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IAMA political consultant, lobbyist, labor law expert, and former organizer. AMA! (self.legaladviceofftopic)

Ramady が 投稿 - announcement

Hey all,

For the Americans, I hope you had a happy Independence Day!

I’m /u/ramady. I’ve been a professional political operative for over a decade. In that period, I have served as a community organizer, labor organizer, communications director, field director, lobbyist, and political consultant to a wide array of progressive causes and campaigns.

I’ve worked on elections at nearly every level, from municipal to the United States Senate. I’ve also lobbied for a variety of causes on the state, local, and national stages.

During my time as a labor organizer and representative, I’ve been in the trenches for a number of hotly contested fights across the nation. This (combined with my experience as a lobbyist) has made me something of an expert on labor and employment laws and the sorts of strategies and tactics that workers can use to improve their conditions.

I currently operate my own political consulting firm, which assists candidates and causes across the nation in communications and messaging strategy. This means everything from digital outreach and fundraising to speeches and press relations.

I may not be able to answer all of your questions. First, it’s a big industry, and I’m by no means an expert in every aspect of it. Second, I have to take some steps to protect my anonymity and the privacy of my clients and colleagues. That means that some specifics might be left out. That said, if I can’t answer you, I’ll be sure to tell you why.

That said, I hope I’ll be able to give you an insider’s perspective on this campaign cycle, labor relations, and the various positions I’ve held.

I’ll be getting started once this post is about 30 minutes old, and I’ll be here for at least the next few hours.

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トップ新着論争中古い順Q&A

[–]GoufingAround 7ポイント8ポイント  (2子コメント)

Any interesting stories, from your campaigns for federal office, about Hatch Act compliance (or lack thereof)?

Edit: For anyone who doesn't know, the Hatch Act regulates Federal and D.C. Employees, most of whom are in the Executive Branch, and their ability to make political acts both at work and outside of work.

[–]Ramady[S] 5ポイント6ポイント  (1子コメント)

The Hatch Act, for those who don't know, is a federal law that limits what federal employees can do in and around partisan campaigns.

I did have a very supportive federal employee who offered to print off a bunch of lit at his office once. I politely declined.

[–]GoufingAround 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Far less exciting than I had hoped, but thanks for the answer.

[–]lordoftheshadows 5ポイント6ポイント  (1子コメント)

How do the different levels of government influence how the campaign is run? Eg. local vs. state vs. federal.

Also how old was the youngest person whose campaign you ran? The oldest?

[–]Ramady[S] 6ポイント7ポイント  (0子コメント)

Good questions.

How do the different levels of government influence how the campaign is run? Eg. local vs. state vs. federal.

Well, it has a lot of influence on the specifics, but not necessarily of the larger scope. It changes the issues you're running on (local taxes and zoning won't matter in a federal campaign, for example) and how you act. The goal, though, is still to get more votes than the other guy. The ways you do that change based on location, but not necessarily based on the level of government. A state senate race and a governor's race are very different, for example, because of the scale of the operation, even though they're both "state" offices.

There are also things like election laws at the various levels that have day-to-day influence.

Also how old was the youngest person whose campaign you ran? The oldest?

The youngest was 29. We lost. The oldest was in his 80s. We won.

[–]Blucatt 5ポイント6ポイント  (1子コメント)

The perfect AMA for me and I don't know exactly what to ask! So unfortunate. One thing I was wondering. If one wants to start to lobby for certain rights or whatever they believe in, or generally be more politically active, what would they have to do?

[–]Ramady[S] 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

I could write a book on lobbying for people with no experience. You have to start with a firm understanding of the issue in question. Why is it important? What's the history? Where will the opposition come from, and what will they say?

Once you have that basis, you need to be able to clearly communicate your issue and your stance. I've seen so many people go meet with politicians with these incredibly complex powerpoint presentations full of impenetrable jargon, when often simple English will suffice.

When it comes to political engagement, I'd advise you to make sure you don't forget the local. As important as the president and congress are, most of the decisions that effect your daily life our made by municipal and state governments. Those are often easier to influence and can have the greatest impact.

[–]ToughSpaghetti 5ポイント6ポイント  (0子コメント)

Hi, thank you so much for doing this. I have a number of random questions. Answers to any of them would be greatly appreciated.

How do you feel about using political 'data science' firms for statistics, polling info, etc. (WPA Research, Civis Analytics, BlueLabs to name a few).

Do you think that for a campaign to have a competitive advantage / win they need to be able to use and analyze data?

[–]s-dubya 4ポイント5ポイント  (2子コメント)

Have you ever dealt with US government workers representing the country overseas? I may be taking a government job abroad and would love to hear your thoughts on the unique challenges that entails.

