The Road to Ellicott City (2016): Part One

For years, the McLean Bible Church has been running radio ads on WTOP with the message, “not a sermon, just a thought.”  I always found the spots disingenuous.  I think they are sermons; albeit very short ones.  Others may disagree.

With that in mind, this is not an endorsement post for the Howard County Board of Education Primary Election.  It is merely one voter’s reflections on the questions that will help structure a decision-making process. Some may think they are loaded questions, or an attempt to achieve or justify a certain outcome.  I do not believe my thumb is on the scale.

I am approaching this topic as someone who is not a parent.  I am not an educator, although the Mrs. is (in another county).  My primary concern is good, responsible governance by elected officials working alongside (although not always in concert with) other stakeholders. 

In light of the madness that seems to be overtaking large swathes of the American electorate, I am hoping that Howard County exceptionalism will manifest itself at the voting booths in both the primary and general elections this year.

First, there should be a consideration of the ideal Board of Education (as a collective entity) as well as the ideal Board of Education member.  Several key questions leap to mind.  What attributes are most important?  What do we, as citizens, have a right to expect in terms of proper behavior?  What skills are most in need?  Who is most concerned about promoting the common good? Who is sincerely committed to abiding by the stated Guiding Principles of the Howard County Public School System?  Who is truly focused on the children and their educational needs?  Who has the gravitas that the position deserves?

Employing those tests, and bearing in mind both the performance of the incumbents and promise of the challengers, it becomes easy to wish that all seven elected seats were contested this year.  In this way, there could be a true referendum on the direction the Board should take.  Alas, only three seats are up, with 11 candidates vying to be among the top six that will emerge out of the April primary.   So here we stand with three incumbents and eight challengers.

Frankly, in light of the public record and information found on such helpful resources as betterboe.com, I am inclined to believe that the present Board, as a collective body, is currently on the wrong track.  Among other issues, it is important to note that talking at people is not the same as talking with people.  With that in mind, this election provides an opportunity for course correction.  Thus, the question arises, which of the 11 choices would help bring about the reform that our Board of Education needs? 

It would be easier, from a messaging perspective, to adopt a “throw them all out” point-of-view.  It would be a simple, clean narrative.  However, reality is more complex than that.    

  

Personally, I believe that two incumbents up for re-election do not deserve to serve another term.  Frankly, these two do not deserve a top six finish in the primary.

Beyond that, there are multiple challengers that have not yet provided compelling rationales for their candidacies.

Adding all of the numbers up, I am left with six likely contenders, with two challengers in my top three.  I will definitely be voting for those two fine citizens.  Their identities will be revealed in the follow-up post.

I am undecided on my third choice.  For that position, I am torn between one incumbent and one of three challengers.  Note: one of the challengers that I was considering for my third choice opted to not respond to my questionnaire.  That person, at present #7 on my list, is currently not in contention for the third slot.

I will turn to my questionnaire, the illuminating responses, and my choices, in my next post.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

Cummings as the Vice Presidential Nominee

#2

Like all of you, I read the Esquire article promoting Congressman Elijah Cummings (D- MD) as a potential Democratic Vice Presidential candidate in 2016.

I have commended Representative Cummings for his leadership during the recent crisis in Baltimore. He really showed his mettle.  That said…Vice President? His selection wouldn’t be a bad choice, but I am not certain he would be a top 20 pick, maybe top 50.

He checks some boxes.  He is a capable legislator, a better-than-average Member of Congress. I am sincerely not trying to gosh-darn him with faint praise.  Really.  He is sufficiently progressive for most Democrats.  He would hold his own on the debate stage against whomever the Republicans dredged up, which is not a trivial matter.  He would be qualified to become President, which is a far more significant measure. That said, I am not convinced he is the best option from Maryland, much less all of the other states in the Union. 

Of course much depends on several unsettled factors.  The identity of the Democratic nominee is not yet known.  Yes, I have done the math just like you have.  I know Secretary Hillary Clinton is well poised to become the presumptive nominee in the near future.  But what if Senator Bernie Sanders becomes the nominee? Or what if a political earthquake occurs and a third person receives the Democratic nomination this summer?  The article assumes Clinton, but it’s not a done deal…not yet.

Congressman Cummings might match up better for Senator Sanders, although I think Bernie, if I may be familiar, and perhaps a majority of the Democratic Party might prefer a woman as a running mate…with Senator Klobuchar, Senator Gillibrand, or Hillary Clinton herself being interesting choices. 

