Farm-grown + journalist = gov?
News that New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is considering running for governor of Oregon raises the question of what qualifications voters should expect of candidates
Mark worked 20 years at The Oregonian in positions including business editor & editorial writer. He currently is a communications consultant.
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How would you feel about a journalist who grew up on a farm running for public office? According to Willamette Week, that question was part of a poll used to test the electoral waters for New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who is considering running for governor of Oregon.
The question intrigued me, among other reasons, because Kristof isn’t the only journalist with Oregon ties who grew up on a farm. So did I, and I know of at least a couple others who did, too. So, are we qualified to run for governor? Probably not. And if Kristof is qualified it’s not because he grew up on farm or because he’s a journalist.
Here’s what I suspect the pollsters were trying to get at with that question: Would the fact Kristof grew up on a farm in Oregon and has frequently written, often eloquently, about the state as a journalist offset the fact he has spent much of the past 40 years living in other states and countries and traveling around world rather than investing that time and energy in getting to better know the people and issues in Oregon?
That is a worthwhile question because it leads to an even more important question: What type of qualifications and character traits do voters expect from candidates? It’s a question that candidates should ask themselves.
I have no interest in running for governor, but as a semi-retired journalist who grew up on a farm and has lived in Oregon the past 25 years I do have some thoughts on traits that voters should expect from gubernatorial candidates and whether growing up on a farm or working as a journalist would help produce those traits.
Since Kristof’s announcement that he’s considering running for governor provided the impetus for this column, a few disclaimers are necessary before I go any further. First, I do not know Kristof, though I’m familiar with his work and probably have been in the same room as him a time or two. Second, I neither endorse nor oppose him running for governor. In general, I think the more candidates the better in gubernatorial primaries. Third, I don’t know enough about his childhood to form opinions about how growing up on a Yamhill County farm affected him, though he has written enough about his youth to provide some clues.
That third point is an important one for voters. We rarely truly “know” candidates. Therefore, successful candidates need to develop a relatable identity that allows them to connect with voters. “Journalist who grew up on a farm” probably is code for smart, knowledgeable guy who has traveled the world but also knows what it’s like to do manual labor. Or, minimally, it’s a reminder that Kristof grew up with in Oregon with a lot of blue-collar friends, not in a Manhattan penthouse.
From my own experiences and from reading some of Kristof’s columns, I suspect much of that is true. He strikes me as someone who tries hard to understand those who are different from him and someone who has had a very broad range of friends through the years. He definitely comes off as someone who is smart.
All of those are desirable traits. But are they enough? Probably not. Here are some questions that will play a bigger role in determining whether the next governor is successful:
Can they build the necessary coalitions to transform ideas into legislation?
Are they able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances?
Are they willing to say no to friends and supporters when those friends and supporters are wrong?
Are they willing to admit they don’t always know the answer?
Are they willing to cast a wide net in seeking advice?
Can they assemble a staff and advisors who will complement their strengths and offset their weaknesses?
Will they view dissent as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat?
Do they have a coherent set of policy proposals that address the issues of most importance to Oregon?
In other words, success in executive office, especially elected office, often comes down to temperament and leadership. Where you grow up and your profession play a role in forming your temperament and forging leadership skills but so do a lot of other things.
So, if a “journalist who grew up on a farm” runs for governor of Oregon, that background wouldn’t influence my vote even though it’s similar to mine; answers to the questions above would have a much bigger impact on my choice.
Mark,
As a retired "knowledge worker" who is now co-managing a small farm, I think there's a lot to be said for the latter experience that is transferable to many jobs, including governor. Farmers learn to live with the uncertainty of known unknowns, mostly related to weather -- not to avoid them so much, they're unavoidable, but to be able to deal with them when they arise. That turned out to be a big part of my job when I worked for Gov. Kulongoski -- and one that tends to be underrated by those in the policy world.
Another example: The farmer across the road from our orchard once told me that, if you're farming the way your father or grandfather, you'll be the last of your family to do so. Change is constant in farming, not just from the weather, but from the vagaries of markets, blight, insect infestations etc. So I'd add resilience and the ability to change course as needed to your checklist for the qualities of a good governor.
To your larger point, I think that almost any job delivers experience that is relevant to other jobs and roles, often in unexpected ways. When I worked in the union movement, I was fond of saying that what best prepared me for dispute resolution and negotiations was my time as a night shift bartender on the Lower East Side of NYC when I had to defuse volatile situations and still be firm enough to cut off a guy who had too much to drink.
Life experience counts for a lot for a job like governor, as opposed to a job in the legislature, where one's voice and agenda tend to be the selling points. I think most people judge potential governors more on the basis of character, trustworthiness and qualities like empathy as well as life experience. If this person is going to be our leader, can we trust him or her with that power?
Reading Kristof (and his wife, Sheryl Wudunn)’s book “Tightrope” helps understand Nick’s interest in serving Oregon in elected office. Nick would be committed to combatting rural poverty and transforming education to provide living wage jobs for ALL Oregonians, not just urban liberals.