Empathy and Political Judgment

What is the ideological alternative to Trumpism? In The Purposeful Warrior, Michigan’s Democratic candidate for Governor, Jocelyn Benson, offers “a road map for shattering the status quo and standing up for ourselves, our communities, and our country”. Benson’s book, with its focus on common decency, could certainly be read as an ideological alternative to transactional Trumpism. But The Purposeful Warrior, with its self-help sounding title and laundry list of moral truisms, might alternatively be interpreted as a defense of the status quo by a Harvard Law School educated politician.

Five Key Takeaways

* Being a "purposeful warrior" means fighting with focus, standing up for what's right even when it's difficult, and building a "bravery muscle" through repeated acts of courage.

* Benson's experience defending Michigan's 2020 election results against pressure from President Trump - which led to armed protesters at her home - became a defining example of her standing up for democratic principles.

* True strength combines courage with grace and empathy - Benson emphasizes that warriors need both grit and forgiveness to be effective.

* Building a personal "board of directors" or trusted circle of advisors is crucial for staying aligned with your purpose when faced with challenges.

* Democrats need to focus less on rhetoric and more on delivering tangible results that improve people's daily lives to rebuild trust with voters, particularly around economic concerns.

Jocelyn Benson is Michigan’s 43rd Secretary of State. In this role she is focused on ensuring elections are secure and accessible, and dramatically improving customer experiences for all who interact with Secretary of State offices. Benson is the author of State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process, the first major book on the role of the secretary of state in enforcing election and campaign finance laws. She is also the Chair of Michigan’s Task Force on Women in Sports, created by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019 to advance opportunities for women in Michigan as athletes and sports leaders. A graduate of Harvard Law School and expert on civil rights law, education law and election law, Benson served as dean of Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. When she was appointed dean at age 36, she became the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100, accredited law school. She continues to serve as vice chair of the advisory board for the Levin Center at Wayne Law, which she founded with former U.S. Senantor Carl Levin. Previously, Benson was an associate professor and associate director of Wayne Law’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. Prior to her election, she served as CEO of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a national nonprofit organization using the unifying power of sports to improve race relations. Benson is co-founder and former president of Military Spouses of Michigan, a network dedicated to providing support and services to military spouses and their children. In 2015, she became one of the youngest women in history to be inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.

Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.

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