Tip O'Neill said that, "All politics are local." He was correct, but a corollary is that, "All politics are also personal." A nice word, a human act, or a show of sympathy is likely to override policy differences or ideology. If you doubt me, take a look at longtime representatives in Congress -- from either side of the aisle -- who rack up big majorities, even from constituents of the opposite party. When you look behind the ideology, you'll find that the representative has made contact on a human basis through personal contact with the constituent, constituent services or simply the good relationships that have been established in the district. A call from a Congressman's office to straighten out a snafu in a Social Security check, or an appointment to a military academy often outweighs most any difference on policy.
I am from California, but several years ago, we took a trip to D.C. We got passes to the Senate and found ourselves in the Senate Cloak Room, a young couple from California with two young boys. I don't know why or how, but Howard Metzenbaum struck up a conversation with us. As he introduced himself as "Howard" his pager (yes, this was pre-cellphone) went off. Metzenbaum was a tall, thin fellow. He leaned over and asked our six-year old how to turn it off. Our kid was thrilled.
That is about all I remember of meeting the senator, but he was so friendly, outgoing, down to earth, and made such a wonderful effort to engage our boys that I remember him fondly. I also followed his career, and he was a great liberal and took on many causes for the benefit of ordinary people against the special interests.
As we slash and burn our way through the primary season, we would probably do well to remember the example of Metzenbaum and in the end, it all comes down to people.
