Love Is All You Need?

By: Katie Zimmermann

Love – the common theme of my first full day in Iowa.

When you walk into Cory Booker’s campaign field office, the first thing you see is a handmade poster that reads “Lead with Love.” This phrase and the word “love” is plastered around the office. This corresponds with Booker’s main message from the launch of his campaign – to unite and heal Americans.

I spent the majority of my day canvassing with one of the campaign’s organizers and listened to her conversations with Iowans. Over and over again I heard her emphasize Booker’s main goal as president:bring Americans together. I listened as she explained to constituents how Booker has spent his career tackling our country’s biggest problems. Throughout his time in politics, he has reached across the aisle to ensure effective, necessary policies are passed. The people we talked to nodded along with what she said. They agreed that in order to heal America our next president must be able to work and create change with people from all political ideologies.

Another presidential candidate has emphasized love in her campaign: Marianne Williamson.

Tonight, I attended an event where Williamson spoke. The pamphlet on my seat started with the words: “America needs our love and our wisdom in order to rise…,” reinforcing her message of love. Shortly after arriving, some of my peers and I engaged in a conversation with one of her volunteers. The volunteer happily responded our questions about Williamson’s policy proposals regarding everything from free education to her stances on vaccinations.

I asked the volunteer how Williamson plans to pass her progressive policies with a Republican controlled Congress. Her answer was simple: “Where there’s a will there’s a way.” She went on to explain that when Williamson puts her mind to something, she gets things done.

Williamson’s volunteer failed to provide any explanation of how Williamson plans to ensure her policy proposals are passed and implemented. On the contrary, earlier in the day I witnessed Booker’s organizer demonstrate how he has already accomplished to pass bipartisan legislation and will continue to do so in the White House. She explained to over a dozen of Iowans that Booker is the only presidential primary candidate who has passed a bipartisan bill in Congress that was co-sponsored by a Republican senator. 

I agree that love is important and that Americans uniting is essential for our country to progress. However, in order to move forward our country’s next president must be able to get legislation passed by Congress. Nothing in America will ever change if no new bills are passed or implemented.

So, in short, love and spreading love is great, but is not all you need to lead a country.