As unthinkable as it may seem, it’s where we are now: only one of America’s two major parties still supports democracy. That means it’s up to the Democratic Party to save democracy for everyone.
But even with democracy in grave danger, Democrats are in a close race against the people who are trying to finish it off. How can that be, and what should they do about it?
Recently, Politico magazine published a feature article called “There’s a Huge Divide Among Democrats Over How Hard to Campaign for Democracy.” And that title sums up the political dilemma Democrats face: To save democracy, they have to win elections, and polls show most Americans either don’t believe democracy is at risk or don’t believe protecting it is the top priority.
So should Democratic candidates follow the polls and campaign on issues like the economy or abortion, as if this is just another, normal political season?
That’s largely what’s been happening. As Politico reports, of the hundreds of millions of dollars Democrats have spent on broadcast ads this year, less than four percent has been for ads on “the insurrection, democracy or stolen elections… That’s less than Democrats spent on subjects ranging from energy and the environment to education, roads and infrastructure, abortion, health care, Trump and guns.”
Some Democrats have also been playing old political games, like boosting the fortunes of the most extreme primary candidate on the other side, on the theory that such people are easier to beat in the general election. But is it right to do that when those extreme candidates want to give Donald Trump another shot at becoming a dictator? How do you balance principles and political pragmatism, when the survival of democracy depends on both?
Questions like that have been dominating discussions among a group of some of the country’s most senior Democratic Party veterans, who began meeting online several years ago to stay in touch and talk over issues of the day. Among others, the group has included former House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt, one-time presidential favorite Gary Hart, and until her recent death, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
It also includes Spencer’s two guests this time: Les Francis and Lora Lee Martin.
Les has had a long, high-level career in national, state, and local politics. That’s included service as Deputy Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff to President Carter, head of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, professor of political communication at Georgetown University, and as a leading political consultant.
Lora Lee also has extensive experience at the national, state, and local levels of politics and government. Early on she was a member of President Carter’s advance team, before going on to high-impact work in California that has brought together scientific research and economic development in the state government and in sustainable regional development around Monterey Bay.
You won’t be surprised to hear that Les and Lora Lee have many useful insights to offer about the crisis of democracy we’re facing now.
Links
- “There’s a Huge Divide Among Democrats Over How Hard to Campaign for Democracy,” David Siders, Politico.
- Issue One
- Keep Our Republic
- Congress to Campus
About Leslie C. (Les) Francis
Les Francis is a communications specialist and public affairs strategist with extensive experience in both the private and public sectors. He is a highly regarded policy and opinion leader in national political circles.
Currently an independent consultant living in and operating from his home in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, Francis was affiliated with a number of Washington, DC communications firms, including one he established (The FMR Group), in 1981; the firm was a pioneer in the grassroots-lobbying field, and gained prominence for its innovative and effective constituency-development efforts. In fact, Mr. Francis and his firm won national recognition from the Public Relations Society of America and the American Association of Political Consultants.
Later, Mr. Francis was executive vice president of Winner & Associates and a principal in Winner/Wagner & Mandabach Campaigns. Later, he held executive positions with Goddard Claussen Strategic Advocacy and the Washington Media Group. He also served for five years as Vice President for Communications & Public Affairs at the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Today, Francis serves as a Senior Advisor to the Washington, DC government relations firm, CJ Lake, Llc.
Beyond his experience in the private sector, Mr. Francis has also worked at the highest level of politics and government at the national level. He was chief of staff to then Representative Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA), and Deputy Assistant and Deputy White House Chief of Staff to President Jimmy Carter. He has managed or advised campaigns for office at every level of government, from City Hall to the White House. And, at different points in his career, served as Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He also managed or consulted with dozens of initiative and referenda campaigns on a variety of issues, and in every region of the country.
Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Francis was educated in public schools there, and received a BA degree and high school teaching credential from San Jose State University. In 2006, the College of Social Sciences at SJSU recognized him with the first ever Outstanding Graduate award. And, in May, 2018, Francis was the commencement speaker for the college.
A major focus of Mr. Francis’ career and life has been spent in education. He began his career, at the age of 24, as the youngest person ever employed in a professional staff position of the California Teachers Association. Later, working for the National Education Association in Washington, DC, he was one of the original organizers of the campaign that resulted in passage and ratification of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which extended the franchise to 18-21 year olds. For nearly twenty years, Mr. Francis was a faculty member of political communications at George Washington University, where he taught courses in campaign communications and political campaign ethics.
Mr. Francis has also served as a volunteer consultant to the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and has advised democratic movements and parties in Northern Ireland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Bosnia.
With his extensive and varied experience in politics and government at the local, state and federal levels, Mr. Francis is a frequent source for journalists as they cover or analyze current events. He has authored and co-authored articles for many of the country’s leading newspapers, and has been a guest lecturer at several universities. He was also a founder and remains active in the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, and serves as an active member of the Tower Foundation Board of Directors at SJSU.
After more than four decades working and living in Washington, DC, Mr. Francis and his wife, Shari, now live in the Gold Rush-era town of Camino, CA. They have three grown children, nine grandchildren, two great grandchildren and three hyperactive Brittany Spaniels.