Part of my issue with Cummings, frankly, is his age.  With the two most likely Democratic nominees being rather mature citizens from a certain generation, I would prefer a bit of youth with the #2 pick.  Yes, both Clinton and Sanders seem indefatigable, but we have all seen the age progression that occurs.  POTUS years are not the same as non-POTUS years.  I don’t think it is a bad idea to have someone in their 40s or 50s holding down the VP slot.  I like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Sherrod Brown, but they are in the same age range as Cummings.

Moreover, despite the recent GOP successes in our corner of the universe, Maryland is not a swing state.  Electorally, there is little to be gained by such a choice.  Thus, while former Governor Martin O’Malley would be a qualified selection, he doesn’t help with the math to 270 electoral votes.  The same logic applies for Secretary Tom Perez, who like O’Malley, I would probably pick ahead of Cummings.

So who then?  I would short list Secretary Julian Castro.  His presence would likely not flip Texas, not in 2016, but I believe that that state will realign and become more competitive in the not-too-distant future.  Clinton – Castro would be a heck of a good ticket.  The case for Castro is simply more compelling than the case for Cummings. I may expand on this later.

And of course there is the double-down philosophy.  Let’s see who did that in recent history, oh yes, Bill Clinton with Al Gore in 1992.  Two modern (for the time), accomplished Southern Baby Boomers.  Clinton-Klobuchar would reflect a similar line of thinking; Clinton-Gillibrand might be trickier, given the electoral issues related to residency.  Of course the NY-NY angle probably doesn’t help Clinton, unless Trump is 1) the nominee and 2) greatly expands the playing field…in which case Clinton has much bigger problems.  Klobuchar would definitely offer more upside than Cummings from an electoral perspective.

It’s too bad that Kamala Harris isn’t a Senator yet, although if California is competitive in 2016, see the note on Gillibrand.

Personally, I think Senator Cory Booker and Governor Deval Patrick would be better choices than Cummings.  Both are statewide office-holders, NJ is more of a swing state than MA or MD.  And yes, Patrick turns 60 this year, but he is a youthful almost 60.

While not a fan of dynasties, I do admit that a Clinton – Obama (Michelle) ticket would be instant-awesome-in-a-can.

In short, I know those of us in the Free State admire Congressman Cummings. I do.  Many of us think he should have run for the Senate this year.  I did.  Would I be OK with him as the Democratic Vice Presidential choice?  I would.

But I think there are better options, from both the political and governing points-of-view, and I think the Democrats need the strongest ticket possible to win this November.  Hopefully by a wide enough margin, with sufficient coat-tails, to allow Congressman Cummings to become Chairman Cummings.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

Bovine Based Wisdom

There is an ancient Icelandic proverb, the modern English translation of which is: "The cows of Husavik sing, but only after well after dusk."  This, of course, is self-explanatory for those who dwell across the street from the Arctic Circle.

For those who don't catch the laughably evident meaning, it is both a cautionary tale as well as a recognition that we all possess talents that are seldom witnessed.  Regarding the former, it exhorts us to express ourselves before it is too late...to take a stand, while the body and spirit permit, in defense of a cause, a principle, a community.  To the latter point, it encourages us to take chances...to not flinch in the face of risk.  It is easily among my favorite old Icelandic proverbs.  Probably Top 15.

Applied to our time and place, it could be read as a call for public service in some form...either by seeking office, or by volunteering, or by applying one's talents in a manner that promotes the common good.  I know many of my readers are already immersed in such activities. That said, there is another circle of folks, who have the time, energy, and temperament to engage in these pursuits, but they haven't reached the tipping point yet.  They stand by the river's edge, canoe at their feet.  Why not offer them an oar?

Which is my way of saying, if you know such people, perhaps it might be a good time to strike up a conversation about the meaning of community, volunteerism, and philanthropy.  Ask questions.  If they had the time to dedicate to a cause, what would they want to do?  When appropriate, offer suggestions.  Perhaps he/she/they simply don't know where to begin their journey.  Be understanding.  Sometimes people need to sit with the "How can I help?" question for a while.  Encourage them, but allow them to work out their own timetable.
 
They will remember that you helped provide the sheet music.  And when they thank you, remember to respond, "Don't thank me.  Thank the cows of Husavik."  Chuckle knowingly.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.         
 

Homework

With the Howard County Board of Education Primary Election fast approaching, I decided to refocus from a one-on-one verbal question and answer session to a written homework assignment.

