AS FALLOUT FROM THE CORONAVIRUS HAS DOMINATED OUR THOUGHTS AND
THE MAJORITY OF NEWS HEADLINES IT'S STRANGE TO THINK THAT THREE
WEEKS AGO, THE RACE FOR THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS
DOMINATING THE NEWS CYCLE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
NOW, MANY ARE WONDERING HOW THE ELECTION PROCESS SHOULD BE
ADJUSTED TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.
FOR A PERSPECTIVE ON THIS AND MORE, I SPOKE WITH UMASS AMHERST
PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE.
I FIRST ASKED HIM HIS REACTION TO THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON OUR
POLITICAL PROCESS.
>> WELL, THERE'S NO PRECEDENT FOR THIS.
POLITICIANS ARE SCRAMBLING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, TRYING TO
LEARN THINGS AS THEY GO AND WE HAVE AN INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM
THAT IS UNIQUE.
WE HAVE A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE STATES THAT ARE
DOING THEIR OWN THING.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE UNIQUENESS, IT'S PART OF THE
CHALLENGE OF DEALING WITH THIS CRISIS POLITICALLY.
>> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT THAT MUCH OF THE LEADERSHIP THAT
WE'VE SEEN STARTED LOCALLY, THEN SORT OF FOLDED OUT STATEWIDE AND
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN DOING WHAT IT'S BEEN DOING?
>> THIS IS A FEATURE OF FEDERALISM.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THE DISEASE IS HAPPENING IN
DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, NEW YORK'S OBVIOUSLY TAKING A
BIG HIT.
CALIFORNIA'S TAKING A BIG HIT.
SO THOSE GOVERNORS ARE OUT IN FRONT BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT IN
THEIR FACES RIGHT NOW.
SO THE GOOD THING ABOUT FEDERALISM IS IT ALLOWS THAT
FLEXIBILITY TO DEAL LOCALLY WITH PROBLEMS.
THE CONCERN IS THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN INTERNATIONAL EPIDEMIC AND
CERTAINLY, A NATIONAL EPIDEMIC AT THIS POINT AND SO THERE NEEDS
TO BE SOME COORDINATION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF DIFFERENT IN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM.
IT'S DIFFICULT AND IT IS A CHALLENGE.
>> THINKING ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS SPECIFICALLY, SOMETHING IN
POLITICO CAUGHT MY EYE, IT ESSENTIALLY POINTED OUT THAT THE
SCRIPT HAS REALLY BEEN FLIPPED HERE FOR MASSACHUSETTS.
I WANT TO QUOTE SOMETHING, IT SAYS A STATE THAT HAS SEEN
ITSELF AS OPERATING COUNTER TO WASHINGTON LAWMAKERS NOW FINDS
ITSELF DEPENDENT ON THEM.
WHAT MOVE CAN GOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER MAKE, KNOWING THAT THAT'S
WHAT HE'S CONFRONTED WITH?
>> WELL, I THINK HE HAS TO TRY TO PLAY A FINE BALANCE, LIKE THE
REST OF THESE GOVERNORS, AND THAT MEANS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
EVERYTHING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING, BUT YOU'RE
GOING TO NEED THEIR HELP, AT SOME POINT.
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THEIR HELP WITH OBVIOUSLY RESOURCES, YOU'RE
GOING TO NEED THEIR HELP WITH COORDINATION.
BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THE URGENCY OF THE
PROBLEM IN YOUR STATE, AND THAT YOU NEED TO HANDLE IT SOMETIMES
IN UNIQUE WAYS.
AND I THINK THE GOVERNOR'S DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT, AS
THE GOVERNORS ARE REALLY STANDOUTS IN THIS THING RIGHT
NOW.
MANY OF THEM ARE TAKING BIG LEADERSHIP ROLES AND IT
DOESN'T -- YOU KNOW, IT'S REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT.
THEY REALLY ARE PURSUING SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY AND SOME
OF THEM ARE HANDLING IT QUITE WELL.
>> TO YOUR POINT LOOKING AT THE GOVERNORS WHO HAVE BEEN
STANDOUTS, DO YOU SEE LESS OF A PARTISAN DRIVE HERE FROM THOSE
GOVERNORS?
