Building relationships with elected officials is easier when they are less known, hold less power, and fewer people want that relationship
“Who can get a hold of the congressman/senator/governor/president now?” is a daily question asked by those who need an elected official to help them resolve a business, communal, or personal issue involving the government.
Some people seem to have this access, and others struggle to gain it despite their urgent need. Access to elected officials is part of a relationship, and it’s a fact of political life that those close relationships are often built early.
As a congressional aide, I learned that fact early. I was tasked with making sure that only official visitors got through to see the chief of staff. We had lines of people waiting for meetings.
During one of my first days on duty, a visitor walked by me as if I were invisible. Despite my protests, he walked right into the chief of staff’s office and received a warm embrace. I apologized to my boss for my inability to stop the rude visitor.
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