The 2016 election year drove people apart as much as it brought them together. The entire country, as we are fully aware, sort of reshuffled like a deck of cards. Friends became unfriendly and strangers became friends. People looked inwards and discovered truths that forced them to reassess their relationships with those who mattered. The year opened up hearts and broke them just as forcefully. Positive thinking and empathy became sacred commodities.
At the same time, more and more people started to realize the importance of emerging from their comfort zones and raising their voices in support of justice. One of the people I crossed paths with during that tumultuous year was Liz Seffrin, a volunteer coordinator at the Black Hawk Democratic Office in Waterloo, Iowa.
After my child was bullied at school for belonging to a minority faith, I knew I needed to abandon the thought process that my voice did not matter. The truth is it did matter. Every syllable mattered and it still does now, more than ever. Liz Seffrin had had a similar awakening a few years prior.
“As a child, my grandmother would encourage me to be active politically,” she shared. “She would tell me that the ability to vote was a privilege. I used to roll my eyes back then but as I grew older, her words started resonating with me.”
Although Seffrin was not politically active in college, her life took a turn when she started working at Exceptional Persons, Inc., (EPI) in Waterloo, Iowa.
“EPI is a nonprofit organization that connects people and encourages them to reach their full potential career-wise as well as socially,” explained Seffrin. “Working there allowed me the opportunity to work with people who have disabilities. I quickly realized that people, regardless of their abilities, have so much potential. They just need guidance and the opportunity to shine.”
Venturing Into Politics
After college, Liz came across a job advert from a small organization located in Washington D.C.
“The people who work there are tireless advocates for folks with disabilities. They work across political divides in order to get democrats as well as republicans to support legislation that benefits people with disabilities in the workplace.”
She applied for the job and received an email right after.
“The CEO had extensive political experience. She has been a leader and advocate for people with disabilities. I thought this internship was a great opportunity because I wanted to be a better advocate and work closely with policy makers to make a difference.”
The CEO asked if she was interested in working for a campaign and suggested she get involved.
“They were looking for fellows,” explained the young woman. “The process was difficult. The campaign was searching for one-thousand candidates located across the United States. I applied anyway and, to my surprise, was chosen.”
Soon after, Seffrin applied to a job posted by NextGen America – an organization that acts politically to prevent climate disaster, promotes prosperity, and protects the fundamental rights of every American.
“My job was to get voters to caucus for candidates who had a clean energy plan. I worked with college students and trained them to ask important questions of politicians regarding the clean air act. We met Marco Rubio, Bernie Sanders, and other notable public servants at town hall meetings and networked heavily. I was living the dream!”
It is her time at the Black Hawk Democratic Office in Waterloo, Iowa, that brings her a true sense of accomplishment and pride.
“I was introduced to an incredible team in May, 2016… Adam Pirtle, Alex Navissi, Meshelle Johnson, Vikki Brown, Jacqui Painter, and MJ Farlowa… we were all dedicated to knocking on doors, making phone calls, and basically educating the great people of Iowa about the issues affecting them as well as what they could do – come election time – to cast their votes and make a difference.”
During the summer, she met Hillary Clinton.
“She was so personable and down-to-earth,” revealed Liz. “I met her twice. The first time, I was formally introduced to her at a house party when I was an intern. I was very nervous but she immediately put me at ease. She has this remarkable ability to remember people.”
The campaign brought on surrogates from all over the country to convince Iowans that Hillary Clinton was the right candidate for the presidential office. Some of the notable surrogates included Sofia Bush from the television series, Scandal. A month prior to Election Day, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made an appearance at the Black Hawk Democratic Office. I was so thrilled when Liz invited me to hear her speak. As a child, I had often heard about her in the news and really looked up to her.
Right around that time, our mosque in Waterloo was vandalized when the word ‘TRUMP’ was spray painted on one of the walls of the mosque. Across the country, there were numerous reports of minorities falling victim to racist attacks. In fact, a month before the vandalism occurred, the Synagogue in Waterloo had experienced a similar attack. We invited Miss Albright to the mosque the next morning where she spoke to a packed audience comprised of interfaith leaders: Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist. Her visit brought immense healing and hope to a community that was understandably on edge.
