Faith, Fate, and a U.S. Presidential Campaign
Faith, Fate, and a U.S. Presidential Campaign
How a Simple Email Took a Frustrated Dad from the Sidelines to the Staff of a U.S. Presidential Campaign, Proving That Even the 'Little Guys' Can Make a Big Difference
Never accept the premise that you’re too small to make a difference in our big world.
That’s exactly how I felt, though, last year, when as a middle-aged father, with a middle-class job, living in the middle of the country I watched from my seemingly helpless sideline perch as our world continued to devolve into more confusion and chaos. And then, in the midst of my armchair-bound frustrations, I was unexpectedly thrust into the political playing field, taking a prominent role for one of the national campaigns for a 2024 U.S. Presidential candidate.
Last spring, as I quietly wrestled with my frustrations about the state of the world, if someone had told me that before summer I’d be personally invited by a former U.S. Congressman and former presidential candidate to join Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid for the White House as one of its first paid staffers, I wouldn’t have believed it. But that’s exactly what happened.
And to be clear, this story isn’t an attempt for me to explain how I made a difference for a presidential candidate or learned the ins-and-outs of a high-profile political campaign. Nor is it about sharing my political opinions or partisan views. Instead, the intent of this piece is to illustrate a profound and simple truth, and that is God works with little guys to get big things done.
So there I was, in the spring of 2023, a hardworking father of five, married to my college sweetheart, doing the 9 to 5 gig as well as serving serving as soldier in the Army National Guard. I grew up on a farm in Montana, and loved my country very much. My ancestors fought in every major conflict this nation has faced, dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War. I’m descended from Mayflower passengers, including Digory Priest, a signer of the Mayflower Compact, and I share ancestry with Benjamin Franklin. My family includes whalers from Nantucket, settlers who participated in the Homestead Act, and participants in the Cherokee Land Rush. In short, I’m about as American as they come.
But in the spring of 2023, I found myself deeply disheartened by the state of the country. I have always been an engaged and informed citizen, and maybe more so than the average voter. I’m the kind of person that when I want to know something, I go as close to the primary source as possible. Because of this drive for knowledge, I’ve taken the time to personally meet with members of presidential cabinets, governors, military generals, congressmen, diplomats, ambassadors, and other political figureheads. Heck, when I was 13, I had a brief back-and-forth correspondence with Queen Elizabeth! I consider myself well-read and knowledgeable concerning world events, culture, and humanity’s general situation. And as I’ve grown a little older, and my eyes have opened a little wider, I’ve become increasingly bothered by the tribalism that dominates our political landscape, the never-ending wars where the only winners seem to be those within the military-industrial complex, and the unfortunate degradation of our ability to have civil disagreement about weighty matters.
So with this as the backdrop, one evening, as I was working out at the gym, as I did most nights around 11 p.m., I was listening to a podcast interview with the newly-announced presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And though his raspy voice, the result of a medical condition, took some getting used to, the message he delivered surprisingly captivated me, and caused me to linger longer than usual at the gym so I could finish the entire episode. During the podcast, he spoke candidly and without fear of public ridicule about many things that resonated with me, including being tired of the endless wars, the need to dismantle the corporatization of government, the destructive nature of tribalism in politics, the draconian censorship of dissenting voices, and more. Indeed, the more he spoke, the more I realized he was giving voice to my own frustrations. This man, though from my “opposing” political party (I was Republican, he, of course was a Kennedy Democrat) was articulating many of my deeply-held concerns and interests.
When I returned home from the gym that evening, I got out of my minivan and instead of going straight into the house, I stood in the driveway, looking up at the star-filled sky. That’s all I really could do. My thoughts were weighing me down too much to move. I was just too overwhelmed—and frankly frustrated by the state of the world and my own helplessness to do anything about it, even as my children grew older and eventually would inherit this troubled world that my generation is supposed to be making better. And though we all know it, and wish we could ignore it, time marches on, and stops for no one. As I gazed up at Ursa Major, which seemed to mockingly look back down at me in silence, I thought, I’m just one person in a world of 8 billion. What can I possibly do that would matter? And then, staring up at the night sky, I uttered one of the most sincere—and slightly angry—prayers of my life:
“God, I don’t know what to do. I’m so tired of this world. I’m tired of not being able to make a difference. I want to make a difference, and I know I have it in me to make a difference, but I don’t know how or where or what. If I can make a difference, You’ll have to show me because I’m out of ideas.”