Here are the rules:

1) Only the 11 current Board of Education candidates can respond to these questions.
2) The responses are due by 8 pm Eastern, March 14, 2016.
3) The answers should be emailed to: jasonabooms@gmail.com.
4) I reserve the right to quote, and attribute, your responses as part of a future blog post.

Here are the questions:

1) Thought experiment. Much is made of the Board of Education acting as a collaborative body, but it is one comprised of unique individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and talents.  With that in mind...

What if you can replace, immediately, all of the other board members with clones of yourself.  Assuming you can work collaboratively with your other selves, what specifically would you want to accomplish in the next two years? In the next four?

2a) If you are an incumbent:  Why should we trust you with another four year term?

2b) If you are a challenger:  Why should we trust you with a four year term?

3) What is the single biggest dysfunction impacting the Board and how can it be resolved over the course of the next four years?

4) The HCPSS lists , among a set of “guiding principles,” the following:

“Fostering a culture of collaboration, trust, and shared responsibility” (source: http://www.hcpss.org/about-us/)

Thinking about the past four years, Please provide one example of how the Board advanced that principle and one example of how the Board acted in a manner that ran counter to that principle.  Please elaborate on both examples.

I look forward to receiving your responses.  

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

Collect Counsel

"You have a collect call from a, uh, Stats McCool. Do you accept the charges?" the operator intoned.

"Slats MacCune. And sure, why not" I replied.

The line crackled for a moment as I pondered why anyone outside of prison calls collect these days.

"You there? Sorry, I can't seem to find my mobile," Slats stammered.

"Yeah. You working or luxuriating these days?" I inquired.

"Always work. Retirement is for suckers.  Anyway, you have a connection with Trump's organization?"

"Not a one.  Why?"

"Let me tell you, Trump should have sent his plane to pick up Mitt yesterday.  Offered to fly him out to the debate, or to California to file papers, or wherever.  The media would have split screen the whole thing, the Donald on one half, his plane on the other with a clock marking the time.  'Where is Romney? Will Romney accept the challenge?'  Trump should have done this right after Romney mouthed off, but he can still do it. So you don't know Corey?" Slats rapid-fired, clearly hoping for a "yes," an introduction Mr. C. Lewandowki [n.b., Campaign Manager, Trump for President], and a slice of Trump's coffers.  Not necessarily in that order.

"Well, that would have dominated the news cycle, starved the remaining three of some political oxygen by making the storyline Trump vs. Romney at a critical juncture.  It would have been an impressive show of strength," I admitted.  Slats hadn't lost a step, even if his phone was misplaced.

"Exactly.  At which point Romney either demurs, showing weakness, or he runs straight into the buzzsaw.  Either way, Trump wins," said Slats, his voice nearing shout levels.

"Interesting.  Hey Slats, I'm hearing some background noise on your end."

"Oh yeah, loud copier in this office," he replied.

"One that sounds like steel drum music?" I asked.

"Listen, I gotta go.  Oh wait, my cell was in my pocket the whole time. Go figure."

<Click>

Stay tuned, as more will follow.





  

2020 Foresight

Happy Super Tuesday Eve!

When I first came to DC, my employer at the time had a list of "lessons learned" from Senator Phil Gramm's presidential campaign on the wall.  I wish I kept a copy of it.

So, here are some thoughts for 2020 presidential aspirants, based on the lessons learned, re-learned, and forgotten thus far in the 2016 election cycle.

1.  Define your opponents early and vigorously.  While the media historically serves a larger role here, I don't believe I have witnessed a presidential candidate as good as Donald Trump when it comes to establishing narrative frames for his opponents, with his re-positioning of Jeb! being Trump's crowning achievement in this regard (to date).  Governor Bush never recovered from the low energy tag and the characterization helped expedite the collapse of a candidacy that 1) never quite found its voice and 2) was fundamentally out of step with the resurgent populism that pervades the national mood.   Note:  Jeb should have recalled how effectively Rove et. al. were in defining Senator Kerry in 2004...when his own brother was up for re-election.  Remember swift-boating?  It went right to Kerry's perceived strength and deflated it.  Apparently Jeb forgot that lesson from 12 short years ago.

2. Exploit social media to its fullest  Again, Trump might be sui generis within the political realm given his decades-long fame/infamy in our popular culture and his understanding of how to create (and dominate) news in these early days of the 21st Century.  Future candidates should nonetheless peruse his tweets very, very carefully to see how he was able to shape conversations over the course of days, weeks, and months.  This lesson applies regardless of the milieu, Facebook, Twitter, or DodgeWaffle - whatever social media outlets exist in 2020.

