Life as I know it: Why I don't do politics anymore

Allison Batdorff, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·3 min read

Feb. 28—When we think of politicians, the typical descriptors are of the "one word" or "one issue" variety — Democrat, Republican, pro-this, pro-that, anti-another thing, Whig, Bull Moose, or whatever.

We see it in their campaign advertising and maybe are reminded of it throughout the term they serve. If we are lucky enough to see them in action, perhaps a chance will arise for them to exhibit their one-word or one-issue prowess and they'll react loudly and proudly.

Many years ago an opening occurred on the local school board of education in the town where I live. I applied, sat for an interview and was appointed to fill the vacancy. As is the normal procedure, interim Ford became candidate Ford for the next election cycle. Fortunately, the seat run for was unopposed so running a campaign, let alone declaring my one word or one issue was in one word; unnecessary.

My board tenure, about five years long including the "appointed" year prior to my elected term, was nearly uneventful. As you might expect, the topics hashed out were school-related, which included a protracted and tenser-than-hoped-for teachers contract negotiation. Those that assume these public seats understand that the territory comes with this kind of stuff. Ultimately, it became an issue that became uncomfortable for me so I chose to not run for a second term. To some that might sound like chickening out.

That's OK.

At the time, my wife and I owned a small business in town. My mantra was that anybody could run a business when times were good. When things get rough, that's when you find out who the real managers were. Between starting in 1992 and leaving in 2018, trust me; making decisions that affect your business is much, much different from making decisions that affect your community and beyond. Most importantly, no matter the fallout from a given decision, the face in the mirror is the constituency for the business owner. For the politician, from the local school board to the White House, the face of the constituency is far different.

My decision to stay out of politics took place over 20 years ago. In the ensuing two decades nothing has happened to change my mind. The last few years, as the landscape has become increasingly defined by the one word/one issue paradigm, paying attention to how people manage during times of crises has caught my curiosity.

Nationally, we've faced memorable tests such as the 9/11 tragedy, a Great Recession, and our current pandemic. Among other things, our state has faced water issues from lead in the public supply, to the possibility of oil and invasive species in the natural supply. Locally, just let me remind you that I'm from Elk Rapids ... insert your town's issues here.

Every example given has come with its own opportunities for leaders to display their styles of management.

Sometimes autonomy is preferred. I wrote a column last year that delineated the "lead, follow, or get out of the way" principle that my dad insisted on. It works, so long as decision making and reasoning are transparent. Sometimes, my least favorite style, blame placing is preferred. Accountability is essential, but making the problem take a backseat to finger pointing rarely works out best.

The one word/one issue matter works in the cheap talk of a campaign. Long term though, we need to pay attention to our leader's behaviors when talk turns more expensive.