Influence in DC

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Power and InIluence in D.C.: What the ProIessionals Have to Say
Advocacy and Applied Settings
Julie Bissinger, James Waylon Tate, Zachary Fichtenbaum,
Abel Villarreal, Josh Payne, Ximena Gonzalez
December 5, 2010
Dr. John Daly
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Power lies in the little things. Sure, networking and being buddy-buddy to big names in
DC helps in spreading inIluence, but the seemingly mundane, unimportant minutia oI everyday
liIe are what leaves lasting impressions on people. Making someone Ieel important or
appreciated contributes to one`s ability to inIluence almost as much as proIessional
accomplishments do. Whether it`s mailing a handwritten thank-you note, sending an invitation,
or asking about someone`s children, the key to power and inIluence in DC rests in one`s ability
to relate to people on a personal level. Through a multitude oI interviews conducted over the
past Iew months, prominent leaders and members oI DC`s elite emphasized various Iorms oI
displaying inIluence when trying to push Iorth agenda.
Gate keeping
Beth JaIari has the most direct inIluence over Senator John Cornyn. As Cornyn`s chieI oI
staII, JaIari is responsible Ior making sure Cornyn`s DC oIIice and seven district oIIices run
smoothly. Prioritizing among senior staII, balancing competing interests within the oIIices, and
regularly meeting with Cornyn are but a Iew roles JaIari must partake in on a daily basis. She
also plays a key role in aiding Cornyn with making important legislative decisions. JaIari is
second in command in Cornyn`s legislative oIIice.
Because JaIari inIluences the Senator to such a high degree, her actions and decisions can
have an eIIect that is Ielt all around Capitol Hill, Texas, and the nation. JaIari is oIten the Iirst
person Cornyn goes to when he is unsure about how to vote Ior a speciIic bill. To help Cornyn
decide, JaIari rounds up the most relevant legislative assistants and correspondents who engage
in research about the questionable bill`s topic. JaIari says she has the best sense oI the 'Cornyn
Orbit,¨ the group oI people who should be around Cornyn when addressing a certain issue. 'He
gets distracted really easily, so I don`t want too many people around when we need to get down
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to business,¨ JaIari said. She acts as a gatekeeper Ior Cornyn when deciding who will meet with
him. JaIari preIers not to micro manage. She would rather the experts on speciIic policy issues
address the Senator directly and present him with a sound message in an uninterrupted Iashion.
'I only send people who I know will have the best shot at having the best discussion with him.
It`s important Ior me to recognize that I am not always the best person to talk,¨ JaIari said.
JaIari also provides Cornyn with her opinions and recommendations on certain issues,
and the Senator gives her thoughts the most weight, she said. II an issue she Iinds important
comes up, JaIari makes sure that she catches the Senator at just the right time. 'I`ll hit |the
Senator| with the important issue in the morning because that is when he is most engaged. I`ll
then clear his schedule, so he can process everything. He needs space to Iigure things out,' she
said. JaIari recognizes that she and the Senator have diIIerent opinions on certain policy issues,
and even iI she presents a convincing case about something, Cornyn will do what he thinks is
best. 'I don`t take it personally iI he doesn`t listen to my suggestions. As long as I know that I
have given him the best inIormation about an issue that I have available, then I know I have done
my job,¨ JaIari said.
7edibility and Affinity
Maintaining a positive public image is essential Ior Cornyn. JaIari said the most
important asset a person has while working in DC is their reputation. Once someone`s reputation
is tarnished, it is extremely diIIicult to Iix. 'People like to be cutesy here and their credibility is
immediately lost,¨ JaIari said. Cornyn cannot aIIord to make a gaIIe in the press, in his personal
liIe, or on the Senate Iloor because that one mistake can and will haunt him Ior the rest oI his
political career, JaIari said. The obviousness oI this aspect is oIten lost amidst the more complex
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roles governmental Iigures Iill, which has caused the demise oI various high proIile people
throughout history.
JaIari also stressed the necessity oI keeping promises. Applicable both within the
workplace and outside oI it, JaIari said people need to be straight up with what they say. 'People
overcomplicate things. DC is simple, just like everywhere else. Don`t tell someone one thing
and go oII and do the exact opposite oI what you just told that person,¨ she said. DC possesses a
small town atmosphere and word spreads Iast about people.
Credibility is another important element oI building trust. One helpIul tactic Ior
establishing credibility, according to Kim Holmes oI the Heritage Foundation, is having the
meeting arranged by a third party who is a mutual Iriend oI you and the person you are seeking
to inIluence. In this situation, people will be much more receptive and easier to inIluence.