And then, I went inside and went to bed.
The very next day, while sitting at my regular 9-to-5 job, my thoughts went back to the previous evening when I had listened to that Kennedy podcast. I jumped online and found RFK Jr.’s official campaign launch speech in Boston. I watched and was riveted. Regardless of your political affiliation, in my opinion, this campaign launch speech is must-watch. Remember, at the time, I was a Republican, and he was a Kennedy Democrat. And although we wore different political stripes, it was clear to me that our personal and political philosophies were in alignment more than they were in disagreement. I felt something driving me onward to dig deeper. After watching his speech—I started discovering more about Mr. Kennedy. With a little online sleuthing, I quickly discovered a PDF document filed with the FEC announcing Kennedy’s candidacy for the presidency. Included on that document was an email address with the initials "djk." From the podcasts and videos I had consumed, I knew that Dennis Kucinich was a close advisor and friend to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I rightly assumed it might be his contact information. So I drafted an email:
Dear Mr. Kucinich,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Ben Watson, and I’m deeply interested in supporting Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. He represents what I believe to be the best in statesmanship, vision, and leadership.
I’m writing to see if your team could use any additional support in communications, reputation management, or event production.
I’ve worked in reputation management for a Forbes 400 billionaire and other high-profile clients. Additionally, I’ve provided communications and media relations support for universities and during my public affairs service in the Army National Guard and FEMA.
I hold an MBA from the University of Utah and a BA in Communications from Brigham Young University.
Here’s a link to my LinkedIn profile for more details about my experience.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I would love the opportunity to help bring RFK Jr. to the White House.
Best regards,
Ben Watson
Twenty minutes later, I received a response:
“Thanks, Ben. Please call me at 202-***-**** on Saturday morning. Thanks. Dennis.”
And so it began.
That Saturday, I had a lengthy conversation with Mr. Kucinich. He was very gracious and a pleasure to speak with on the phone, and his optimism and enthusiasm for the campaign were infectious. We discussed more about my background in communications, reputation management, event production, and explored various ways I could help the campaign. By the end of the conversation, he told me there would certainly be a place for me on his team, and he would be in touch soon. A few weeks later, I received a call from Dennis and the Chief of Staff, inviting me to officially join the campaign in a paid role.
As part of the formative team for Team Kennedy, I worked on a variety of key assignments, including developing important connections and inroads for the campaign in the Intermountain West. I was also in Philadelphia for the national broadcast in front of Constitution Hall when RFK Jr. announced his switch from running as a Democrat to running as an Independent. From there, my role continued to evolve with the needs of the campaign, including specific assignments pertaining to the ballot initiative and major fundraising events.
It was a whirlwind adventure and an incredible learning experience with incredible people. Along the way, I had the honor of associating with terrific individuals including Mr. Kennedy, Cheryl Hines, Amaryllis Kennedy, Dennis Kucinich, others on Team Kennedy, and countless volunteers and supporters across this great country.
And although my time with the campaign eventually ended (as all campaigns have a shelf-life), and Kennedy ultimately withdrew from the race, those months on the campaign trail taught me many important lessons, but the most valuable lesson I learned was: Never underestimate your potential to make a difference. God works in mysterious ways, and will open doors that you never would imagine might open. For me, it is usually impossible to connect the dots looking forward in life, but when I connect the dots looking back, I can see God’s hand guiding me throughout this entire campaign experience, beginning with the very first phone call with Dennis Kucinich. And though my participation in the campaign was intended to benefit Mr. Kennedy, I can’t help but acknowledge how it blessed my life, too. Why did Mr. Kucinich respond to my email that day? I don’t know. But I’m grateful he saw something in me and invited me on what turned into a life-changing journey. I now know that, while I may be a “little guy,” God does some of His finest work through the little guys. So next time I feel discouraged with the world around me, I will resist the temptation to feel like I can’t make difference, because I can.