3.  Don't hesitate when it comes to going on the offense.  You can't hang back and let your opponents define you, and when you attack when it is too late, it comes across as flailing from a position of weakness.  In short, don't be afraid to go "comparative" early...as long as doing so is in your best strategic interest and it doesn't subvert the candidate's brand.

4.  Establish your brand early.  To that point, you can't undergo a character transformation mid-way through a campaign.  Kasich came close though, he went from quirky, quick-tempered policy wonk to folksy, can-do Midwestern Huggin' Gov in what seemed like a fairly rapid metamorphosis.  It may not take him to March 16, but it allows him to occupy a distinct, and distinguishable, position in the present GOP field.

5. Be prepare to be flexible when it comes to strategy and tactics.  Not to pile on Jeb, but his by-the-book campaign was far too by-the-book.  They failed to adapt to meet the needs of the present environment, choosing instead to ignore the Trump ascendancy until it was far too late.  The summer poll numbers were more than sufficient to warrant a more aggressive posture toward Mr. Trump but the Bush team was too focused on running a playbook for a completely different ballgame.

6. The culture is inseparable from the political.  There is a book concept in here somewhere.  In a pop culture world obsessed with louder, vacuous and/or one-note, but media savvy individuals... is it any surprise that such figures are faring well in the US electorally?  I am not suggesting that 2020 presidential candidates should start appearing on as many reality shows as possible between now and November '20, but they need to think about the larger cultural background and factor that into their planning accordingly.

7. Don't over staff.  Walker.  Bush.  Just so much money wasted that could have been spent on voter contact.  No need for dozens of policy advisors, it's a political campaign and not a think tank.

8. Don't inflate your own expectations.  Come on Senator Rubio. The "3-2-1" approach set yourself up for failure right from the outset of the primary season. It is one of the reasons why he has not emerged as the main alternative to Trump (that and his disastrous debate meltdown, which reminded me of Muskie's crying (melting snow?!) moment...something that was so memorable and so damaging that it will not be soon forgotten).

9. Make it about "the people."  This is why Senator Sander's ads have been better than Senator Clinton's.  His paid communications tend to be more "us"-focused while Senator Clinton still spends too much time talking about how unique her candidacy is.  His are more dialogue driven while hers tend to be more monologue-oriented, and people like being talked with, not at.  I am perhaps over-stating the case for illustration purposes, but go ahead, compare the ads.  Remove the specific candidate and ask, which make me feel more of a sense of belonging?  Which are motivating?  Would Clinton be faring better if she ran Sanders-style ads?  Would Sanders be performing worse if he was running Clinton-style ads?  Something to ponder.

Feel free to save this and post it on your fridge.  The magnet can hold it for four years.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

  

Get Used To It

So I was reading Village Green/Town Squared this evening, where the author of that esteemed blog wrote about blogging and its relationship with journalism.

Now perhaps "Christine" from the comments section was playing a bit fast and loose with the lingo.  Maybe if she added the word "citizen" before "journalist" she(?) might have hit a bit closer to the mark.  Just a bissel.

That said, I don't read http://53beersontap.typepad.com/ for straight-up reporting.  I peruse it for the blend of fact, analysis, and opinion. I would imagine that most of his readership understands the nature and purpose of that blog.  I might be overestimating the level of media literacy at work among some consumers, I don't know.

I was sitting next to a current Board of Education member at a local event recently.  We were chatting, pleasantly enough, about local media content creators.  The reality is, in this era of sharply reduced traditional media resources, bloggers play a more important role when it comes to being chroniclers of our time and place. This is particularly the case in HoCo, a county-sized 'burb sandwiched between Baltimore and DC, belonging more to the former than the latter within the greater media market, yet still under-reported upon.  Despite knowing a great deal about The 53, I don't know how much time and attention this individual gives to thinking about blogging as a means of sharing news and information.

Yes, many bloggers do not undergo any formal training as journalists.  Moreover, I doubt that any of us in Howard County signed a pledge to abide by the SPJ Code of Ethics.  That said, I believe, whether intentional or not, most of us follow the general principles found within that Code.

It might be helpful for the citizenry in general, and elected officials in particular, to think about the role of blogging within our communities.  Rather than post defensive-sounding remarks in comments sections, perhaps there are other ways to engage with those of us who practice some variant of citizen journalism.  We aren't going away any time soon.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.