step with the American people. They are with us when it comes to nearly every issue. The problem isn't with our message; it's with needing our messengers to believe that revealing their personal side is critical. We have to communicate that story too if we want to be seen as authentic.

The dimension and qualities that make up the authentic candidate are no more complex than those lessons some of us learned from our parents: tell people about your life, be decisive and don't run away from an honest debate, stick to your principles, and make sure that you always say what you mean and mean what you say.

The authentic candidate always makes sure that the voters know about their background. Not just the facts about what their father did or where they went to school, but how their roots, family life, and faith shaped their view of the world.

Governor John Lynch of New Hampshire was at his best when he described what it meant to him to coach youth athletic teams, and the lessons he instilled in his players. No one listening could doubt the type of man he is, and character indeed had a great deal to do with his successful campaign.

In 2002, a very difficult environment for Democrats, Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota was defined by his family and the challenges they had faced. He won a race that nearly everyone predicted he would lose, while other Democratic incumbents lost. Last fall, Governor-elect Tim Kaine of Virginia demonstrated a steadfastness through his faith. It helped him deflect a potentially damaging attack on abortion and, in the end, turn that attack into an advantage.

Another critical quality that can show a candidate's authenticity is decisiveness and shooting straight. When a tough issue or debate comes at them, they don't turn and hide. They say what they really mean, in straight talk.

Perhaps the most popular Mayor in the country in the past decade is Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago. His governing style is based on decisiveness, taking charge, and standing firm. Daley took control of the city's public schools ten years ago in what would have been viewed as a political power grab in most places. But he was given credit for taking a stand and taking responsibility to solve a problem. His decisiveness allows Chicagoans to trust him and trust that he will lead them.

As Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson takes stands on virtually every issue. No matter how challenging or complicated, he always speaks his mind. That is what he did recently on border security, a very complex issue. People on both sides of the aisle may find fault with his position, but taking a stand and shooting straight leads voters to believe he is a real guy who means what he says.

Too often, Democrats have fallen into the trap and failed what I call "the Conviction Test." We cannot run from tough issues, or simply try to muddy them with Washington doubletalk. If we are pro-choice in a pro-life part of the country, we lose more by trying to have it both ways. We have to simply say, "I am pro-choice, let me tell you why, and here are my beliefs." Understanding a candidate personally allows voters to trust that candidate's motivation. Why are they running? What drives them? Is it for some policy proposal or is it to improve people's lives? They get a sense that their motivations are in the right place.

The people of Philadelphia understood Governor Ed Rendell. They knew who he was and deeply believed he had the best interests of the city at heart. He didn't say that over and over again, he demonstrated that. They saw that he was Philadelphia. People knew he loved the city, and rewarded him with a deep trust.

These qualities matter to voters. It's what they look for in a candidate. Democrats have to believe that this personal side matters if they want voters to trust them to lead again. Authenticity will help Democrats bridge the cultural divide. Speaking from a place of personal conviction, means we can address pro-family ideas in a way that transcends abortion, gay marriage, guns, and God. We can show that we respect and understand that people's lives are centered around their kid's soccer practice and church suppers. We can stand tall and not hide from tough issues like safety and security. And we can slowly shed this image as the "Washington Party" and be a party of the people again.

When I sit down with a candidate to begin a campaign, I ask them to start talking about themselves as an introduction. Ninety-nine out of a hundred times, they talk only about their professional life and accomplishments: what political offices they held, what program they just got passed in the House, or what honors they received in college.

They talk for a while. Then, I almost always have to ask, "Do you have kids?" "Where did you grow up?" "What did you dad and mom do?" "What did they teach you to value most?" "Did you have to work your way through college?" Do you coach your son's little league team or your daughter's soccer team?" "Do you still teach Sunday school?"

These are the most important questions to ask because the answers shape the person. These answers never come from them unless they are asked and I believe that this is how a lot of Democratic candidates approach the public - from a distance - and that's how you lose your way in the desert. This has to change. It is the most important thing we can do as a party if we are going to walk out of that desert and back to victory.

There are plenty of ways to bring this authenticity front and center. Many Democrats have showed different ways to achieve it. But if we want to be the party of the future, we have to embrace the fundamentals of politics. This is a people business first and policy and problem solving business second.

Democrats have to change the way they look at the electorate. It can no longer be through a prism of ideas. Issues and proposals aren't enough and they aren't what people are looking for. Voters are looking for candidates with defined principles that will guide them as they govern.

In this case, we really should heed the old cliché our mothers used to tell us on our first day at school, at a new job or the day we met our husbands and wives, "Be yourself. Let them see the real you and you'll do fine." As always, mom was right.

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