Does it Pay to Hobnob with
Politicians?
by Michael Cohn
When most people think
of hobnobbing with politicians, they’re think high priced,
formal fundraisers. More often than not, however, hobnobbing with
politicians consists of working on campaigns, attending house parties
and/or lobbying for an important issue.
Hobnobbing is for everyone—or should be. People from all walks of life,
all ethnic groups and people with all forms of disabilities and abilities stand
to gain by getting involved in the political process and getting to know their
governmental representatives at all levels. And getting to know them not just
inside but also outside of the political arena.
As a person who uses
a walker and has a speech impediment, I have found that most politicians
will take the time to listen to what I have to say. Why is that
important? Because in order for things to be changed in the disability
community, we need to speak out. Yes, we do have a ways to go,
but things are beginning to change. And they’re changing because we are speaking out—and
being heard—more and more.
Many average Joes or
JoAnnes with disabilities are getting involved with volunteering
for a candidate’s campaign. As they do, they
have the opportunity to get to really know the candidate at a personal
level. For example, when working on a campaign, you will probably
meet the candidate’s family and get to know the “real
person” behind the political face.
It’s easy to talk to politicians. During the past year, as
I have worked on both a governor candidate’s campaign and a
US Congress candidate’s campaign, I have met with senators
from other states who were in Minnesota working to promote a candidate
with whom I have been working. At one neighbor’s house party,
five candidates showed up, including Mike Honda, a senator from California
and the Co-Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Mike
and I had never met before, but we talked at length about some concerns
that I had regarding an e-mail I had received earlier in the day.
The e-mail addressed the issue of the DNC excluding people with disabilities
from having an input in the caucus process. Mike told me that this
issue was important and not to worry because the DNC would do the
right thing. He was correct, the DNC later voted down the proposal
to exclude people with disabilities. This conversation was very important
to me, but what was more important to me was that Mike and I could
talk about issues other than politics and disabilities. Mike asked
me what kind of work I do other than work on campaigns. I told him
that I was a consultant for disability issues, and I found out that
he was a teacher before he got into politics.
By getting to know politicians as real people, who have families,
jobs, pets and who go on vacations, you learn their position on many
issues that might not otherwise come to light. By discussing these
various issues you can help guide the decision-making process for
your community, state and possibly the country.
Politicians are real people; they need input from everyone to make
the best decisions and to guide the political process in the right
direction. So it really does pay to hobnob. ![]()
Michael Cohn is the
chair of the MN DFL State Disability Caucus.