>> I THINK THAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL GOVERNORS RIGHT NOW
ARE LOOKING BEYOND PARTISANSHIP AND THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WHAT
MOST GOOD LEADERS DO IN A CRISIS AND THAT IS TO SAY WE'RE IN THIS
TOGETHER, YOU THINK OF PEOPLE LIKE WINSTON CHURCHILL POINTING
THAT OUT DURING THE BLITZ OF LONDON.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THESE GOVERNORS ARE TRYING TO DO.
NOW, POLITICS INEVITABLY IS GOING TO GET IN THE WAY, BUT
THERE'S DISAGREEMENTS, REAL DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT HOW TO
ADDRESS THIS AND WHO SHOULD GET, FOR INSTANCE, THE RESOURCES FROM
WASHINGTON?
HOW MUCH SHOULD IT BE THE INDIVIDUALS, HOW MUCH
BUSINESSES?
AND THOSE ARE ESSENTIALLY POLITICAL QUESTIONS SOMETIMES
THAT PEOPLE DON'T AGREE WITH.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME OF THAT.
WE HOPE OUR LEADERS GET TOGETHER QUICKLY AND HELP THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE MORE BROADLY.
>> WE SAW GOVERNOR BAKER THIS WEEK REALLY SPEAK PRETTY
FORCEFULLY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THAT'S FRUSTRATING HIM AND TYING
THE HANDS OF PEOPLE HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, WHILE WASHINGTON
GOES BACK AND FORTH OVER THIS POTENTIAL BILL THAT WOULD HELP
GIVE SOME DISASTER RELIEF DURING COVID-19.
>> I'M SURE THE GOVERNOR IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE U.S.
REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO KIND OF
SMOOTH THAT OUT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED THE POWER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO REALLY COME DOWN AND PROVIDE THOSE TYPES OF RESOURCES AND
GUIDANCE.
RIGHT NOW, THE INITIAL STAGES, IT'S LIKE I SAID, IT'S VERY GOOD
THAT LOCALITIES ARE TAKING THINGS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS AND
DEALING WITH THINGS AS THEY COME UP, BUT YOU REALLY NEED A
NATIONAL PRESENCE AT THIS POINT AND THAT'S WHAT CHARLIE BAKER IS
CONCERNED ABOUT.
>> WELL, MEANWHILE, THE BUSINESS OF DAY TO DAY GOVERNING ON
BEACON HILL HAS ALSO BEEN CHALLENGED.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL REPS AND SENATORS WHO CONFIDED THAT
ESSENTIALLY BUSINESS HAS COME TO A HALT.
THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH GOING ON OTHER THAN COVID-19-RELATED
BUSINESS AND THIS TIME OF YEAR TYPICALLY WE WOULD BE TALKING
ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET CYCLE ALMOST NON-STOP.
LEADERSHIP HAVE COME OUT AND SAID IT'S UNLIKELY THAT WE WILL
SEE THAT PROPOSED BUDGET COME APRIL.
AS YOU LOOK AT THIS AND WHETHER IT'S THE BUDGET OR OTHER ITEMS,
DO YOU THINK THAT WE'RE CRUISING TOWARD AN INEVITABILITY HERE OF
DOING SOME TYPE OF ONLINE LEGISLATING?
>> IT'S SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO CONSIDER.
CONGRESS, FOR INSTANCE, HASN'T THOUGHT TOO CAREFULLY ABOUT HOW
THEY'RE GOING TO HANDLE THIS AND EVEN LESS SO STATE LEGISLATURES.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE PRETTY NIMBLE IN THINKING ABOUT
OKAY SHOULD WE HAVE SESSIONS FROM AFAR?
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY CHANGES THE NATURE OF AN
INSTITUTION.
LEGISLATURES ARE DELIBERATIVE BODIES.
YOU MEET WITH PEOPLE, YOU TALK WITH THEM FACE TO FACE, YOU GET
TO KNOW THEM SO IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG CHALLENGE, BUT THEY CAN'T
SHRINK FROM THIS CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE NEED GOVERNMENT MORE
THAN EVER TO BE MAKING DECISIONS, NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT'S
GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT THINKING THREE, FOUR, FIVE MONTHS, A YEAR
AHEAD OF TIME.
