DFA Staff Talk Politics

Written by: Zach Manganello on Mar 31, 2005 1:20 PM EST

DFA Staffer Dina Wolkoff and I drove down to our alma mater Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT last night to attend a panel discussion on political careers and activism organized by the College Democrats.

The panel was composed of current students and alumni, both Republicans and Democrats, who are currently working in political careers. While at the meeting, we met up with a number of former Dean/DFA staffers, including Mike Yedinak (2nd from left, former DFA staff), Ginny Hunt (2nd from right, Iowa State Director of GenDean) and Andrew Savage (we tried to get his picture, but he escaped, Vermonters for Dean).



The panel re-affirmed what those of us involved with DFA already know: a major component of a successful career in politics is, quite simply, showing up! This is true for candidates, staffers, and volunteers alike. The panel also agreed that two very important skills for success in politics are writing and critical thinking (Want practice? Write letters to the editor!). Another recommendation from the panel was to read a newspaper every day.

Everyone agreed that people with all kinds of personal and professional backgrounds can be involved in politics. Dina and I are case in point; we came to Dean for America with a variety of professional experiences, but with hard work and a willingness to be flexible, we have been able to make a difference.

As an aside, Dina is restarting the Middlebury Meetup, so if you're in the area, please join her new group!

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