What Is The First Rule of Drug Dealing?

For the record, I've never dealt drugs. The only dealing I do these days is at a friendly game of Go Fish, or Ir A Pescar, every now and again at the local Public House. But, I have watched enough episodes of The Wire and Breaking Bad to know that one of the cardinal rules of drug dealing is, “Don’t smoke your own stash.” And that, my friends, is one of the biggest mistakes Democratic campaigns have made in the past and, unfortunately, continue to make.

Around this time last year, I stepped away from electoral politics. For the first time in over 15 years, I was living and working outside the insular world of campaigns and consulting. And here’s what happened: it made me better. It made me a better consultant, a better strategist, and a better counselor for candidates running or considering running for office.

Instead of campaign war rooms and 4 a.m. phone calls from the airport, I was working on a public relations and awareness project for a federal contractor. That meant onboarding processes, HR training, and even a timesheet. I hadn’t filled one of those things out since my days waiting tables. I worked on that contract from May 2024 until its expiration date at the end of March this year, and stepping out of the nonstop grind of U.S. politics gave me perspective I didn't know I was missing.

Too many consultants, especially veterans of the field, cling to outdated approaches and wear burnout like a badge of honor. Some are still boasting about sleeping four hours a night and responding to emails in the early hours of the morning, as if that kind of exhaustion is a sign of leadership. It’s not. Burnout is real, and the toxic hustle culture we’ve built around politics is finally getting called out and addressed by many people I respect and admire.

Trust me, I used to feel the same way. I was “on” all the time, convincing myself that the cause justified the self-neglect. But I’ve learned better. I’ve learned to rest. I now understand that a short recharge is far more powerful than running on fumes, especially when the finish line is still miles away.

I applaud the colleagues in our field who are shutting down their laptops after 5:00 p.m. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to do that completely, but I’ve at least learned to pause. I’ve watched too many mentors push themselves past their limits, mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I don’t want that to be my story. We are all sharper, stronger, and more sustainable when we rest, recharge, and reboot.

Breaking out of the political bubble gave me another gift: I started working successfully with people whose political beliefs didn’t align with mine. And guess what? They weren’t monsters. They were just… people. Smart, thoughtful, kind, even if they got their news from different sources and lived in algorithmic worlds that looked nothing like mine.

Last September, I criticized the Democratic Party for not offering a compelling alternative to the rising authoritarianism of the Republican Party. I stand by that critique. But what I’ve come to believe even more strongly is that we can’t fix this by preaching to each other within our carefully curated echo chambers. We have to break out of the bubble and talk to the people who don't do this for a living, Democrats, Independents, Republicans, voters who are checked out or tuned out for 99% of the time leading up to Election Day.

I’ve seen far too many cookie-cutter campaigns in my day, and if you’ve worked in this space, you know exactly what I mean. It’s just not working. We need new approaches, deeper listening, and a whole lot more humility.

I’m a far better general consultant and communications professional than I was a year ago. Part of that is because I finally learned to rest. But another part is that I started spending less time around the “eat, sleep, breathe politics” crowd and more time listening to people who live in "the real world", people who don’t start thinking about elections until the week before they vote.

Instead of congratulating each other at insider events and paying to play in consultant cliques and reciprocal referral agreements, we need to take our efforts seriously and connect with the people we’re actually trying to win over. In the months following last year’s election, I hoped for a course correction. I still do.

Because if this isn’t rock bottom, I don’t want to see what is.

So yes, I took a break. Yes, I worked outside politics. And yes, I still care deeply and want to keep fighting.

But now I care better. And with a little rest, a little distance, and a wider perspective, I’m ready to bring that care and clarity back into the fight. I believe that everyone who runs for political office deserves the help of a professional, regardless of their current financial situation. Not everyone can launch a campaign with six figures in the bank, and I believe it's our job to help them get there and beyond. 

The Democratic Party platform is supposedly committed to upholding the ideals of equality and ensuring that everyone gets a fair shot. I’m not suggesting that everyone work for free, but snubbing someone running for office just because they aren’t the talk of the town seems a tad hypocritical to the very things we are supposed to be fighting for.  I’m still out there rooting for the underdog. And yes, I think there is more value to the workhorses than the showhorses in the industry.

I still believe in the Rudys and Rockys who are doing things for the right reasons or because they are just so fed up with the way things are going right now.

The playbook being used clearly isn’t working, so I do believe it is time to put down the Kool-Aid and step away from the echo chamber. And maybe just maybe start listening to the working-class people we are supposed to be fighting for instead of slapping each other on the back and kissing asses inside the beltway. 

Feel free to stay up to date on my Substack here: "A Fish Without a Bicycle."

Do you know someone who needs help running for office?

Are you running a public relations campaign that could use more media coverage?

Reach out. We would love to work with you in 2025 and beyond.

Awevo!

Monica Biddix
Founder and Principal, Workhorse Strategies