$taying Positive
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is responsible Ior Iinancing
campaigns and endorsing candidates. The organization itselI exerts a heavy inIluence on Capitol
Hill since senators and their staIIers cannot participate in any Iorm oI campaigning activity
within their legislative oIIices.
Maintaining a positive proIessional environment in which his employees work in is an
extremely important method Rob Jesmer, executive director oI the NRSC, uses. NRSC
employees must not display any sort oI Irustration or doubt in any Republican candidates`
campaign; potential donors can become dissuaded Irom giving money to the organization, which
would bring a long-winded, negative domino eIIect to the Iunding oI other campaigns, Jesmer
said. II a problem arises within the Republican Party, a campaign, or among candidates, the
NRSC is the Iirst line oI deIense. 'It is not reality to assume that people are constantly up. We
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must Iocus on how to correct the problem as soon as it happens, so we can return to our proposed
roadmap Ior success,¨ Jesmer said.
&nde7standing and Empathizing
While maintaining a positive atmosphere, an important element oI inIluence is tapping
into the emotions oI the targeted audience. This is especially true in donor relations. The
correlation between increased agitation over Democrats` actions and increased donations
provides a Ioundation Ior Jesmer to work Irom. To help Iurther Iuel his donors` anger toward
Democrats, Jesmer provides as much inIormation about the opposing party`s agenda as he can.
All oI the data he makes available is Iactual and originates Irom think tanks, including The
Heritage Foundation and The National Center Ior Public Policy Research. 'The more
inIormation you provide people, the more invested they Ieel. They Ieel a part oI the process and
Iollow the direction you want them to go in,¨ Jesmer said.
Julianna Smoot, White House social secretary, deploys similar tactics to garner
donations. When calling possible donors, the most crucial moment oI that conversation occurs
the moment Iinancial support is mentioned. Reading the donor`s mood through the phone is
essential. For instance, iI a potential donor seems content, it is more beneIicial to have a pleasant
conversation and call again later, Smoot said. However, iI the donor seems upset, then
immediately ask Ior money. Abiding by this golden rule gives donors a subconscious
satisIaction that their problems will be Iixed by giving money. Through this method, Smoot
raised more than $75 million Ior President Barack Obama`s presidential campaign.
'Mirroring¨ also aids in connecting with people on a more personal level, according to
John Fogarty, vice president oI development at The Heritage Foundation. 'Mirroring¨ reIers to
matching the participant`s emotions. II the participant is incensed about something, respond to
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him/her with a similar emotion. Also, iI someone does not seem passionate about a speciIic
subject, then change the topic and talk about something else. Paying attention to physical
responses, such as eye contact or head nodding, can make or break a conversation. For example,
when one person leans in during a conversation, you should lean in as well to show engagement
in what is being said.
'Active listening¨ leads to productive, meaningIul meetings. Listening Ior personal
background inIormation and other indicators that might help customize messages will beneIit in
the long run. Repeating what the other person says is another way to display active listening,
Fogarty said. Finally, summarizing and conIirming what was said is also critical to
understanding and making a good impression. Not only does this method allow Ior Iurther
understanding, but this also provides an opportunity to subtly direct the conversation. Once
again, the most seemingly obvious nuances oI communication can alter the inIluence one can
exert over others.
Pe7sonal Relationships
Fogarty also discussed some oI the techniques Heritage uses to build and maintain
personal relationships with donors. Direct mailings serve as one oI the most signiIicant elements
oI this eIIort. The mailing oI letters employs several tactics to ensure eIIectiveness. First, Dr.
Edwin J. Feulner, president oI Heritage, signs each letter. Obviously, having Feulner visit all
potential donors is inIeasible, but having the letters signed by him creates a sense oI personal
connection between him and the donors, which helps build Iriendship and trust. Secondly,
Fogarty said, Heritage personalizes each letter based on the recipient`s relationship with Feulner.
Even iI the person only met with Feulner brieIly, the salutation is changed to the person`s Iirst
name. The recipients Ieel a personal connection with Feulner and are more inclined to donate,
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Fogarty said. Finally, letters oIten don`t ask Ior money; instead, they simply report on Heritage`s
activities. This helps build a sense oI attachment to the mission oI Heritage. Once people Ieel a
personal connection to Heritage, donating is natural, Fogarty said.