Election Night 2016
More than a year has passed since Election Day, 2016. Liz, like the rest of the democrats, has gone through a myriad of emotions in order to come to terms with the results. Since she was so heavily invested in the campaign, it was important for me to understand her journey since.
“We canvassed neighborhoods and knocked on one door after another until night time,” she recalled. “Afterwards, we drove to our campaign office to watch the results unfurl together. Needless to say, we were all in shock and very upset. Like the rest of the country, we could not believe our eyes”.
Liz decided to head home and sleep. “I was hoping to see a favorable outcome once I woke up.”
Instead, she opened her eyes to Hillary Clinton delivering her concession speech.
“It felt like a nightmare! To be honest, I must’ve remained in shock for a year. There were peaks where I felt horrible but then I’d numb myself in order to deal with the pain… It still hits me from time to time. This entire campaign was a major part of our lives!”
Liz has proudly framed the letter of appreciation she received from Hillary Clinton a month after the election.
“She had signed it herself. It was encouraging to receive a letter teeming with motivation, recognition, and appreciation from such a remarkable candidate.”
Perhaps that is the reason why she continues to remain attracted to the possibility of participating during the next election cycle.
“Something ignited in me when I joined this line of work in 2016 and that spark has not died down one bit,” smiled Liz. “The sting has lessened and I am able to now see the big picture. Yes there is a lot of trouble looming and more is yet to come. However, great things have resulted too, and we need to not lose sight of that… I attended the Women’s March which took place in Des Moines in early 2017. I could see firsthand that as much as the attendees were sad, they remained hopeful. There is a huge narrative in support of women’s rights which was not there before. As a woman, I strongly feel that my voice is finally validated despite all attempts to hush it down.”
What Went Wrong?
It would be a bit of an oversight to write this article without assessing what went wrong. As someone with a business background, I am well-versed in studying case studies to understand downfalls and what could be done differently, going forward. Liz agreed.
“Looking back, there are several things that could’ve been done differently. To be honest, the democratic office I worked at was staffed with people who were very knowledgeable and worked cohesively to always find solutions to problems encountered in the field…”
A very obvious hurdle in Hillary Clinton’s path to presidency was the lack of support from Bernie Sanders supporters.
“In May of 2016, things started to get real sticky because it was becoming more and more apparent that Hillary would become the democratic nominee. However, Bernie was not willing to give up and nor were his supporters. As volunteers canvassing and placing numerous phone calls to people in Iowa, we often encountered folks who had very strong feelings about Bernie Sanders and were not willing to support Hillary Clinton despite us reminding them that the alternative candidate would prove to be detrimental for our country. We could tell that these people were suspended in a vacuum. They had pinned all their hopes on Bernie and were unwilling to let go.”
Speaking with respect to Iowa, it might’ve helped tremendously to bring Senator Bernie Sanders onboard long before Election Day. I went to hear the fiercely intelligent and remarkable man speak when he came to the University of Northern Iowa about a week before the nation was to cast their vote. It was a little too late by then. Although the event was laden with serenity and hope – in stark contrast to the daily and often cringe-worthy exchanges on the national political podium – I could not help but wonder why Bernie’s visit could not have been arranged sooner.
“I wish Bernie was more involved earlier with Hillary as the Democratic nominee. I think it would’ve definitely eased the hard feelings from his supporters during the general election. Many had already participated in the early vote by the time he spoke at the university.”
Another misstep by the Democratic Headquarters was the selection of surrogates.
“The campaign headquarters sometimes sent out surrogates nobody could connect with. If you want to target young people, you want an influencer (they can recognize) to speak to them.”
There was also the problem of voters who felt under-represented.
“I’d knock on a door opened by people of all sorts of demographics. Regularly I would come across young people and minorities who felt their vote did not matter. Many of them did not feel represented and felt their voice was not being heard. As an Organizer, this was painful and saddening. The Democratic Party needs to work at elevating those voices and representing them well.”