[–]Ramady[S] 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Hmm, I can't say that I have any real experience with this. I'm sorry.

Good luck with the new job!

[–]thepatman 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

I'm not /u/ramady, but I've done plenty of overseas work as a government employee.

What are your specific questions?

[–]ExpiresAfterUse 4ポイント5ポイント  (1子コメント)

What campaign, at any level, are you the most proud of your work on?

[–]Ramady[S] 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

This is a tough one. I'd say that the campaigns I'm proudest of are the principled losses.

[–]johnmomdoe 4ポイント5ポイント  (2子コメント)

The current presidential race has involved the candidates portraying each other in a negative way. Can you answer how often this negative portrayal style is used and if any major candidates have been successful without using this strategy?

[–]King_Posner 3ポイント4ポイント  (1子コメント)

though obviously not Ramady, it's a long standing tradition in American politics. Jefferson and Adams was nasty, "mama where's pa? off to the White House hahahaha" was a bastard scandal, Bush allegedly leaked biracial bastard child reports in Carolina against McCain, etc..

Honestly, an actual negative attack with merit is a welcome change.

edit as for sucsessful, some have, yes, but generally as part of their principal end moral stance. most pledge it but remember eventually when the polls so dictate. However, it can also backfire, Supreme Clurt of Ohio Justice Resnick is a good example of winning due to nasty ads against her.

[–]zuuzuu 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Here in Canada in 1993, the Conservatives ran an ad that attacked the Liberal candidate's appearance. It was a federal campaign, and the man had a facial deformity caused by Bell's Palsy. The backlash was fierce. The Conservatives went from being in power to losing so badly they lost official party status, winning only 2 of the 295 seats in Parliament.

[–]lundbecs 4ポイント5ポイント  (3子コメント)

Assume I'm a 20-something generic white male with a college education and just moved to a new state. What office do I run for first and how do I work my way up to a level where I make a moderate living as a politician. In other words, please sketch my meteoric rise to mediocrity.

[–]Ramady[S] 4ポイント5ポイント  (2子コメント)

As in /r/legaladvice, context matters. What do you care about? Where do you live? What are the issues that matter to your neighbors?

[–]lundbecs 2ポイント3ポイント  (1子コメント)

Basically, I'm expecting a big move soon when my fiancee finishes her PhD and I'd like to know how to get involved at a ground level once I arrive.

I'm not sure yet where I'm going, likely somewhere in the Mountain West (Wyoming, Colorado, Eastern Washington, etc). I'm actively involved with my local humane society and I've taken a deep interest in issues of homeless resources, felon work placement, and adult education from a few years working the public library of a Midwestern "city" with a lot of poverty and dwindling resources.

[–]I_work_in_HIED 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

I'm not seeing a reason to run for office in what you posted: there are many organizations that work in those areas which would benefit from your time, talents, or treasure. Do you have experience in politics?

[–]mizmoose 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

My questions are local to your (current) locality. (No surprise, probably.)

I get the impression you came to Western PA after the 1970s-80s muck and mire of stillsteel mills and union disputes. If I'm wrong, what is your opinion on what went on? Either way, have you seen much fallout from that, and how has it impacted what you do?

How much did/do you get to deal with the array of unique individuals that are Pittsburgh mayors? From "Grandma Sophie" (Sophie Masloff, became mayor at 60; detractors called her out of touch with the modern world) to "Mayor Opie" (Luke Ravenstahl, mayor at 26 and often depicted as seeing the job as a frat party), it's been an interesting array of characters. How much have you worked with their elections and offices, and do you have any opinions or info (ok, DIRT) on any that you can share?

Lastly, do you have any thoughts on John Fetterman's run for the Senate?

Thanks for doing this, although I'm not going to try to beer you again. And you still haven't come through with Demyst, either.

[–]ContextOfAbuse 3ポイント4ポイント  (3子コメント)

What's your take on the role of ethics in lobbying? For example, would you accept a client that's got a "un-popular" cause, i.e. NAMBLA wants to lobby for lowering the age of consent to 10 (only) for boys? Why or why not?

[–]GoufingAround 2ポイント3ポイント  (2子コメント)

I can't believe you made me look up NAMBLA. I hate you.

[–]ExpiresAfterUse 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

How did you not know what NAMBLA is? Everyone knows about the North American Marlon Brando Look A-likes.

[–]ContextOfAbuse 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

(I saw you at last month's meeting).

[–]H_Mc 3ポイント4ポイント  (1子コメント)

I can't believe this hasn't really been asked, how'd you get into this field? Was it something you went to school for specifically?

I'm 30 and still have no idea what I want to do when I "grow-up", this is definitely a field I've considered.

