Re: do what you will

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would probably appreciate it. On Sunday, September 13, 2015, Neera Tanden <[email protected]> wrote: > > Doesn't it just show up as text in message? > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Ben Edwards <[email protected] > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','[email protected]');>> > *Sent:* Sunday, September 13, 2015 10:37 PM > *To:* Neera Tanden > *Subject:* do what you will > > Dear Hillary, > > The other day I mentioned to Neera that I wanted to write you a note, to > express my feelings about how I see your candidacy, how I feel the overall > race is going, and where I believe it is headed. The reason I want to share > this with you is that I feel optimistic about the still very long road > ahead. And Neera will tell you that I am generally not a very optimistic > person. So I myself have found it strange, and I hope you will benefit from > hearing my thoughts, which are probably not of the usual Washington variety. > > Let me say first that I strongly believe you are the most qualified person > now running for President, that you should and will be President. I am a > proud non-participant in social media, I don’t watch TV news, and my usual > news sources are NPR and the New York Times. This surely has its > disadvantages, but I think it also gives me perspective, and an ability to > look at the bigger picture. As an artist, my role is also to look at trends > and patterns in society as a whole and to ask where we are going and what > it all means. I have learned to trust this perceptive ability, and to > listen when a strong feeling makes itself known, because usually it’s > announcing a truth that is not yet widely apparent. > > I remember earlier this year, before dozens of Republicans had entered the > race and Bernie Sanders hadn’t yet come along, feeling very positive about > your running for President. I consider myself a defiantly “liberal” > Democrat, and, I believe like many Democrats, I have been quite > disillusioned by the Obama Presidency. But I felt that you could be, as you > frequently say, a fighter, whereas the Obama vision of Democrats and > Republicans united in harmonious bipartisanship can now only be seen as > hopelessly naive. They are never going to just go along. Someone needs to > stand up to them. I’m sure you know that you are a polarizing figure. But > no one doubts that you won’t roll over for them. > > When the email story broke several months ago, I was angry. I could > completely understand why you did it, and it may be true that you did > nothing wrong. But I feel, and this is why Neera will call me cynical, that > unfortunately the truth doesn’t matter. This may be too obvious to state, > but it’s the appearances that matter, and the narrative that arises from > such perceptions. I was angry because my perception was that an unnecessary > cache of ammunition had just been provided to the Republicans, fodder for > months and months to come. I suspect that many Democrats feel just as I do. > We are completely sympathetic, but it appeared to be a failure of judgment. > > A few nights ago, I told my Mom that you had apologized, and she was > indignant. She mentioned that Colin Powell and Dick Cheney had done the > same thing, and she decried the hypocrisy. In substance, I agree with her. > But I sense that many, many people needed to hear an apology just so that > we could put this episode to rest, once and for all. I am so happy that > we’ve reached this moment, because now we can all move on. There is a > groundswell of sympathy for your position. But it can only be released if > it looks like you are doing all you possibly can to put this issue to rest. > Going forward, any more lingering will appear for what it truly is: the > same old harassment that you’ve always had to put up with. > > Unfortunately this story has played perfectly into the countering > narratives of Trump and Sanders. To really understand what’s going on, one > must recognize the deep cynicism and mistrust that exists across the > country, not just of Washington but of all systems of power, from Wall > Street to the corporate world, Silicon Valley, the Koch Brothers, and on > and on. To many people, I among them, the system seems hopelessly broken > and corrupt. You can find similar feelings on just about any point on the > ideological spectrum. In 2000, the election was basically stolen (and > reforms never enacted), and tragic events unfolded in the Bush years. In > the crisis of 2008 and the deep recession that followed in 2009 was a > breaking point for the frustration. This is what unites the Tea Party and > the Occupy movement: very, very deep frustration. People have had enough, > but their feelings are chaotic, unguided and unfocused. > > What we really need is an experienced leader, but what the people want is > someone to focus this anger and frustration. So at the very moment you were > looking like just another politician with something to hide, we witnessed > two straight-shooters enter the scene, telling people what they desperately > long for: the truth, or at least what they perceive as the truth. > > However, I believe that once this swoon of newly focused energy has run > its course, when you look at the actual substance behind the candidates, > when you get down to the truly rather boring details of policy and > proposals, their shallow roots will ultimately reveal themselves. The fact > is that neither Donald Trump nor Bernie Sanders is qualified, at least in > my mind, to be President of the United States. Unfortunately, this moment > of revelation may not come for quite some time. It may not come until well > after Iowa and New Hampshire. But I believe it will come. And that’s why my > message to you is to hang in there, to fight on, and