NOVEMBER 4, 2018
Democracy. Winston Churchill. Voting.
At Hickman Strategies, we are not ones to shy away from political, social, or pop culture-driven causes. In 2018, brand activism is front and center and CEOs like Salesforce’s Marc Benioff and Levis Strauss & Co.’s Chip Bergh are taking stands outside the boardroom. And while history is not repeating itself, this year is certainly asking us to pause and reflect about who we are both as a country and an ideal.
In honor of Election Day in the US, for your consideration, we pulled together some commentary and interviews about why this election matters. We start with a view from our cousins in the UK and end with a local example of what the government, the people and the private sector can do to make America beautiful when it wants.
The Economist “Why the mid-terms matter”
“Toxic federal politics is America’s great weakness. It prevents action on pressing real issues, from immigration to welfare; it erodes Americans’ faith in their government and its institutions; and it dims the beacon of American democracy abroad. The mid-term elections are a chance to begin stopping the rot—and even to start the arduous task of putting it right.”
Read the rest of the piece here.
David Brooks, New York Times columnist and author of The Road to Character, on "PBS NewsHour" last Friday evening:
"The key word ... in this election is 'unraveling.' I think there's a sense, both on the Republican side and the Democratic side, that something is unraveling."
"From the Republican side, it's immigration is causing a social unraveling. Media elites are causing a cultural unraveling. There's an unraveling between men and women on gender roles."
"[O]n the Democratic side, there's a sense that our norms are unraveling, our sense of unity and tolerance is unraveling."
"[I]t's not a normal election, because it's about existential angst and a sense of fear that something fundamental is happening in our society. And so, yes, it is about health care. Yes, it is about immigration. But there's that much deeper sense of anxiety that I think is really what this election is about."
Watch the rest of the piece here.
Finally, we can’t call ourselves #ThePossibilists without, well, telling you about something great and utilitarian that points to what’s possible.
Our kids have grown up along the shores of the San Francisco Bay. From picnics, to kite flying (sorry, Aidan), and, yes, swimming, Crissy Field is one our favorite spots. Read this wonderful story about what’s possible when you decide to keep America beautiful.
Let freedom ring, America. Please vote this November 6, 2018.
