The Predictive Power of Canned Goods

Last night, a primary election was held between three candidates in the safely Democratic congressional district around Boulder, Colorado. It was a highly competitive, hard-fought race among three strong Democrats. As it turns out, the winner may have been known to us many months ago.

Ten months ago, the three candidates – Joan Fitz-Gerald, Jared Polis, and Will Shafroth – started competing in a quirky Democrats Work contest called “The Coats and Cans Primary.” The winner of that primary was decided by “votes” cast in the form of donated canned goods and winter coats, which were given to local charities around the district. The results of the contest that ended last December were identical to the results of yesterday’s primary. (You can see the contest results here.)

It seems that in both primaries the skills needed to win included the ability to marshal sufficient resources, the ability to widen the field of typical supporters, a certain knack for mobilizing, and a stubborn refusal not to lose. The contest and the election each had a single winner, but what was fascinating to me was what happened along the way.

You can view building a community as a tool to win an election. But turn that on its head and you could have a much more intriguing possibility: an election whose goal is to build a community. That is what happened with the Coats and Cans Primary and what carried though last night.

All three candidates inspired a following, but because the competition was about serving rather than ruling, the following they separately fostered combined into a body of supporters dedicated to service. It stopped being a horse race between candidate A and candidate B, and it started being a collaboration of three Democrats and all of their supporters to get something done for their neighbors. It stopped being about who won or lost, but about what was built.

Last night I visited each of their election night gatherings. At two of the parties, people were somber; one party was elated. But from the combined view of all three, I saw a united political community determined to stay engaged and continue serving. The supporters disagreed on who was best to lead, but all had reached an agreement on where to go. They all wanted to put their hands to work shaping a more just, charitable and committed America.

The candidates attracted their supporters by appealing to a desire to take positive actions and better the common good. Perhaps that should be an obvious thing, but in nearby districts the divisive cruelty of homophobia, xenophobia, and greed have been used for years to prod voters to the polls. A politics of fear and distrust have narrowed down the voters to the rabid few. This new “politics of service” opened the doors and invited a more determined and hopeful generation. It didn't matter if their candidate won or lost, people were engaged and the candidate was merely a way to get to the goal - not the goal itself.

While no single domino fell to start it all, part of what made it work was one person knocking on a door in Colorado and asking if their neighbor had a can of food to spare for a good cause. With this style of politics, no one loses.