I am hoping this is our future

I posted Amy McGrath’s campaign this past summer.  She’s in it to win it and so are all these other badass women.  I am hoping this is our future.

Comments (Archived):

  1. JLM

    .Kentucky 6 was won handily by Trump in 2016 by 15.3% (Romney 13.6%). The incumbent is a 3-term guy of no particular note.Amy McGrath, former Marine fighter pilot, is a very attractive candidate who has raised more than $2.2MM, mostly from out of state sources. The out of state sources thing is a problem on election day.Her opponent, the incumbent, has raised less than half of that amount. She has spent a lot of it, so in the closing weeks, they are equally armed.Her espoused policies are traditional Dem policies. If you took her name off them, they could be universally employed anywhere in the US for a Dem. The feminism angle is the flavor of the month, but it is not dispositive. It is not a giant killer. It is sprinkles on the cone.She has an excellent life story. As the first Marine fighter pilot, she is a tough pioneer.She is exactly the type of candidate — forget whether she’s a woman — that should be put forward for the Congress from both parties. People who have accomplished something of note in their life before coming to serve. Fresh faces without the pallor of politics, but informed and critical thinkers on important subjects — her secret sauce being defense issues.A candidate is the structure upon which a message has to be built and then communicated to the electorate. She is an impressive structure. Her message is meh.There is no meaningful polling in such an obscure race. Most folks say it is a dead heat which means the Republican is up 5%.I suspect the incumbent wins in a 2-5% margin blunted by the money relationship.It is not enough to have good candidates; they have to have good messages; they have to deliver them powerfully. I think she has 2 out of 3 covered.The message that a first time Dem candidate has to embrace is that they are going to DC to represent their district not to be part of the Maxine Waters – Nancy Pelosi circus. If they do that, great candidates like Amy McGrath have a real chance though maybe not in Tennessee.If the Dems can tack back to the middle, get rid of their fixation on opposing Trump, candidates like this will receive broad support.In politics, you have to run twice to win once. She has to stay in the game if she loses. It is a bit of science, running for office. What one learns is critical the second time around — that is the benefit of being an incumbent. Hoping isn’t enough.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

    1. LE

      I question the ability of any fresh scrubbed first time politician (man or woman) to adjust to the existing culture and get things done. [1] There is so much they don’t know about politics (let’s hypothesize) and they will find that out over time and hopefully be able to make progress and accomplish what they set out to do. In all honesty (and I wish her well) the skills that are needed to do what she did for her country are vastly different than what is needed to be a good politician and get that job done. In politics everyone is the enemy, right? In battle and flying a jet it’s quite different (not that I ever did that). She is a straight shooter (almost certainly) and spent her whole life being one. In politics it’s exactly the opposite. Anyone who has even served on some nominal board where you have to get others to agree with what you want to do knows what I am talking about (school board, local board, condo board etc.) It’s not about the idea and brilliance. It’s about getting others on your side so you can push your agenda. Even if you are of the same political party. So you have to understand the art of compromise. I guess my point is being a solid individual with accomplishment is nowhere near enough. You have to be a politician (or at least seat of the pants understand the process deeply) to compete with and get things done with other politicians. Have a base understanding of how people think and be able to manipulate them in a way to get the job done. That can be learned over time but nobody is going to get anything done just walking into the room with smart and logical ideas.As far as her message? I agree with you but most voters are not you, me or Joanne. She is playing her strongest suit which is her previous accomplishments. Her website does detail what she wants to accomplish but honestly the strongest things going for her is really what she is playing which is ‘strong, solid, patriotic, honest’. That is her message. Some of her video ads are actually quite good. You can see the money behind the candidate here.[1] This appears to be her experience in politics:”In 2011, McGrath shifted state-side, working as Congressional Fellow to Representative Susan Davis’ (D-CA) office in Washington, D.C., as a defense and foreign affairs advisor for a year”

      1. JLM

        .The lack of local knowledge in the Congress is compensated for by the staff she hires. A new Congressman hires an experienced CoS who has worked for somebody who decided not to run or who got beaten.This CoS hires the rest of the bunch who are similarly experienced.The new Congressman walks into a situation in which the staff is experienced and the Congressman is not. That is not a big deal. The staff knows the other staffs, the rules, and the unwritten protocols.The turn with Congresswoman Davis is probably the only reason she is a Democrat. She is more naturally a Republican by experience, philosophy, and geography, but she would have to have won a primary against an incumbent – way more difficult.You may be underestimating the grit of a Marine fighter pilot.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

        1. LE

          But that is part of my point. They are relying on people as opposed to their own seat of the pants knowledge and feel for how to make deals with importantly the nuance of adjust to the circumstances. This is vastly different than asking someone else for input and direction. [1] As such they will also be guided by ‘what isn’t possible’. I think with some people (and in particular someone in the military who is used to a more rigid structure (or even medicine) [1] they are (a guess) behaviorally more likely to believe what they hear and follow marching orders. (I was not referring to mechanics of how to do things but more interacting with others and playing to win)Let’s take (again) you, me, Joanne or Phil Sugar or Points and Figures. We have been around the block. We are not going to hear something or a way of doing something in a field that we don’t know about and just take it as dogma without a fight. We will question, poke around and be difficult. [2] At least that is the way I am. (As are many entrepreneurs). An example might be the Uber or Airbnb guys. Had they not been the type they are and had they had advisors they would not have (perhaps foolishly) gone down the path of mowing over the existing structure. I am sure you had an experience like that early on but with time and mistakes or success got over it. (So did Joanne by way of how she describes her years at Macy’s as only one example). But that is atypical. And it’s not a man or woman thing. It’s a hustle thing. It’s a ‘will prove you wrong thing’.It is true that I don’t know anything about marine fighter pilots (man or woman). So my judgement is a general feel and not specific to this candidate. (It’s a gut and sure it’s possible someone like that will quickly rise to the occasion and prove effective).[1] Non political (and in general) could you make a better deal or you guiding your daughter? To read the tea leaves you have to be on the front line and interacting not having to ask or learn at the same time from someone else. Sure if you are clearly superior you might pull it off but usually that is not what happens. The Physician reference is if you deal with Physicians they typically take what you tell them (that you know and they don’t) way more seriously as a result of their training in medicine. Will add that none of this is absolute it’s just general direction (for decision making) easy to find cases where my points do not stick.[2] Tell me there haven’t been cases where you had an attorney tell you something and you were able to prove him wrong by challenging him and taking a different path?

  2. LE

    That is a great video.My niece is working as the campaign manager for a first time woman democratic candidate who has a fourth degree black belt in Akido.

    1. Gotham Gal

      ???

    2. JLM

      .Here’s hoping she comes in second.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

  3. jason wright

    wow, that’s a very particular cohort of candidates. where’s the diversity of experience?at the atomic level grassroots politics is about serving the constituent of the constituency and his and her needs.