WE NEED OUR BUDGETS, WE NEED TO KNOW -- COMMUNITIES CAN'T PLAN
THINGS, UNLESS THEY KNOW THE TYPES OF RESOURCES AND HELP
THEY'RE GOING TO BE GETTING.
SO THIS IS REALLY ALL HANDS ON DECK.
>> NATIONALLY, THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CYCLE, ALTHOUGH IT
FEELS LIKE THAT HAS JUST VAPORIZED IN THE WAKE OF THIS.
SUPER TUESDAY WAS LESS THAN A MONTH AGO.
THAT JUST BOGGLES MY MIND COMPLETELY.
BUT NOW, THE REAL QUESTION ON THE TABLE IS WHAT DOES HAPPEN TO
NOVEMBER?
I'VE READ SEVERAL ACCOUNTS THAT SAID THE ELECTION WON'T OR CAN'T
BE CANCELED, BUT WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THAT?
>> THE FEDERAL ELECTION IS SET IN THE CONSTITUTION.
AND BY STATE LAW.
SO THEY REALLY -- IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO CHANGE IT AND THEY
SHOULD NOT CHANGE IT.
WE HAVE NOT CHANGED OUR FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH WARS, CIVIL WARS, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH OTHER
PANDEMICS IN 1918 AND WE KEPT DOING THE ELECTIONS.
SO, BUT THERE ARE SOME REMEDIES THAT THE STATES CAN TAKE TO MAKE
IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS WOULD BE MORE EARLY VOTING, TO BE ABLE TO
DROP OFF YOUR BALLOT AT SOME LOCATION, GETTING WHAT WE WOULD
CALL NO EXCUSE ABSENTEE BALLOT BECAUSE IN MANY STATES INCLUDING
MASSACHUSETTS YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH AN EXCUSE, SOME MEDICAL
REASON OR EMERGENCY WHY YOU CAN'T.
THEY SHOULD LOOSEN THOSE I THINK TO MAKE SURE AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
DEMOCRACY HAS TO KEEP GOING ON.
WE CANNOT SUSPEND DEMOCRACY WHEN THERE'S A THING LIKE THIS.
>> BUT WE'VE SEEN SO MANY PRIMARIES ALREADY DELAYED.
NOW, ARGUABLY SUPER TUESDAY HAPPENED, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING
TUESDAY AFTER THAT WE SAW A LOT OF DELEGATES ALREADY ASSIGNED IN
THOSE TWO CONTESTS BUT STILL PRIMARIES NEED TO HAPPEN IN
SEVERAL OTHER STATES.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THIS?
>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
I MEAN, THEY'VE DELAYED THEM IN SEVERAL STATES.
PRIMARIES ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THEY ARE HOW PARTIES ARE CHOOSING THEIR NOMINEES, IT'S
NOT WRITTEN INTO THE CONSTITUTION, THE STATES HAVE
MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THEY HOLD THEM.
THEY CAN SAY OKAY GIVEN THE PANDEMIC RIGHT NOW, FOR PUBLIC
HEALTH ISSUES WE'RE GOING TO DELAY AND THEY'RE VERY CLEAR
ABOUT HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO BE AND THE CONTINGENCIES THEY'RE
GOING TO TAKE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK MANY GOVERNORS ARE DOING.
THEY'RE GOING TO COME AT SOME POINT MAYBE BUTT HEADS WITH
PUBLIC OFFICIALS, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS WHO SAY THIS IS STILL
DANGEROUS.
SO THAT'S WHY STATE LEGISLATURES AND GOVERNORS HAVE TO GET THEIR
GAME TOGETHER ON HOW WE CAN ALLOW PEOPLE TO VOTE IN WAYS
THAT DON'T PUT THEIR HEALTH AT RISK.
>> TO THAT POINT ABOUT IN PERSON VOTING IS LIKELY DANGEROUS, WE
PROBABLY HEAR THAT FROM PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS.
ALTERNATIVE VOTING PLANS, THOUGH, LOOK AT IOWA, THE CAUCUS
WAS SUCH A MESS, HAVING SOME SORT OF DIGITAL INTERFACE THERE.
WOULD THE ELECTORATE EVEN TRUST AN ELECTORAL PROCESS THAT WAS
RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY IF THAT WAS THE ROUTE THAT LEADERS CHOSE
TO TAKE?