[–]Ramady[S] 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

I'm actually a bit surprised that this wasn't the first question.

I knew that I wanted to do this back in high school. I went to school and majored in political science and communications. The original goal was to become a speechwriter. I blame the West Wing.

I volunteered on local campaigns at every opportunity. I somewhat lucked into my first paying gig, as a field director for a state leg campaign. From there, it was off to the races with lots of twists and turns.

In off years, I found work as a community organizer. That turned into labor organizing, which lead into lobbying. Eventually I was hired by a major national consulting firm. It's been all over the place, but I've mostly settled into consulting as my main source of income. It's fun, I get to get my hands dirty on several campaigns at the same time.

[–]UsuallySunny 3ポイント4ポイント  (1子コメント)

The word "lobbyist" has a lot of negative connotations. Do you feel that's fair or not, and why?

[–]Ramady[S] 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

There's a bumper sticker you sometimes see around Washington and statehouses: "Don't tell my mother that I'm a lobbyist, she still thinks I play piano at a whorehouse."

I don't think it's fair at all, although I'm admittedly more than a bit biased. I think people see "lobbyist" and automatically assume that they're representing Monsanto or whatever corporation is least popular at the moment. And, to be sure, those groups have plenty of people advocating for them.

People forget, however, that lobbyists work on all sides of all issues. Do you care about the environment? The Sierra Club has some great lobbyists out there. Gun rights? Try the NRA. Gun control? Everytown for Gun Safety does some good work.

Lobbying and lobbyists aren't bad. It's a neutral term, a positive one for me.

[–]LocationBot 11ポイント12ポイント  (5子コメント)

If you’re ever lost at sea, don’t drink the ocean water. The large amount of salt in the water dehydrates humans. Cats, on the other hand, can drink sea water in order to survive. Cats have crazy kidneys that filter out the salt from the water so they can re-hydrate themselves

[–]PalladiuM7 3ポイント4ポイント  (2子コメント)

I'm starting to think /u/LocationBot is pregnant with a new bot, /u/CatFactsBot. /u/ianp, care to comment?

[–]LocationBot 5ポイント6ポイント  (1子コメント)

You might have read about a study that suggested cats get anxious when you pet them. But that was a misinterpretation. “As a matter of fact, the majority of the cats enjoyed being stroked,” study co-author Rupert Palme of the Institute of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, explained later. “Only those animals that did not actually like to be stroked, but nevertheless allowed it, were stressed." So go ahead, pet away!

[–]PalladiuM7 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

I'm taking that as a yes. Mazel Tov!

[–]joedafone 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Could I then drink the cat?

[–]Ramady[S] 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Yes, sir.

[–]s-dubya 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

How have your opinions changed over the years? Is there a cause you worked for at one point that you regret now?

[–]zuuzuu 4ポイント5ポイント  (2子コメント)

Most of my limited knowledge of American politics comes from either the news or the West Wing. Which of those two sources would you consider the most reliable?

[–]Ramady[S] 6ポイント7ポイント  (1子コメント)

Some combination of the two. If you take a bunch of West Wing, combine it with a touch of the saner parts of House of Cards, and mix in a few good news sources, you'll have a pretty good understanding of what's going on and how things work.

I'm a huge West Wing fan. It really captures a lot of the essence of political work. Hell, I have friends on both sides of the aisle who watch it religiously.

[–]LickingDog 3ポイント4ポイント  (5子コメント)

Hi /u/ramady! Thanks for doing this!

I don't really comment ever but I love reading LegalAdvice and was very excited to see this. I am 21 and will graduate with a B.S. in PoliSci next Spring. Any advice for someone who wants to break into the Political Consultant/Lobbyist arena? I have volunteered on campaigns before and I am working for my local House members re-elect this year as a volunteer.

[–]Ramady[S] 5ポイント6ポイント  (4子コメント)

First, congratulations!

The volunteer work you've been doing is a great start. That was my first taste of campaign work, and I've been hooked ever since. There are a ton of things I could say, so it's hard for me to think of where to start.

I'd think about what kinds of things you want to do. Most of us start out doing some sort of field work for candidates we know and respect. That's great, but it can get exhausting, and it's a terrible way to earn a living. Figure out what specific things in the industry you'll enjoy. . . For me, that was messaging. For others, it's fundraising or issue advocacy. If you can find that niche, you'll be able to last a lot longer.

Second, I'd tell you to keep your head up. It's a brutal industry. Long hours, bad pay, no semblance of a work/life balance. . . But we all do it for a reason. Keep that in mind as you go through the shitty times.

[–]I_work_in_HIED 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

it can get exhausting, and it's a terrible way to earn a living.

Understatement lol

I'll add too that it's some of the most intense, meaningful, and transformative work out there.

