Dueling political perspectives from 2 veteran consultants at next Badger Club

Uncivil discourse is increasingly prevalent in today’s political environment, fueled in part by strategies embraced by political consultants.

On Aug. 29, the Columbia Basin Badger Club will present an online Zoom forum featuring two veteran political consultants, one Democrat and one Republican.

They will discuss their trade and respond to questions like: Do negative political campaign strategies really work?

How do political consultants take advantage of psychological theories that suggest our brains are hard-wired to be liberal or conservative, or that fear appeals more to conservatives than liberals? How are campaign consultants compensated?

Is there a code of ethics for campaign consultants?

Peter Graves is a director at Axiom, a Seattle-based political consulting firm supporting Republican candidates. He has been a media and general consultant in 25 states.

He was a recipient of the 2017 American Association of Political Consultants “40 Under 40” Award. A graduate of Western Washington University with degrees in political science and economics, he lives in Renton.

Michael Charles is managing partner of Upper Left Strategies. He is a political strategist with more than 15 years of experience beginning with the Obama 2008 campaign in Iowa.

He has played a pivotal role in campaigns from local city councils to statewide and congressional races. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in political science.

Neither is directly involved with any current political races in the Mid-Columbia.

We asked both strategists to give us a short comment on the state of politics in America.

Graves said, “Both major political parties are being driven by their respective flanks. This creates the feel of ‘only our candidate is good, and the other is the worst.’”

“This line of thinking and dialogue has gotten so bad that even an attempted assassination attempt on President Trump only brought voices together for a weekend. Then the bickering started back up, and we’re back to where we are even in light of tragedy. We need a national reminder of the values that founded America and elect members to legislative bodies who know how to work together.”

Charles said, “Campaigns and elections in America could be significantly improved through comprehensive campaign finance reform. Limiting the influence of big money and special interests would create a more level playing field for all candidates.”

“This can be achieved by implementing strict donation caps, increasing transparency in political spending, and enhancing public financing options for campaigns. Additionally, overturning (U.S. Supreme Court ruling) Citizens United would help reduce the outsized influence of corporations and wealthy individuals in elections. Strengthening these measures would ensure that political power is more equitably distributed, making democracy more representative and responsive to the needs of all citizens.”

Grave and Charles will tangle ― civilly ― on Thursday, Aug. 29, at noon.

You can register for this event, which will include a Q&A session, at columbiabasinbadgers.com to receive links to join the Zoom forum and a half-hour “Table Talk” open-mic session afterward.

Cost is $5 for nonmembers, while club members can join for free.