Cherry Popped in San Fran

An SF Pride apprentice about to get going

Yes, I did it! On Saturday June 29, 2013, at 2.30 pm PST, I finally lost my Pride virginity and I did it by marching in the San Francisco Pride Parade 2013. How appropriate to do it in San Francisco - the unofficial LGBT capital of the world.

I’m not known for political activism of any kind. I refrain from participating in demonstrations, I don’t donate money and I refrain from signing petitions regardless of cause, context or candidate. That may sound odd for a politico like me, but then again – that’s just me.

However, given the obstructive, intolerant and anti-scientific turn most Republicans – including, but not limited to TeaParty morons – have taken over the last few election cycles, my activist heart has started to beat. It may need some political defibrillation in order to survive long-term, but it’s there and it’s beating quietly albeit steadily. And only in America – I’ll be damned the day I become a political activist in Sweden. FTS!


Some of the few Republican Pride Paraders

 from the Trent Santorum Church of  Tolerance

So, how was it? It was everything I feared, loathed and expected from a Pride Parade. Some of the participants were totally over (and beyond) the top. What possible political statement requires public display of one’s genitals? Does corporate sponsorship and parade participation reflect core beliefs or business acumen? And is an event like Pride really necessary in this enlightened day and age? Frankly, my dear - I don’t care.

Given last week’s historic Supreme Court ruling and given the still-existing bigotry I was just happy to chip in my two cents for the promotion of freedom, tolerance and love.

And if that wasn’t enough – I’ve never expected, nor imagined the welcoming warmth, the jubilant joy and heart-warming happiness that radiated from parade participants and spectators alike. So although it was like 85 degrees F (30 degrees C), most of the warmth came from the crowd and spectators. Hence, it was a very surreal experience and I will forever cherish it as an epiphany of sorts.

The City of Fremont Float
right in the middle of the parade
on Market Street

Another Californian Pride is up soon, this time it's the San Jose Pride on August 17-18. Will I did it again? Will it hold the same magic? Probably not, everything becomes diluted over time – just ask anyone who’s been married for a few years. The law of diminishing returns is true, cruel and universal. Therefore, I think I’ll refrain from risking watering down my San Francisco experience.



Who can resist voluptuous Brazilian "girls"
dressed like lionesses and other felines? Not my camera...

But I should never say never. If there’s one thing I’ve learned the hard way during my years in politics – it’s that categorical statements may sooner or later come back and bite you in the ass.

 

Just ask former President George H W Bush about that “Read my lips – no new taxes!” pledge.

 

Ergo, I don’t think I’ll walk in another Pride Parade again…

Leo (D-CA)



There's nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer

Orientation meeting with the new Honda Summer Interns

I strongly believe in that old political adage ”There’s nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer” and I touch that topic briefly in my column in my recent column in Folkbladet. And judging from what I’ve seen so far from the volunteers in the Mike Honda for Congress campaign, I must confess that I’m impressed with turnout as well as commitment.

No political campaign in America can exist, thrive or win without be able to attract, retain and reward its volunteers. Through the volunteers, the campaign not only gets free labor, but it also gains access to competencies, creativity and contacts it may have missed otherwise had it not been for the volunteers. And the volunteers get the opportunity to attain experience and expand their networks from a project that is truly unique.

 

All campaigns are by definition different – even re-election campaigns - due to new competitors, other issues and different contexts. So, the process of attracting and being volunteers is thus a two-way street as well as paramount and instrumental to success for either party.

This week, the Honda campaign held its first meeting with the new summer interns. My colleagues and I had been spending the lion’s share of the week in order to call and e-mail potential interns, answering their questions and preparing the campaign for their arrival.

 

A good turnout is around 30-40 per cent, but lo and behold – our attendance hit 60 percent! Now, it remains to be seen how many actually show up on Tuesday, but this degree of interest is very promising and filled us campaign staffers with joy and pride.

A practical ice-breaking outdoor exercise
 proved to be both useful and funny

Another rewarding experience is the interaction with volunteers. As a semi-active party member in Sweden I haven’t really met too many young volunteers. But today, it was my task to address the volunteers about two things: Who Mike Honda is and why I joined the campaign.

Many were surprised that I’ve gone halfway around the world, spent my time and money volunteering for him. But if you find a cause worth fighting for and experiences to be gained – then no distance is too far and no sacrifice is too great.

 

nd I think and I hope that I made the right choice. And when I received a warm applause at the end of my address, I knew the decision was the right one. Because a Democratic America sure is worth fighting for. And America must be defended from all enemies, foreign – and Republican.

