The People You Meet

I'm leaving North Carolina today after a little more than eight weeks here working. I was brought into an interesting situation, to say the least. I was thrown into an area that is frankly foreign to me, it's rural and Southern, with people I didn't know, in a political situation that would have been difficult without all the other distractions. It didn't end the way I hoped. It ended disappointing.

But I'm glad I did it.

You don't get limitless opportunities to work on a Presidential election. I learned that the hard way the last eight years, as the calls never came, or came with an offer I couldn't accept, until this one came, and I pounced. There is no bigger circus than a Presidential campaign either- from the press circus, to the circus of spreadsheets for field operatives, to the circus of trying to manage this madness in the ops department. With all of that said, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. I was mentally prepared to sit this out until the opportunity came- but I'd never, ever have been happy about that. This is the bright lights of what I do, the big stage, the thing you aspire to work on. We got really, really close, but just missed this time. I haven't decided yet if there will be a next time. For now though, i'm content that I got the shot, and it just wasn't time.

Part of that is because of the people I met here. Reverends in Elizabeth City who want a lasting dialogue that engages their communities in the political and public policy process. Older and middle aged women who put their entire life, their heart and soul, into both President Obama and Secretary Clinton's political careers, because they believed they'd have a better life because of it. County commissioners, mayors, councilmen, and local candidates who put their names on the line, knowing that much of their faith was in people beyond their control. Organizers with amazing talents, who work all over the globe in finance, but put that amazing career on hold because they felt this election was so important. By contrast, other organizers who came to this job from working at Wal-Mart, putting her entire life on hold to try and make a difference in her state and nation.  A widow who opened her home up to me and other staff, showing incredible hospitality, just because she believed. Super volunteers who traveled to us from Washington, people with successful careers and limitless talent, who gave their time to this campaign for free.

I could sit here and say how miserable the experience was, if only because of the end result, or because of the difficult personalities I had to manage, but I won't. Why? Because it wasn't miserable. The people I met were incredibly nice. The people I met were incredibly talented and fun to be around. The people I met made this experience actually really interesting, enriching, and fun.

I realize this race was lost far above, where wrong strategic moves were made and we carried them out here in North Carolina, but I obviously feel a touch of guilt for the pain that will follow the election of Donald Trump as our 45th President. I thought about getting out of politics on Wednesday over it. I may do something besides politics in the near future as well, but I won't be leaving politics after this. I just can't. When you remember the people you've met along this journey, you can't give  up and walk away. Even with everything wrong in this world right now, you have to keep perspective- it's not about you, it's about all of them.