Democrat to Forward

Hello, I hope all is great with you! I spent this week in Wyoming at a Democracy conference – it’s like walking onto the set of Yellowstone the moment you get off the plane. I recommend it.

Some fun news – Forward comes out on paperback on October 4th! I used to wait until books came out on paperback before picking up a copy myself.

Perhaps most exciting - over 1,000 people have signed up for the Forward Kickoff in Houston on September 24th!  Let your friends in Texas know that’s the place to be this Saturday.  It’s on! 
 
I left the Democratic Party almost a year ago.  I didn’t think much of it at the time – I simply changed my voter registration to ‘Independent’ and wrote a blog post.  I did this because I had become convinced that what was needed was structural reform that would not happen from within the two-party system. 
 
I was surprised at the reaction.  Headlines were written.  People I didn’t know seemed to project all sorts of strange things onto me.  The tribalism was evident. 
 
In some ways, the reaction made me feel more confident that I was doing the right thing.  One friend I admire a great deal called me to express his appreciation.  I felt that the right people would see what I was building with Forward and would come to join the effort. 
 
It was true.  Phenomenal people have come to help.  One of the most important is Kait Saier, whom I interview on the podcast this week. 
 
Kait grew up in Kentucky and came to politics the hard way – through personal tragedy.  Her brother was shot in the head when she was 18 years old.  “I was always a Democrat, even growing up in Kentucky.  But it became personal to me after what my family went through.”  Part of her work was with Everytown for Gun Safety pushing for sensible gun violence prevention policies.  She also worked for a senior member of Congress and a Democratic governor, spending a decade in Democratic politics as a fundraiser. 
 
Why did she consider leaving? “I didn’t feel like I was making a positive difference.  I saw the dysfunction of the system up close. I said I’d give the Democrats one more cycle, one more cycle but it kept getting worse, not better. I saw that if they had a choice between a messaging bill that wouldn’t pass but would win a press cycle versus a compromise that might help people, they would choose the messaging bill.  Things like that would happen over and over again.  There are good people who came to it for the right reasons, but the system isn’t rewarding solving problems or helping people.  It’s rewarding politics as usual and blaming it on others. I just couldn’t keep doing it and still feel true to myself.” 
 
Kait goes on,  “I still have tons of friends and family here in Kentucky.  I felt all of the time like I was having to try and fight to include the perspective of someone like me who maybe grew up in a reddish part of the country around people who might be working class.  I would get into arguments about language and approaches all of the time. It became exhausting.  I went to school in New York and lived in Boston so I’ve seen both sides.  There really is a bubble.” 
 
Still, it wasn’t an easy decision.  “It was terrifying to leave the Democratic Party because I had spent a decade building a career, and I need to make a living.  I need a job.  People called me trying to discourage me or even intimidate me.  Some said things like, ‘I would never have the guts to do that.’  But I reflected on why I got into politics in the first place – to help people.  And I became convinced that Forward is exactly what the country needs.” 
 
When Kait reached out, our little team was thrilled.  Kait and I have traveled the country together for months making the case for Forward.  We have roadtripped in a tiny rental car (her choice) and almost went on a hot air balloon ride.  She’s great at her work and also a joy to spend time with.  I’m grateful to her for doing what she thought was right for the country. And, I’ll confess, I feel a certain responsibility to make sure that she never feels like she made the wrong decision. 
 
On that front, people like you who have helped.  “I’ve been in politics for a long time, and I’ve never seen energy and people like this.  People want it.  I wake up every day feeling good about what I’m doing.  I haven’t regretted it a single minute.” 
 
Let’s keep building the movement that Kait wanted to see when she joined. 
 
Click here to get your copy of Forward on paperback and here for the Houston event info on the 24th!  Or click here to join Forward and check out the Forward chapter in your area.