[–]King_Posner 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

can you provide a rough how to for once they get that first campaign management/responsibility job? some good books and how to organize?

[–]LickingDog 3ポイント4ポイント  (1子コメント)

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

I have found myself working with fundraising quite a bit, and I think I like it. You are certainly right about the low pay/long hours aspect though! I worked for a state senate race in 2014 and I probably qualified for food stamps.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. There has been talk about bringing me on as a paid staffer at the beginning of August, so it just might work out! I am hoping to leverage this into a job in the district office after the election until I finish school.

Another question, if you don't mind, What are your thoughts on the so called "Revolving Door" where former members of Congress leave and immediately come back as lobbyists?

[–]Ramady[S] 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

Another question, if you don't mind, What are your thoughts on the so called "Revolving Door" where former members of Congress leave and immediately come back as lobbyists?

I think it's a bit overblown, but still an issue. The bigger concern is usually staffers, not the representatives themselves. My solution to that is perhaps a bit unpopular, though:

Pay staffers more. It's brutal work for all involved (especially Hill staffers, god bless 'em) with paltry salaries. Some states pay their representatives in the neighborhood of $20,000/year. Hill staffers aren't doing much better. How can you survive off of that without outside influence? How long would you be willing to work 90 hour weeks at that pay, when there's the option to go into the private sector and earn a real wage?

Washington had to be convinced to take a salary when he became president. He didn't think it was fair for him to get paid. He was only convinced once he realized that it would make it impossible for the average person to hold office if there wasn't a salary. I think that's something that we should still be concerned about when we talk about modern day public servants.

[–]LPisbestP 3ポイント4ポイント  (5子コメント)

What are your thoughts on Hillary's emails?

[–]Ramady[S] 6ポイント7ポイント  (4子コメント)

I think her campaign emails are generally well written, if perhaps a bit too frequent for my personal tastes.

Or did you have something else in mind?

[–]GoufingAround 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

The recent flurry of Hamilton raffle emails has been a bit annoying. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind having those tickets.

[–]LPisbestP 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

Obviously I meant the emails from her time as SoS which have been all over the news for years. Do you think she is guilty of a crime? Would a "lesser person" be in jail while she walks free? Why do we let this criminal run for president!

[–]grasshoppa1 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Why do we let this criminal run for president!

Criminal?

[–]Ramady[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Do you think she is guilty of a crime?

Well, I'm certainly not more of an expert than the director of the FBI, who says "no".

Would a "lesser person" be in jail while she walks free?

I suspect that a "lesser person" would probably find him or herself in the same position, albeit with much less media scrutiny.

[–][削除されました]  (3子コメント)

[deleted]

    [–]LocationBot 1ポイント2ポイント  (2子コメント)

    .bef

    [–][削除されました]  (1子コメント)

    [deleted]

      [–]ExpiresAfterUse 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

      You fuckers need lives.

      [–]OC4815162342 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

      As someone who has worked directly for multiple legislators and currently works at a lobbying firm that focuses on the state level legislature, I know a bit about the industry. How effective did you find your lobbying efforts considering you jumped from local to federal? Lobbying is all about relationships and I cant imagine you cultivated too many strong ones if you were jumping around a lot. ( not calling you out or anything, just curious)

      [–]sarandipity90 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

      You wouldn't happen to know anything about unemployment benefits in the state of Florida, would you? If so, I'm 8 mos pregnant and was "laid off" from my job. They didn't contest it but I was denied benefits because a previous job that I worked last year was a non profit that opted out of paying into unemployment. Is there anything I can do?

      [–]thepatman[M] 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

      Your question should be posted to /r/legaladvice.

      [–]Ramady[S] 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

      You would probably be best served by asking this in /r/legaladvice. Best of luck.

      [–]Sledge_of_Hammer -2ポイント-1ポイント  (1子コメント)

      What's the best thing you've ever put up your bottom?

      [–]Ramady[S] 12ポイント13ポイント  (0子コメント)

      Your girlfriend's pinky.

      [–]Dr_BunsenHoneydew -1ポイント0ポイント  (2子コメント)

      I don't know if this is allowed or not, but do you agree with the changes to LegalAdvice and BestofLegalAdvice regarding the locked update threads?

      [–]Ramady[S] 7ポイント8ポイント  (1子コメント)

      It's certainly allowed, but I don't think you'll like my answer:

      Frankly, I just don't care that much.

      [–]Dr_BunsenHoneydew -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

      Okay, that is certainly your right to not care. Thanks for being honest.

      Can I ask a follow up then? Do you think some of the moderators and starred users could have handled it better? I'm thinking of /u/grasshoppa1 and /u/PM-Me-Beer mostly.