I’ve given my share to campaigns, from local to national, and normally I assume the money’s going towards something tangible like lawn signs, or phone calls, or campaign literature. But after spending this past week in the South Carolina trenches, I see that the money I’ve given to the Obama For America campaign has gone to something much, much more significant.
My contribution has, potentially, helped change the politics of an entire state. A few nights before the election, I chatted briefly with leaders of the state’s Democratic Party who were realizing that a new day was dawning for them. But more important than partisan politics was the profound feeling of vitality and power that we witnessed among the local volunteers we were supporting at our staging location on Saturday. Here was a group of residents who had bucked the local pastor, worked together to bring out the vote, and won — no, routed, the opposition. It is a moment that I can imagine them revisiting months or years from now when they assemble future campaigns for mayor, state representatives, judges, and U.S. senators. They’ve now seen what it takes to canvass a neighborhood and get them to vote. And they know they can succeed.
The politics of power brokers is over in South Carolina.
But it cost money to make this all happen. While the campaign did not spring for “consulting fees” for pastors and mayors to spend on “walking-around money,” putting organizers on the ground and in the community can be even more expensive. To find, win over, and develop local leaders requires dozens of one-to-ones and house meetings over the course of many months. Nicole Young, the organizer for Richland County, did an amazing job because she had started almost a year in advance of the primary date.
But unlike buying off the power brokers, building up a wide and deep grassroots generates what economists would call “positive externalities.” The ‘roots will be there for the next major issue or candidate to come down the state or local queue. Once people find their voices, their leaders had better learn to start listening.
Donate now to Obama For America (and help my friend Sozi reach his $18,000 goal)