 

Leo (D-CA)

In the Shadow of the Valley of Politics

Phone banking on behalf of Cindy Chavez for Supervisor,
 Santa Clara District 2 in a last effort to get out the vote.

It's very easy and very tempting to disregard the fundamentals of a political campaign in favor of the more glamorous aspects - like debates, media appearances and working the rope lines.

And yes, these are the things that are top of mind for most voters when thinking of politics, campaigns and elections.

Little do they know - or care - that the majority of the work takes place far, far away from the political glitterati scene. The real work takes place in the ditches, trenches and shadows that constitute the bulwark of any campaign - footwork by volunteers.

In Sweden, voters elect parties and the percentage of the votes a party wins in a district decides the number of seats the party gets. In America, the voters are faced with several candidates in a primary and then (usually) two main candidates in the primary - or in the runoff election. The Swedish way makes it easier for candidates to hide - or to get lost - behind the party's political campaign platform. Voters don't always - or very rarely - know what the individual candidate stands for, whereas in America it's often the other way around. Neither system is perfect, neither system is worthless. And they both have their pros and cons.

Political campaigns are therefore like icebergs, where only the media-friendly aspects are seen by the public and the nitty-gritty is done backstage. I experienced that side - and will continue to experience this - yesterday. And that's the way it should be. Any campaign that fails to realize that the grunt work undertaken by numerous volunteers is paramount to the success of the candidate or the issue is doomed from the get-go. There is nothing stronger than the heart of volunteer. And thus, every political staffer or campaign worker worth his or her salt has started out as a volunteer.

No, it's not always fun and no, it's not always rewarding. But sometimes that moment happens or appears that make all the negative aspects irrelevant. Yesterday, I phone banked some 200 plus calls on behalf of the Cindy Chavez for Supervisor campaign. As usual, the caller reads from a script which argues in favor of the candidate and highlights the positive aspects of his or her track record.

Most of the time, people don't answer or care about your message, and I sure got my fair share of people hanging up on me. But then I happened to call this 25 year young girl who actually took a serious interest in my call and wanted to know why I personally cared for the candidate. I was blown away by her interest and stuttered some lame-ass run-down of our scripted arguments and we could both hear how unconvincing I sounded.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, I thought "What the hell..." and went off script and told her the truth - that I wasn't fully briefed on the issues - nor did I know how our candidate differed from the opposition. My main (and only) point was that Cindy Chavez was the only candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party and as a loyal Democrat, that endorsement was good enough to me. And as she was a registered Democrat, I hoped that this endorsement would suffice for her too.

She laughed out loud and said she was impressed with my candor and just because of that, she would go out and vote although she hadn't planned to. Irrespective of her actually going out to vote, that call alone and our frank conversation off script were my main take-aways and they really made my day!

In conclusion, I strongly believe in the value of having practiced what you eventually preach. A good campaign manager has made his och her bones out there in the trenches. A good campaign manager actually knows the practical implications of what he or she is asking others to do. And a good campaign manager doesn't have to be me - but at least I'd recognize a good campaign manager when I see one. And if so - it's because I've been there, done that and got the campaign t-shirt to prove it.

/Leo (D-CA)

PS. How did it go? No candidate got over 50 per cent, hence a runoff is needed. I guess my phone banking isn't over yet... DS

A camera up your butt is more popular than Congress

This summer, I'll write a bi-weekly Friday editorial column on my life and times on the campaign trail in Swedish daily paper Folkbladet. Curiously, Folkbladet's editorial board leans social democratic, but they still accepted me as their guest columnist - which is great. Political cooperation and over-the aisle-behavior are important conerstones for long-lasting political stability and progress in any democracy.

But in America the non-stop sensationalism of cable news 24/7, gerrymandering of districts and  constant inability to embrace compromise have stalled the political system. Polarizing views from both sides of the aisle - but largely from the extreme right - have rendered Capitol Hill impotent. Since the political system in the US, with its separation of powers combined with balances and checks, requires active bi-partisanship for success this stalemate and trench warfare in the media have proven disastrous.

One year ago, Gallup showed congressional approval ratings at an all-time low at ten per cent and according to UPI - Richard Nixon, Paris Hilton and the hated IRS are now more popular than Congress. But here's the real epiphany: According to the Daily Kos - now even headlice, cockroaches and colonoscopies (getting a camera up your butt) are more popular than Congress.

Today, my bi-weekly column in Folkbladet deals with this political paralysis in American politics. And although it's in Swedish I'm sure Google Translate can help you out.

/Leo (D-CA)