Perhaps it was this realization that led to Doug Jones’s win in Alabama.
“He won because everyone – Blacks, Latinos, everyone – showed up at the polls and voted. The surrogates who spoke in support of Jones were people of all demographics. People could relate to them.”
The Power Of Social Media
The past narrative needs to go. We need to look towards the future. With the midterm elections looming this year, now is the time to start the campaign process. The Democratic Headquarters should already start hiring minorities and give them the chance to participate in the election process.
As a starting point, it is absolutely crucial to understand the importance of leveraging social media. Pantsuit Nation, which is a highly successful Facebook group formed with the vision of supporting Hillary Clinton’s campaign, has served an important role pre as well as post-election. Members post their stories of prejudice, inclusion and everything in between and others respond quickly in support. However, the platform is more of a venting space, if you will. There is a strong need for the Democrats to implement a platform of their own where volunteers can come together and share successes and failures from now on.
As with any organization, it is not always easy for word to travel up the ladder to the highest tier where people are in the position to take major steps in order to find solutions for a problem. A properly managed social media group would allow field workers to communicate their issues quickly. Moreover, volunteers across the nation could share information about the communities they are serving, their unique sets of challenges as well as any advice so the higher-ups can tailor their campaign message more effectively.
Another necessary step for the party is to try and return the volunteers to the same cities they had served in the previous election. They are, obviously, familiar with the challenges and needs of those communities and will be able to provide valuable input on how to do things differently and more effectively.
Liz liked the idea.
“Early voting was to start in September of 2016,” she recalled. “The polls were not looking good at all. There were some weeks we felt we were winning and others where we felt we were sinking in the polls. It was roller coast of emotions for sure. The field director, MJ, was very accommodating and did his level best in relaying our concerns to the higher-ups but the information and resulting action was not moving fast enough. Having an active social platform would greatly enhance communication.”
Social media played a major role in getting the country acquainted with President Barack Obama back in 2008. His campaign recognized early on that the best and most efficient way to get the word out was through leveraging the power of social media. It is true that people young and old have access to Facebook and other channels. It allows them to have direct access to candidates and vice versa. Regrouping and organizing a solid campaign online is the need of the hour and that first step in that direction should be taken no later than today.
The Democratic party should also support people at the bottom of the ticket and move upwards. Many, including myself, were too busy to do our homework on candidates running for local offices, for example. As my children have grown older and my time has freed a bit, I am able to invest more in the causes that affect my community. Looking back, however, that was not the case. If the Democrats wish to win the next election, one of the steps they should consider taking is putting together a website where the most current information about candidates, big and small, is made available for the masses to read up on.
“If volunteers canvassing neighborhoods had access to a website like that, we would’ve had better talking points. Simply handing out brochures is never enough. If we could have a central website where we could study what the candidates stood for, we would have been better prepared to pass on the knowledge to those who opened their doors to us.”
Right before we wrapped up the interview, a lady stopped at our table and thanked Liz for her dedication. “I and everyone I know is so grateful for people like you who did everything in their power to ensure a better outcome… I just want you to understand that your efforts did not go in vain. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
Liz and I were speechless upon hearing the words of gratitude. I looked around and could sense that other patrons at the restaurant were trying to listen to our conversation. Their reaction felt positive which was a great reminder of the fact that people are still hopeful, for the most part. We may have lost the election but we are far from defeated.
“Indeed!” emphasized Liz. “Everything that I or you say carries weight. I used to ask myself ‘how far can my voice go?’… Now I know that my voice can go really far. We must not give up. We need to connect with others who are on the same path. Our struggle is the same and so is the end game. Our joys and disappointments are the same, regardless of which demographic background we belong to. Together we are strong and the time is NOW for us to come together and take that step towards making everything right again!”
Journa Ramirez says
I love how you’ve been so honest in tackling these topics from top to the end of your post. Especially on the election part!
Seema Khan says
Thank you for your comment. Going forward, it is necessary to review the successes as well as shortcomings.