>> YEAH, WELL THAT IS A RISK AND THAT'S WHY YOU STILL WANT TO
OFFER VOTERS MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THEIR
BALLOT TO BE CHECKED AND I DON'T WANT TO UNDERESTIMATE.
THE STATES THAT DO ALL-MAIL BALLOTS, OREGON, WASHINGTON,
THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR MANY ELECTION CYCLES.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF PRACTICE SO WE SHOULD LOOK TO THEM TO SEE
WHERE THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE MAKING MISTAKES.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS WE HAVE TO GIVE RESOURCES TO OUR
ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS.
SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES HAVE TO COME FROM WASHINGTON AND THAT'S
WHY I'M GLAD TO SEE CONGRESS WAS, IN FACT, TALKING ABOUT THAT
SO STATES CAN BEGIN TO SET THIS UP.
>> SOMETHING ELSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING A
LITTLE MORE LONG-TERM AT THE WAY THIS HAS IMPACTED PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION PROCESSES, WE SAW A LOT OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT MAYBE
WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD IN PERSON MOVING DIGITALLY, THINGS LIKE
THAT AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR
CANDIDATES AND HOW THAT MIGHT OPEN UP THE FIELD.
IF YOU GO ALL VIRTUAL AND YOU'RE HOLDING VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS
INSTEAD OF FLYING STATE TO STATE, MOVING YOUR ELECTION
PEOPLE WITH YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S
SPENT ON ELECTIONS WOULD BE DRASTICALLY CHANGED BY SOMETHING
LIKE THAT.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO SORT OF CHANGE THE PLAYBOOK?
>> YEAH, THIS IS A HUGE EXPERIMENT.
THE ONLY THING CLOSE TO IT WAS 1918, WHEN PEOPLE WOULD
DEFINITELY GATHER FOR RALLIES AND INSTEAD POLITICIANS HAVE TO
POST THINGS IN NEWSPAPERS AND SEND OUT MAIL.
SO POLITICIANS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE HOW THEY CAMPAIGN.
MANY OF THEM ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA, THERE'S GOING TO BE BANS
IN PLACE I'M SURE FOR GATHERINGS AND WE MIGHT SEE A MIGRATION,
THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING, TOWARDS THE ONLINE FORMS FOR
GETTING TOGETHER, BUT LET'S NOT FORGET THAT SOME OF THE BIGGEST,
MOST ENTHUSIASTIC POLITICAL EVENTS HAVE BEEN RALLIES WHERE
PEOPLE GET TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THEIR CANDIDATES, WHOEVER THEY
MAY BE. AND DEBATES.
HOW DO YOU HOLD DEBATES FROM AFAR LIKE THAT?
WE'VE SEEN SOME EXAMPLES.
SO THIS IS REALLY CHANGING HOW WE THINK ABOUT POLITICAL
CAMPAIGNS AND IT MIGHT AFFECT GOING FORWARD AND AS YOU POINT
OUT, THE COSTS OF CAMPAIGNS COULD SHIFT DRAMATICALLY WITH
THIS NEW TYPE OF CAMPAIGN.
>> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE KEEP YOUR EYE ON AS YOU WATCH THIS
UNFOLD?
>> I WILL BE -- AS I MENTIONED HOW ARE THEY GOING TO CHANGE THE
WAY WE ADMINISTER ELECTIONS?
AND, OF COURSE, I'M INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, BOTH SHORT AND
LONG-TERM OUTCOMES.
THE SHORT OUTCOME IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT
ELECTION?
WHO'S GOING TO BE PUNISHED, WHO IS NOT IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOMES
ESPECIALLY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL?
USUALLY, WHEN THERE'S A GOOD GOOD ECONOMY, THE PRESIDENT
WINS.
THE ECONOMY IS TANKING, BUT OUR MODELS DON'T PREDICT PANDEMICS.
I'M ALSO CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN, HOW WILL WE CHANGE
OUR POLITICS REGARDLESS OF PARTISANSHIP AND HOW WE THINK
ABOUT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH
EMERGENCIES AND HOW THAT AFFECTS EVERYDAY POLITICS IN TERMS OF
THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE AROUND, THE LOBBYING, THE MONEY
THAT GETS SPENT ON SOCIAL PROGRAMS, THERE'S A LOT OF
IMPLICATIONS HERE THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE LASTING EFFECTS.
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