We are Your Bandwidth

Why campaigns need the grassroots

By Susan Wagner

A highly skilled workforce is every business’s dream. Now imagine if that workforce were self-motivated and willing to work for free. This is what campaigns have at their fingertips with today’s grassroots activists, mostly Baby Boomers and early Gen Xers. Unfortunately, today’s campaigns are too often blinded by an outdated notion that volunteers should only do the lowest of tasks or just donate money.

What a pity. What a missed opportunity.

How many times have you made a suggestion to a campaign or party official and the answer is: Great idea, but we don't have the bandwidth. Here’s the news: the Grassroots are the bandwidth.

Recently I heard that too much messaging from the Harris/ Waltz campaign did not get interpreted into the various languages that constitute our great party. It would have taken no less than a day for the volunteer grassroots community to create a team of multi language speakers -- mission accomplished, no bureaucracy.

In 2024, when the need to reach rural voters became obvious, billboards were suggested. The answer? We don't have the bandwidth — our staff is working to the bone. If only a call had been made to a local grassroots group to scout the area for best locations, the campaign would have had the billboards they needed — mission accomplished.

Years ago I was appointed by the Mayor of NYC to be the first Director of the Office of Housing Coordination. (The Koch administration is credited with the most successful affordable housing initiative in NYC.) I worked with renowned architectural firms who donated their services to design these communities. When the architects proudly presented drawings of a neighborhood in the Bronx, I fixated on fire hydrants.

“Who makes fire hydrants?” I asked. “Where do you buy them? And are they back ordered, such that we should purchase them now?" They were polite — “The Fire Department has that under control” — but they ribbed me for years. They had just presented this gorgeous vision and I was focused on fire hydrants.

But I had a reason. I figured everyone else was going to make sure the big items would be taken care of, but I wanted to make sure the behind-the-scenes little items were not forgotten, because ultimately they are just as essential. You can't open without fire hydrants. Who was responsible for those?

We grassroots volunteers are the ones making sure the fire hydrants are installed. Why aren’t you using us?