Heritage also conducts direct meetings with donors. The goal is to inIluence them to
want to give money on their own. This is especially true oI new donors. By having new
contributor develop a stake in the mission oI Heritage, these people will be more inclined to give
money. Thus, direct mailings and personal visits always Iocus on Heritage`s activities. These
methods are also true oI maintaining existing donors. In contacting previous donors, letters and
Iundraisers will relay 'impact stories,¨ examples oI victories Heritage has had in impacting
public policy. OIIering prooI oI previous donations` sense oI eIIectiveness causes existing
donors to make Iuture giIts to Heritage, Fogarty said.
Attitude and Appea7ance
On Sunday, November 14
th
, the normal drudge oI an early Ilight aIter a late evening with
good Iriends was suspended aIter Zach looked up to recognize Chris Matthews. He approached
Matthews, who then generously took Zach aside, along with Iour Iellow Archers, to talk about
inIluence. Asked to talk about something not mentioned in the book, Matthews spoke about
'middling¨. Middling, he said, is when you Iorce someone to choose between loyalties. He
gave several examples to emphasize his point. Matthews discussed how Tim Russert Iorced
Hillary Clinton to make a comment about national identiIication cards. Matthews used Clinton`s
loyalty to the New York governor at the time, Elliott Spitzer, and his position on the issue, as
leverage against another Iorce.
Matthews also relayed how he recently told an audience about a man he served with in
the Peace Corps. The gentleman was gay, and everyone knew it. At the time, homosexuality
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was a dismissible oIIense, but the gentleman employed this concept oI 'middling¨ to avoid
rejection. Matthews` Iellow Corps member went directly to the psychologists that held the
power to reject him Irom the Peace Corps and said, 'You can reject me, but you gotta` tell me
why.¨ Mr. Matthews said that given the choice, we choose a person over a general prejudice.
Likewise, Matthews said, this concept oI middling, especially in regard to the 'person over
prejudice¨ component, comes into play in the example oI Iormer Vice President Dick Cheney`s
position on gay marriage as opposed to his daughter`s homosexuality. Cheney, iI Iorced to
choose between his prejudice and his daughter, would pick his daughter.
While not as explicit as his responses about inIluence, Matthews exhibited interesting
tendencies that could serve as lessons unto themselves. First, he was traveling alone, arrived to
the gate quite early, and was exceptionally approachable. Matthews asked more questions about
the group than we asked oI him and expressed interest, knowledge, and relevance towards all oI
our responses. For example, when told Matthews about the Bill Archer Fellowship Program,
Matthews said, 'Oh yeah, Ways & Means. He was one oI the Iirst supply-siders, although no
one really knows what that means.¨ Matthews was also Iar Irom oIIensively over-conIident. He
was also an excellent listener.
When one Archer Iirst asked Matthews to talk about inIluence, he graciously oIIered to
speak with the other Archers as well. 'Let`s head over here and have a mini-seminar,¨ Matthews
said. Matthews treated the Iive Archers as iI they were the millions he catered to on his
television shows every week. The stories and advice that Matthews told the Iive Archers
provided an unIorgettable memory that the Archers will proudly recount on many Iuture
occasions. The Archers leIt the conversation with a deep sense oI loyalty, perhaps something
Matthews intended to gain through this purposeIul and strategic public engagement.
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$to7ytelling and P7oximity
Like Matthews, President Barack Obama and his staII have also mastered the importance
oI building loyalty and inIluence through approachability and storytelling. The personal loyalty
and dedication exhibited by Obama`s staII, despite long hours, is impressive. Valerie Jarrett, a
senior advisor and assistant to the President Ior Public Engagement and Intergovernmental
AIIairs, described her opinion on Obama`s success within the White House. Jarrett mentioned
words like vitality, humanity, and youth. Compared to previous presidents, Obama is relatively
new to the political scene. Obama`s humble beginnings, along with his roots in community
organizing, make him approachable and comIortable to be around, Jarrett said. People are more
predisposed to continue working Ior someone who they Iind personable and easy to relate to,
Jarrett said.
Jarrett is crucial in keeping her 'vitality/humanity¨ idea aIloat. She recognizes that
employees are more proIicient when their superiors are approachable. To make both herselI and
Obama seem more 'human,¨ Jarrett regularly wanders the hallways oI the East and West Wings
to tell stories and holds Iorums and meetings. She is the culture keeper and the storyteller. Jarrett
relays dozens oI stories about Obama to the White House staII, which makes them Ieel as though
they are all part oI the President`s inner circle. Through Jarrett`s stories, they are part oI his
moments oI crisis, success, humor, and Iamily liIe.
