Desmond Meade on Transcending Political Divides
How a grassroots campaign achieved a stunning victory.
Desmond Meade is the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Committee, which surprised and inspired the nation with a win few saw coming: Their grassroots campaign won a landslide victory for a constitutional amendment that restored voting rights to 1.5 million people who had served time in jail.
Desmond says the key to success was transcending typical divides—to educate and mobilize volunteers, donors, and voters from all backgrounds and beliefs.
“If I’m looking at people as enemies, I’m disadvantaged. I just lost an opportunity to bring them into the fold,” he told us.
His experience—and extensive public opinion research—shows that Americans aren’t always as divided as it seems. Hattaway’s research often finds common ground on hot topics, despite news coverage and social media conversation that focuses on the loudest voices.
The lesson? Don’t write people off. Conventional wisdom says to ignore the “opposition”—people you perceive to be on the “other side” of your issue. That’s not always a winning strategy. Unlikely alliances can surprise people, break through the noise, and open minds to your message.
Listen to our Achieve Great Things interview with Desmond Meade: Transcending Political Divides.