to know that through > all those debates and town halls and everything else you’ll have to do, > that you will show yourself to be the best candidate, because you are. > > People will not be able to see this unless they feel they are being told > the truth. Donald Trump can sound like a Neandertal but we can also admire > him because at least we’re being told his version of the truth. It’s a sad > commentary on our political system that such a hunger exists. As a liberal, > I need to hear such truth from you as well. I need to hear an answer on > Keystone, for example. I know the facts well enough to know that it is > mostly a symbolic issue. But this is where President Obama failed: the > American people need a leader, not a manager. How can I trust the President > when for years the words “climate change” are never even acknowledged, and > then in his remaining months he sees it as part of his legacy? How can he > show concern for the people of Alaska on the front lines of climate change > right now while simultaneously allowing Shell to drill for oil nearby? I > understand the complexity of the issues, but I can’t blame anyone for being > cynical. People can see a pandering narrative from a mile away. > > There is another factor at play in the overall narrative which may be > perceived but unnoticed at the conscious level. I have been studying > narrative structure, particularly the idea of the hero’s journey, derived > from the work of Joseph Campbell. There is a moment when the hero is called > to adventure, to leave the comforts of the normal world and to take the > plunge into the new dangerous realm. But there is also an initial “refusal > of the call”. The hero is reluctant, afraid, unsure. The hero is needed, > but she doesn’t yet see how important a figure she will become. I believe > that for a “Washington politician” it is vital to have a narrative of being > called to service. Trump and Sanders may bypass this refusal of the call > because they are naturally outsiders and it’s already built in. They were > compelled to jump in. Things have just gotten so bad that they couldn’t > take it anymore. The entirety of their careers before getting into the race > were refusals. > > However, if you look at the narrative developing around Vice President > Biden, in his reluctance to enter the race, he is creating, consciously or > not, an extremely compelling story of the hero’s adventure. I believe that > unless you foster a narrative of truth and clarity, of telling people what > you really think, clearly, even if it’s not what they want to hear, then > you are inviting a Biden candidacy, and this would be a very worrisome > development. > > This could be the moment to begin that new narrative. As we approach the > debates, I and many Democrats would really like to know what you think > about how to fix this country. I would much rather get an honest answer on > Keystone, as well as many other issues, even if I disagree with it, than > not to get an answer at all, or worse, a “politician’s” hedge. > > There is one more perception I would like to share with you, one I’m sure > you’re all too familiar with: the New York Times is out to get you. I have > always loved the New York Times and it is my primary news source, but they > have shown themselves to be biased in their coverage of you. I don’t know > whether their story the other day about the campaign’s Southern strategy > was part of this or not. But this is exactly the kind of story that is > extremely unhelpful. I cringe when I see any hint of such overconfidence by > the campaign. Arrogance is currently working for Trump because he’s an > outsider. But I believe your course in all things should be humility. > > I’ve always felt that your strongest moments were in the spring of 2008, > when the primary season just seemed to drag on and on. The newness of Obama > had worn off, though there was still much excitement, particularly at the > idea of the first African-American President. It seems that it will prove > to be easier for the country to elect its first black president than its > first woman commander-in-chief. Through those long months you showed > yourself to be tough, smart and direct, and if President Obama had not been > making history, I think everyone could see that you would have. Your grace > and humility throughout that process was a welcome change from Obama’s > growing overconfidence, and it was this contrast that cast you in a most > sympathetic light. This could be achieved again by showing humility against > the soon-to-be stale story of Trump’s bluster. > > I hope that these thoughts have been helpful to you. I can only imagine > the difficulty of managing the task of an exhausting campaign, listening to > competing voices and opinions about what you should or should not do. I > wish you luck in the coming debates (more than four, I hope), and I’m > looking forward to hearing what you have to say, about all kinds of things. > Please remember that while our culture seems perpetually skewed toward the > flavor of the month and the loudest voices in the room, there are many of > us who shoulder on and quietly go about our business. You may not notice > us, but we’re there and we’re paying attention, and as long as you give us > the reason to, when the time comes, when actual votes are cast, we’ll make > ourselves known in the voting booth. Neera likes to call me cynical, but I > still believe that the vast majority of people will ultimately reject > hatred and hot air, and will embrace the person who shows herself to be the > rational choice. I think to be the Democratic nominee, you just need to be > yourself, and to allow us to choose you. Ironically, it might end up being > the polarizing figure who in the end unites us. That would make for a great > narrative. > > Sincerely, > > Ben Edwards > >