Stories deIine people. Obama`s shadow, Pete Souza, Iollows the President`s daily liIe,
snapping photos oI personal and proIessional moments. The delivery oI the photos is oI utmost
importance. When the White House is not holding an oIIicial event, Souza takes hundreds oI
photos oI the President with average Americans. Eight hours oI work in delivering the photos is
the equivalent to composing thousands oI stories, Souza said. For anyone who had a three
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second encounter with the President, that Ileeting moment will be translated into a story that will
be recounted many times. These stories not only inIluence the person in the photo but also to the
other people to whom that person recounts their story.
To make that encounter lasts even longer Ior the person, Souza stresses the importance oI
sending an auto-penned snapshot to that person. Even though auto-penning Obama`s signature is
not the same as an actual autograph, average people do not know and oIten do not care, Souza
said. As a result, people will scan the photograph with Obama`s signature, post it on Facebook,
and make proIessional copies to show oII that they met the President. When people display this
photograph, hundreds oI questions and conversations about it will ensue. Over time, the story oI
someone`s three-second encounter with the President has turned into what was a long
conversation on a Iirst name basis with Obama. The person`s Iabrication oI the actual event is
completely irrelevant. Those listening to the story while looking at the photograph conclude that
what is being said and what they are viewing is the only reality. Souza`s strategy oI sending an
auto-penned picture to Obama`s constituents causes people to Ieel more inclined to support, or to
at least like the President, due to the liIe changing stories Obama provided.
ho You Know
The Clerk oI the U.S. Supreme Court, Major General William K. Suter, stated that 'who
you know¨ and 'who you are¨ makes a great amount oI inIluence in Washington. 'For instance,
the only reason why you would take any opinion I had about the Constitution seriously is
because I work with the Supreme Court Justices every day and I`m the Supreme Court Clerk,
and the only reason why you would take my military advice seriously is because (a) I`m a
general and (b) because I work with other generals and military personnel,¨ Suter said. He went
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on to say that the inIluence changes with the issue and the audience, with the most relevant
positions and associates having more inIluence than others.
From discussions with Shawn Gaylord, director oI public policy at the Gay, Lesbian and
Straight Education Network (GLSEN), inIluence however cliched is much more about 42
you know rather than ,9 you know. Communication is the key. Meet as many people as
possible; don`t burn bridges. These are concepts that most people have been indoctrinated with
since Iirst beginning their academic and proIessional careers.
onclusion
In a joint interview with Four-Star Lieutenant General Jack L. Rives and retired Three-
Star Brigadier General James W. Swanson, both generals added that Ilexibility is necessary in
D.C. since no situation is identical. 'II someone tries to use the same tactic over and over again
or never attempts to compromise in an issue, then they will never gain any inIluence on their
superiors or opponents,¨ Swanson said. He related his point to the diIIerences within Congress,
and its members` Iailure to compromise. Swanson stated that neither party held great inIluence
over their counterpart, and each side continues to blame the other side`s inIlexibility and
arrogance.
DiIIering tools and methods allow Ior gaining and spreading inIluence. No single
situation or individual share an identical view oI how inIluence should be achieved. Yet, in the
end, the goal oI obtaining inIluence is achieved. Though there is no single answer on what is the
best method oI inIluencing people, what is apparent is that certain methods must be chosen
depending on one`s resources. Though inIluence is a common character oI all interviewed
individuals, they all emphasized what diIIerentiates them Irom the common crowd. It is a
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Washington way oI liIe that evolves by situation and ultimately decides who has the true
inIluence.




































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Bibliography

Feulner, Edwin J. Personal Interview. November 17, 2010.
Fogarty, John. Personal Interview. November 16, 2010.
Gaylord, Shawn. Personal Interview. November 15, 2010.
JaIari, Beth. Personal Interview. November 10, 2010.
Jarrett, Valerie. Personal Interview. December 1, 2010.
Jesmer, Rob. Personal Interview. November 10, 2010.
Matthews, Chris. Personal Interview. November 14, 2010.
Rives, Jack L. Personal Interview. November 12, 2010.
Smoot, Julianna. Personal Interview. December 2, 2010.
Souza, Pete. Personal Interview. December 2, 2010.
Suter, William K. Personal Interview. December 1, 2010.
Swanson, James W. Personal Interview. November 12, 2010.




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