Campaigning

Over the past three years I have certianly done my fair share of campaigning and I am quite at home in a van full of campaign literature for days at a time. I think my personal count at this point is six states, and last weekend I had the chance to add the UK to that list as well. I travelled to Eastbourne to campaign with my MP for the upcoming election (tentatively scheduled for May 6th). Eastbourne itself was quite nice, every bit the coastal town I had been told to expect from my time in the office thus far.

What did take me by surprise was who was actually doing the canvassing. We met up with a group of about ten older members of the Conservative Party along with the local politicians and Nigel himself. Although the process is largely the same in the United States and the United Kingdom there is something about walking the streets with the official you are representing that is a rush. In the States the sheer size of Congressional districts precludes the candidates from physically canvassing the constituency. However the UK benefits from having districts that are 1/10th the size of an U.S. Congressional District and therefore politics has a decidely local feel to it.

The Emerald Isle

A few weeks back I made a weekend trip to Ireland touring both Dublin, and Galway along the Western coast. Despite being majority Irish I have never really felt connected to any particular part of my heritage. I mean I'm English, Irish, Scottish, and Native American. It was really interesting to visit where my ancestors were from though and I now have a much better understanding of Irish-American culture back in the States.

Also had my first hostel experience......not the nicest place in the world but it did the job just fine. At the very least we met a few characters in the process. One that really stood out however was this French girl named Lara. She had been staying in the hostel for three months with no apparent direction and was just sorting out her life after finishing her first year studying philosophy in Paris. She was very nice (despite enjoying Rousseau) but what struck me the most was that she was completely fine living in a hell hole in Dublin no idea what she is going to do with herself. You could never get away with that in the United States, and I cannot quite figure out why. We have a very different attitude about education and more importantly we leave our college educations with so much debt that roaming around for a few years is a financial impossibility. I also think it goes further than that though.

Similarly one of the interns who trained me here in my office has already graduated from University and is doing unpaid work while living at home. Due to student loans and pride most US students want to get jobs and get their own place as quickly as possible after graduation. One of the most interesting aspects of going abroad thus far has been seeing how the role of young adults varies from place to place.

The Age of the Flip

So before embarking on my Eurotrip my girlfriend bought me a Flip Mino mini camcorder. Smaller than most most cellphones the Flip comes equipped with speakers a LCD display as well as a built in USB port so you don't have to worry about losing any cords, a huge help while traveling. The big question regarding this technology is whether or not the convenience is outweighed by the loss of quality from a larger, more expensive model. In my opinion these cameras are not simply a blip on the radar but are fast becoming one of the most important means of personal, political, and media expression available.

With the advent of the YouTube generation people have an incredible desire to voice their opinions (or share funny videos of the their children and pets) and these cameras provide a low cost but technologically advanced means of transmitting these things. More importantly however camera's such as the Flip are empowering the average person and making them a contributing player in a much larger (in many cases) global exchange on a number of issues Politics has not been unaffected following the introduction of this technology either. David Plouffe, Campaign Manager for then Senator Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign, discusses in his book The Audacity to Win the incredible effect video messages had in campaign e-mails. Interestingly enough Obama supporters were not yearning for a clip with an especially high production value, instead they wanted something real. This desire for something authentic is what has propelled the video diary of freshman Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah to an internet sensation on CNN's Freshman Year video blog. The UK has also seen the introduction of highly portable video camera's in Conservative Leader David Cameron's WebCameron video exclusives. In addition to providing a real look at the inner working of politics video messaging also gives voters not simply a name, or logo but a face and a person to identify with.

Portable video technology will also create a more fluid definition of the news media than exists even today. With almost anyone able to produce, record, or create a clip the sky truly is the limit in regards to who can break the next story or be first on the scene of a major topic.

Soccer Hooligans

We tried to visit this very authentic British pub called the Hole in the Wall over by Waterloo station but were asked by Police to find another place to grab lunch and have a drink as "there were going to be problems here." It seems the bar was taken over by soccer fans and then they were escorted out for fighting.

Commentary from Across the Pond

As I sit here and use the free internet in an English McDonald's I am still blown away by the result of last night's Senate Race in Massachusetts. Interestingly enough Americans are not the only ones in awe by this. At work this morning (a little late I admit from staying up until the race was called for Brown) I received a phone call from my Boss send his congratulations in regards to the "right proper beating" that was administered last night.

While a historic night without a doubt the lesson is not that 2010 will be a cake walk for Republicans across the nation. Instead the message, and one the GOP should take heed of, is that no state is permanently dyed one color, Red or Blue. To win Republicans will have to work as hard, if not harder than Senator-elect Brown, but it can be done. Moving forward the GOP must also realize that you run to win, but that is not an end unto itself. You win to govern. Without a cohesive strategy for governing the United States then Republicans are no better than their Democratic counterparts. One year ago President Obama was inaugurated promising a new kind of politics. Since then two states that solidly supported Obama have become less than certain he is capable, or sincere about the advent of a new America. Voters in Virginia and New Jersey turned to Republicans who offered a message of change and hope to fulfill this promise. Last night the people of Massachusetts did the same. Republicans must not take these gains for granted, nor can they afford to pay passing lip service to the policy promises that got them there. The national GOP establishment would be wise to see what resonates with the American public. Specifically the promise of a better tomorrow, promotion of policies to help during these tough economic times, candidates who promise to be stewards of taxpayer funds, and the wholesale rejection of politics as usual. Don't forget this, regardless of how the chips fall in November.

In London the response has been surprise. It is clear the Republican Party was counted out, however many of the same conservative principles will be judged by the people here in just a few short months when Gordon Brown calls for a General Election campaign. Dubbed "The Year for Change" the Conservative Party is poised to make significant gains, but they too will be left with the challenge of not simply winning, but governing.

Confessions of a Massachusetts Republican

As far as election campaigns go I have been around the block....No not like that. I have campaigned in MA, NJ, PA, FL, DC, VA for races ranging from local elections all the way up to a Presidential Campaign (and everything in between). I have always taken a certain amount of pride in challenging the belief that a Republican could not claim the Governor's mansion or a North Eastern PA Congressional Seat (coming back for that one in 2010). One thing I always excepted however was that Massachusetts will never (at least not in my lifetime) send a Republican to Congress, let alone the United States Senate. With that in mind I worked harder and longer to challenge places where the term Republican was a dirty word.

I don't think I was ever as distressed about the one party control of my state until I began interning. Quickly it became clear that I would not be able to apply to any of the Members of Congress who represented me. Luckily I found an adoptive home in the midwest office of the future Governor of Oklahoma. But with an hour to go before polls close in the Bay State it looks like for the first time in 40 years a Republican just may be representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the Senate. What a difference a year makes! More than the opportunity to intern for a person I believe in from MA, Scott Brown's campaign represents an affirmation of something every parent has told their child from a young age. Hard work is rewarded. Win or lose Brown has outworked his opponent and ignored the pundits who said it was a pipe dream. I wish him the best of luck tonight and I cast my ballot almost two weeks ago for him.

Until the polls close I am just keeping the faith.