Typically, when No Labels emails you, we’re updating you on what’s happening with The Problem Solvers Caucus. That’s for good reason: the Problem Solvers are a ray of light in the black hole that is Capitol Hill. But it’s worth taking a step back to ask a deeper question: Why are the Problem Solvers succeeding? The answer can be found at a very special event No Labels is hosting in New Hampshire on Sunday, November 3rd called the Problem Solver Convention. Here’s the bottom line: The Problem Solvers have succeeded because their basic orientation—working across the aisle to solve problems in a bipartisan way—is popular with real Americans or, as some call it, the forgotten majority. Talk to people on the street in a state like New Hampshire and you quickly realize that they don’t want the extremists in either party to impose their will single-handedly on the nation. They’re looking for the legislative product that emerges when the two parties work together. Now, getting people to buy into that strategy isn’t a hard sell—but in an age dominated by partisan punditry and inflammatory social media, we nevertheless need to engage our voters. And for the last several months, that’s what No Labels has been doing on a retail basis in New Hampshire. Ahead of next year’s primary, we established an office, canvassed events, organized volunteers, knocked on doors, and generally worked to get the word out, explaining to real citizens: Washington doesn’t have to be about fighting—it can, once again, be about fixing the nation’s big problems. But it will only respond if we grow our voice—it will only get better if the nation’s voters stand in support of the way the Problem Solvers Caucus approaches knotty challenges. It took us years to get the Caucus up and running—it didn’t happen overnight. And it has taken us years to build up the following we have online. Now, as we continue organizing our supporters in New Hampshire and across the country, we’re working to get the nation’s citizens to engage one another. Here’s the big idea: We want reasonable Democrats, reasonable Republicans, and reasonable independents—believe it or not, all three really do exist, particularly in places like New Hampshire—to get to know each other and to talk about the way forward, even on issues where they disagree. We believe that those face-to-face interactions are bound to support the politics that defines the Problem Solvers over time, and to change the incentives which have, to this point, driven Washington into a ditch. We believe, in other words, in playing the long game. To that end, we have spent several months putting together the Problem Solver Convention in Manchester, New Hampshire on Sunday, November 3. This is our second such event—we organized a similar gathering ahead of the 2016 primary. The goal, more than anything, is simply to bring many of the citizens who believe in our politics together so they can see one another and realize just what a powerful force they are when they stand together. This promises to be a terrific event. We’ll be bringing members of the Problem Solvers Caucus up to engage the participating citizens. We’ll be conducting a big focus group to report on what the citizenry really wants. We’ll be giving reporters opportunities to talk to attendees. A few presidential candidates may even show—but that’s almost beside the point. We’re doing this because we’re building our grassroots. These voters—not to mention the voters they talk to after the event, and the voters who think like they do already—are sure to have an outsized impact on what happens in February and beyond. We want them to know they’re not alone. They’re part of a big community. This convention promises to be an opportunity to see what the forgotten majority of Americans really believe. You are more than welcome to come to witness the event for yourself—we’d love to have you. But regardless, we wanted to report what we’re doing. We’re excited about what’s happening. We’ve been overwhelmed with the response. And we hope, regardless of whether you’re able to make it, that you’re able to appreciate what’s happening beneath the surface in American politics, and how auspicious that reality is for America’s future. Thank you, again, for all your support. |
