An Open Letter to the Winners and Losers of Tuesday’s Election (an ode to Congressman Wes Watkins and Little Dixie)

Last week Wyoming won!  We didn’t win because a certain group of folks got more votes than another group; we didn’t win because our guy or gal was victorious or suffered a loss; we all won because democracy won.  What do I mean?  Democracy is dependent on elections happening and the process moving forward.  That happened this week in the Cowboy State, and that means every man, woman, and child within our borders chalked up a victory.  I get it, if you lost a hard-fought election, it might not feel like that right now, but it is true, and as Americans and Wyomingites, it’s important to realize that every time we complete a free election, it is truly a win.  It takes a lot to run for office, and we should appreciate every person who gives of their time and energy to the process.  In the end, a winner must be confirmed in each race, and how we embrace winning and losing is important, so here are a few lessons from one of my favorite political figures about where we should go from here.

First, a little background.  Growing up in political activities in Oklahoma, I was always fascinated by Congressman Wes Watkins.  Wes was a special kind of politician, the kind of politician who felt the weight of his constituents' concerns and had a deep care for them.  He never forgot a name, was always humble, and never forgot where he came from.  These attributes made Wes extremely powerful as a Democrat and then as a Republican to do good for his people. Factually, he was the first Congressman to serve both on the very powerful House Ways and Means Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. Wes wasn’t perfect, but he was committed, and if you drive through his district, you see and feel the good he accomplished even though his tenure as Congressman ended long ago.  So, without further ado, here are political lessons from Wes!

1.  Don’t make folks that cut hair angry- as a college student, I asked the Congressman what advice he would give to someone looking to run for office.  His response (paraphrased to keep it civil): “Don’t anger folks that cut hair.”  Think about this quote.  Unless you are “hair impaired” like I am and run a razor over your knob, you get a haircut.  Folks who cut hair talk to everybody and, for a few minutes, have a captive audience.  While there is a larger lesson here, Wes took it to heart.  There wasn’t an employee who donned scissors in a beauty shop, barbershop, or hair salon in Little Dixie (the nickname for Wes’s District) that didn’t know Wes Watkins, and most of them considered him a friend.   Not only do these folks touch everyone; they are quintessentially middle America and iconic fixtures of “Main Street”.  A lot of good advice in that short quote.
   

2. Be a good winner and a good loser cuz you never know- Wes had an amazing political career, but he lost a few races along the way too.  He had a strong understanding that coalitions are built with all kinds of different combinations, and people are not Ds or Rs or Freedom Caucus or Wyoming caucus or rural or urban; they are unique combinations of many factors and vote as such.  One of Wes’s greatest attributes was understanding that today’s competitor might be tomorrow’s ally on an important issue, but if you kick the bridge of friendship and cooperation into the river or burn it down, the opportunity for progress will be lost, and your most important job will have fallen victim to ego and political hubris. 
   

3. A mandate is something that a gal hopes for on Saturday night- if there is one word of caution for where we are in Wyoming politics and perhaps even in American politics, we should take this one to heart.  People don’t vote believing they are making a perfect choice or that an elected official's decisions are going to be spot on every time.  Folks usually vote for someone that they believe will look out for them, that when a vote is cast on their behalf, it is done truly caring about the outcome for constituents.  Very seldom do we elect folks because we believe they are an Einstein with a direct line to God.  We don’t elect people because of their brain and their deep wisdom; we elect them for their ears and their heart.  That is, we elect them because we believe they will listen, contemplate, and consider, and then cast a vote believing they are doing the best for their people.  Even most of Wes’s detractors would admit his true care that he demonstrated for the people he represented.
   

I had met the Congressman a couple of times briefly in very public settings.  I was walking down the street as a Lyndon B. Johnson intern in Washington DC, and I heard my name shouted in a slow Southern drawl…….Dale, Dale.  How could a guy so influential in politics recognize a college student so far from home??  But that was Wes, a Representative of the people.  A democrat and a republican, a common man and a leader, a bold thinker and a humble servant, and a guy that didn’t make people who cut hair angry.  Wes passed away in March of 25, and he was mourned by folks from all sides of politics.  He was truly a man of the house, the successor to the great Carl Albert, a boy born poor in rural Arkansas and a leader of people who never lost sight of the fact that we do not rise; we are lifted up by others.  I hope for this wisdom for everyone who won a political race this week, and frankly, Wes’s lessons apply to all of us.  Rest in peace, Congressman, and may “Little Dixie” always remember your legacy.