About Lora Lee Martin
Lora Lee Martin has extensive experience impacting public policy at local, state, and federal levels. She has worked on projects ranging from climate change, biodiversity, and oceans to land use, groundwater remediation, and military base conversion. Most notably, she led the development of the first state science and technology policy fellowship in the nation; a program that places Ph.D. scientists and engineers in the California State Legislature. More recently she has worked to support the passage of legislation regarding domestic violence and tax relief for victims of the California fires. She has provided expert testimony to Congressional Committees and to committees in the California State Legislature. Her work involves leveraging the power of policy in what she calls the “Art of the Possible”.
Ms. Martin’s work integrates governmental and private support of research with regional economic development initiatives. She has numerous successes in impacting legislation and program directions to support leading edge science and technology research agendas. Her efforts include launching multiyear, multi-institutional research collaborations in areas such as marine sensing technologies and groundwater remediation. She led the efforts to establish the Monterey Bay Ocean Research Consortium (MBCORC), a network of over 24 educational and research institutions around the Monterey Bay and served as one of the MBCORC Chairs. She was instrumental, working with then local Congressman Sam Farr, in the relocation of a NOAA Marine Fisheries Laboratory and a USGS Marine Sciences group to Santa Cruz adjacent to the UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Laboratory.
Ms. Martin catalyzed a new method of military land conveyances enacted into law, the economic development conveyance mechanism. She then led the first negotiations under that new law with the Department of Defense and Department of Army to secure nearly 2,400 acres of land at the former Fort Ord. That land is now home to the California State University Monterey Bay and the University of California, Santa Cruz’s MBEST Center. In addition to military land acquisition, Ms. Martin conceived of, and led, the creation of the University of California’s Monterey Bay Education, Science, and Technology (MBEST) Center; an inter-disciplinary and multi-institutional initiative intended to draw upon the research expertise of multiple higher education and research institutions to enhance regional economic development and job creation. She oversaw the land planning and necessary permits, and planning and construction of a new facility and infrastructure on UC lands at the former Fort Ord. Her work included establishment of a small business incubator in partnership with the City of Marina. She also secured 600 acres of sensitive habitat that was accepted into the UC Natural Reserve System as part of the base wide habitat mitigation plan. Ms. Martin was an ex officio representative for the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) on the Fort Ord Reuse Authority Board for 12 years helping to oversee the governance and land planning for the military base conversion effort. She also served on the national board of the Association of University Research Parks.
Following her work for the University of California, Santa Cruz, Ms. Martin was recruited to run the Sacramento office of the California Council on Science and technology (CCST). CCST, a statewide organization established at the direction of the state legislature, brings together expertise from the public and private higher education research institutions in California. Ms. Martin was the primary contact with the legislature; she interfaced with legislators and their staff to identify emerging technology and science issues and then convened expertise and facilitated the writing of reports to help inform the policy makers on those topics. Ms. Martin launched the first state level science and technology fellowship in the country. Establishment of the Science Fellowship included unanimous passage of legislation to enable the program in the State Capitol. The program included recruiting, training, and placing PhD scientists and engineers in the California state legislature for one year of service with the goal of providing scientific/analytical skill sets to our state legislative decision makers. Graduates of this program work in the legislature, the executive branch, in industry, as lobbyists or return to academia. This program has since been replicated in other states.
Keenly interested in politics, Ms. Martin has been involved in numerous political campaigns at all levels of government. She currently is serving as district campaign advisor to Gail Pellerin in her run for the California 28th Assembly District. Ms. Martin started her political career working in Washington DC first on the Carter/Mondale reelection campaign and then as Assistant Treasurer for Senator Robert Byrd’s campaign. She also was honored to serve on President Jimmy Carter’s personal advance team. Ever aware of the power of politics, Ms. Martin works to create conversations of solution between the community and electeds. She frequently hosts and facilitates neighborhood conversations with local electeds around issues such as Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and fire safety, development related transportation impacts, and homeless shelter options. Martin serves on the board of the Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County, and she frequently hosts political events to encourage support of candidates.
Ms. Martin was raised by a veterinarian in the rural northern California town of Paradise. Ms. Martin holds a B.S. in zoology from UC Davis and an M.B.A. from UC Berkeley. She was accepted by UC Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine, yet declined to attend due to her commitments in Washington, D.C.. In 2010 Ms. Martin was awarded the prestigious honor of becoming a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for her admirable contributions to science policy.
Ms. Martin has lived in the Monterey Bay area for 44 years. She has a 26-year-old son of whom she is extremely proud. She is currently working on transcribing her grandfather’s WWI diary account of action on the Western Front in France and his personal letters home. Pastimes include camping, kayaking, creating figurative sculptures, and hosting art parties. She has kayaked from Santa Cruz to Monterey, 27 miles, and walked around Monterey Bay, 44 miles; she has NO desire to swim across. Lately much of her time is spent endlessly throwing a ball for her never-tired pandemic pup, a border collie named Goose.