Last week I experienced firsthand an increasingly rare, but extraordinarily positive event in the ever-changing political arena. The event was the 46th annual Tawes Crab & Clam Bake in Crisfield Somerset County. Sponsored by the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce, Tawes is part great food, part great networking and part great schmoozing.
One long – standing tradition at Tawes is welcoming attendance by individuals with a wide range of political party affiliations, ideologies, public policy issue positions race, age, sexual orientation, income levels and all the unique identities that some use to divide us on a regular, often daily basis.
Another long-standing tradition at Tawes is a commitment by every attendee to engage in respectful and civil dialogue.
Last, but not least another long- standing tradition at Tawes is elected officials and candidates meeting face to face with voters to learn more about voter opinions and concerns.
Accordingly, Tawes attracts a substantial number of elected and appointed government officials and political candidates.
This year, elected officials attending included: Governor Wes Moore, Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, State Comptroller Brooke Lierman, State Senator Johnny Mautz, State Senator Steve Hershey, State Senator Mary Beth Carozza, State Delegate Chris Adams, and elected and appointed officials from local governments too numerous to list here.
This year (an off-year election year) candidate guests included: Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Montgomery County Council Member Will Jawando, both of whom are running in a primary to be the Democratic candidate to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. Candidate guests this year also included Chris Bruneau who is running in a primary to be the Republican candidate to represent Maryland’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S House of Representatives.
The entire Tawes experience stands in striking contrast to what is now the new normal in politics. This new normal is characterized by intense and often uncivil conflicts over deeply held differences of opinion on a wide range of public policy issues. That is especially the case in Washington DC on such issues as immigration, climate change, debt ceiling limits, budget deficits, government shutdowns, and impeachment inquiries.
Maryland is not immune to this new normal in politics. Battle lines are already being drawn for the upcoming 2024 General Assembly session on state funding mandates on local school districts, tax increases, and a possible new tax on vehicle miles driven despite recent boosts of the state gas tax from 42.7 cents per gallon to 47 cents per gallon and the state diesel fuel tax from 43.5 cents per gallon to 47.5 cents per gallon.
Tawes has been and continues to serve as a great model for politics the way it should be by advancing the following principles. Welcoming and mutual respect for all with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, listen first to understand, then speak to be understood, and an unwavering commitment to the concept that we can agree to disagree without being disagreeable.
David Reel is a public affairs/public relations consultant who serves as a trusted advisor on strategy, advocacy, and media matters who resides in Easton.
Paul Rybon says
One reason that the Tawes affair works is because Maryland is a Democrat state and all the politicians know it.
Holly Wright says
Reel wants us to see some 50s like fantasy of political cooperation and look away from his party’s most intemperate and vicious, and many would say sociopathic presidential candidate.
Sorry to say he is also a very poor reporter. What he describes is sadly not the reality of the Tawes Clambake.
The tent in the picture is the central invitation only Bruce Bereano tent and a command performance for politicians. Bruce Bereano is far and away the most highly paid lobbyist in Annapolis. Admission to the tent is by invitation only and “invitation only” sign abound and access tightly controlled should a mere voter wish to, this year, come in out of the rain.
Rather than an opportunity for elected officials to meet with each other it’s about access,an opportunity for lobbyist and their clients to lobby politicians. This is why Bruce Bereano is so highly paid.
Everyone is in casual clothes and politicians do a walk around outside Bereano’s tent available for photo ops by the media and accessible to determined voters who have paid for the extremely pricey tickets to access candidates and elected officials or just have a great, great time with family and friends.
This past Chairman of the Talbot County Republican Central Committee has a rather determined kind of nonpartisan “can’t we all just get along” fantasy spin on things. This time it almost verges on misrepresentation.
In this political year, anything that seeks to distract from the existential threat posed by Donald Trump to our democracy should be ignored.