PROVIDING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Rob Engstrom, Chief Political Strategist, Unpacks the Election During the Chamber of Medford & Jackson County Forum
Rebecca Scott | RJS Writing Services | January 11, 2021
Sponsored by: U.S. Bank, January Forum A fter a tumultuous election cycle, the narrative of American politics stands at a pivotal point. During the January Forum, Rob Engstrom, Chief Political Strategist, American Bankers Association & CEO, Wolfe Street Partners, dissected the election, and identified new opportunities and challenges. “We are seeing a period of disruption in our politics that didn’t begin in 2020,” said Engstrom. “We have had a series of asymmetrical political elections since 2010, resulting in our current circumstances.” Reflecting on the recent events at the United States Capitol, Engstrom expressed shock and disappointment. “I hope we can move forward and don’t have another event which mimics it.” However, he noted the attack on the Capitol was merely a symptom of a larger problem — the polarization of our politics. Even if we disagree on policy, it’s important for us to respect one another, he added. Additionally, Engstrom noted one thing currently lacking in most political debates is the ability to identify trusted messengers, such as Chambers of Commerce. Much uncertainty will remain without knowing who the reliable messengers are. Engstrom then discussed the current state of the electoral college and how it may affect future elections. He explained that during the last 25 years or so, the presidential map and the states which matter the most to gain electoral votes have remained static. A couple of notable moments in this political cycle were when states like Arizona and Georgia flipped blue at the presidential level, said Engstrom. “The big question is, when people move from blue states to red states, do they bring their voting practices with them, or assimilate into a new political culture?” Looking forward, it will be
interesting to see if states such as Arizona and Georgia were anomalies or will remain permanent changes. There also promises to be many changes in regards to redistricting, according to Engstrom. But it will be a long process; maps have to be drawn, people counted, and several states have to go to the Department of Justice to get the final word. “This will have a dramatic impact on candidate recruitment,” he added. The presentation opened up to questions from the audience, and an attendee asked how Engstrom viewed polling and election day. The first thing he did was define what polling actually is. “Some people believe polling is supposed to be predictive. That’s not true; polling is a snapshot in time based on assumptions,” he explained. This segued into the next question regarding media outlets, specifically social media. Engstrom posed a question back to the Forum audience: Do people seek news to validate their own opinions, or to get new data? “Social media is about validation and intensity. Right now, what we lack is real data. People are more self-selecting of their news, but social media has turned into a place where one goes to validate their beliefs, not obtain new information,” said Engstrom. As for the future, Engstrom believes most Americans are not partisan, and they are simply searching for checks and balances. “But we still have to navigate this period of disruption,” he said. According to Engstrom, we must work together to get through this. “There has been compounded stress because of the pandemic, racial tensions, the economy, and trouble at the Capitol. If we can’t come together now, we never will. In the past, we worked together to achieve a desired outcome. That bipartisan muscle is the antidote of how we are going to change things,” he said. n
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January 2021 | The Business Review
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