I was told that my conversation with a political strategist was “all off the record,” but we weren’t arguing about policy, we weren’t revealing 2016 election secrets, or discussing an emerging controversy. We were just talking, and political strategist, David Axelrod, loves to talk, especially to young people.
As former advisor to Bill Clinton, senior advisor to Barack Obama and the strategist behind dozens of successful and national minority political campaigns, Axelrod has definitely earned his place among the political greats. He is currently the Director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago.
The brains behind the widely successful campaign that elected the first African American president, and reelected him four years later, provided much more than his stance on worldly affairs to attendees of the Q&A luncheon I attended this past weekend. He provided countless pieces of insight, inspiration and life advice that should be applicable to almost everyone.
Cities are the the most vital and interesting places to be.
Because Axelrod has lived in cities his entire life, he of all people understands that cities are where change happens. Cities attract hundreds of cultures and are breeding grounds for these cultures to closely interact. Urban politics are growing in importance and getting involved with urban elections are crucial for any person living in a city.
Always learn by doing.
We’ve all heard it before, but it means something different when it comes from someone who admitted that he never trained for any job that he had. Academia is important, but expertise gained from hands-on experience is almost impossible to replace. Extracurriculars, internships: they’re all important in any career.
#Justdoit.
Axelrod recently tweeted this hashtag in response to Hillary Clinton’s campaign announcement. After learning that constituents often viewed Clinton as wooden and aloof, her team declared that she would approach her campaign differently by adding more humor and spontaneity. Instead of talking about what she would do, she should have just done it, according to Axelrod. He also said that we should all follow this advice in anything that we do.
Envision the future.
Like most Americans, Axelrod finds inspiration in his favorite president, Abraham Lincoln. Using Lincoln's proactive plans for a solid infrastructure and funding for advancements in science as examples, Axelrod admires Lincoln for his ability to think long term and encourages young people to do the same. There are many opportunities for growth in this country and we should all project our own visions for the future, similar to Lincoln during his presidency. This also should apply to life in general.
Find something you’re passionate about.
This was perhaps the thing that resonated with me the most. He applauded Black Lives Matters, for example, for their energy (although he didn't think they would see the change they wanted) and encouraged other young people do do the same. Repeating this throughout the afternoon, Axelrod inspired me to dig deep and find something I truly care about, like he did, in order to make the world a better place. And we all really should.
Thank you to David Axelrod for hosting such a interesting, inspiring, and fantastic lunch at Temple University. It was great experience to learn so much from such an established political figure.
