Looking Back...MIBOR Political Advocacy

With all the talk of Super PACs and special interests during recent campaign cycles, it is easy to think that these things are a new phenomenon. Political activity has certainly amped up in recent years, but it isn’t a new game. 

In fact, recognizing the importance of having a voice and participating in politics isn’t new. Pericles famously recognized that “[j]ust because you don’t take an interest in politics, doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you” back when Ancient Greece was first toying with a new idea called “democracy.”

In present day, the same concept lives in the common political axiom that if you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.

This isn’t lost on REALTORS®.  I love history and was excited to get my hands on early drafts of MIBOR’s Centennial history book, REALTORS®: Opening Doors for 100 Years.  I am proud to work for MIBOR and wanted to learn more about the organization’s history. And while I shouldn’t have been, I was surprised to see page after page of stories detailing the political involvement of MIBOR and its members.

Reading the stories from the book about the origins of RPAC and the early days of political advocacy is both humbling and inspiring for me as MIBOR’s Political Affairs Liaison.  The books shares tales of REALTORS® working on the Fair Housing Act, advancing the rights of women and minorities, economic development and protecting and promoting home ownership.  It talks of our members working with LBJ, Nixon and a visit to one of our board meetings from Robert F. Kennedy.  When I sit in our board room, adorned with the portrait of every past president of MIBOR since 1912, it has a different feel than it did before reading the history; the portraits used to strike me as the kind of old timey photos* you might see at an antique store.

Instead, now I feel like a baseball fan in Cooperstown.  I see the faces of the giants who transformed the role of REALTORS® in the political arena.  I see the face of Delbert Ludlow, who worked with the Indianapolis Human Rights Commission during the civil rights movement.  Just above the spot on the wall where I’ve often stood while pouring myself coffee is the face of Fred “Bud” Tucker, Jr. who was one of 13 REALTOR® leaders from across the country who pushed to establish the REALTORS® Political Action Committee in 1969. While leading NAR, he emphasized the importance of RPAC and Governmental Affairs. He noted that “[t]he REALTORS® of America are in the business of politics and they are in it to stay.”

There are many more portraits on the wall of leaders whose stories are recounted in the book, and for each one of them are a dozen other men and women who worked alongside to advance the cause.  The history of REALTOR® involvement is interesting and humbling, but it also gives me a new perspective.  I see the scores of members who volunteer their time to interview candidates, fund raise for RPAC or meet with their town councilor, mayor or congressman regarding an issue. Often, it is easy to get caught up in the issue of the day – township government, rental registration agreements, TIF districts, the mortgage interest deduction, property assessments, etc. . . – but not recognize the big picture.  I love that I work for an organization that has long recognized the need to be a part of the political process. I see the commitment of the leadership and the members over the decades and I feel the passion when I talk to members who recognize the next hurdle and roll up their sleeves rather than assign blame.  
As MIBOR starts its second century, I enjoy knowing that the members who are currently writing RPAC checks or volunteering their times for an issue may be the same names listed on the first few pages of MIBOR’s bicentennial book.  Our political involvement is rich with history, but also has a bright future.

As the election season we’re currently enduring mercifully comes to an end in less than two weeks, it is comforting to know that the issues important to REALTORS® and homeowners are being advocated. Politics is a messy, and often ugly game, but it isn’t going anywhere. I’m just glad that the REALTORS® aren’t either.

*I’m only referring to the really old photos on the south side of the room, NOT the more recent photos. If you can read this, I’m not talking about you. Don’t hurt me. Please.

Pat Cline
MIBOR Political Affairs Liaison

Now I'm A Believer...

I’m not one to get too excited for rallies. I’ll don a rally cap at a ball game from time to time, but political rallies have never been my thing. I’m a political junkie and politics is a big part of my job, so I see the value and I recognize the impact, but I’m just not a true believer. They always seemed a little goofy – a little too “rah-rah” for my taste. 

However, the National Association of REALTORS® Rally to Protect the American Dream on May 17th was not one of those rallies. I showed up a skeptic but I left impressed.

There I was, front and center. About 50 feet from the stage, the Washington Monument directly behind it and the White House right behind us. Amidst all of that: 15,000 blue t-shirts emblazoned with the REALTOR® “R” logo. NAR notes this was the largest gathering of REALTORS® ever recorded.

The location and numbers were impressive. So were the logistics organized by NAR. Getting 15,000 non-local people into and out of a location safely, timely and effectively shouldn’t be overlooked. The staff and volunteers did a phenomenal job planning and executing.

But again, that alone isn’t going to get me excited about a rally.

So what did? I don’t really know. It’s the aggregate of everything involved. 

The excitement of the week. Nearly everyone at The Monument in their blue t-shirt had been on Capitol Hill in a suit the day before. All of us meeting with our Members of Congress and sharing our viewpoints on some issues critical to our industry. (Read more on those Hill visits here.) We met with our Representatives and Senators and told them our stories, made our points and asked for their support. It is a personal and effective way to get things done in Washington. But now, we were putting an emphatic exclamation point on the end of those visits with this rally. Each member of Congress saw that the 20 or so REALTORS® that were in their office yesterday are part of the 15,000 energized voices they’re hearing coming from the National Mall. 

The message. During the course of the rally, we heard from some great speakers including Georgia Senator (and REALTOR®) Johnny Isakson, Congressman Steny Hoyer, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun and several more. We heard from REALTORS®, association leaders, immigrants, minority leaders, elected officials and more. Each of them articulated it a different way, but their message was clear – homeownership matters. 

The impact. Helicopters, TV cameras & reporters were all on site. Twitter was blowing up with people who were participating in the rally or people who were hearing about it. Later, news articles were popping up all over the place – and in the right places right there in The Beltway.  For a city that has thousands of rallies and demonstrations each year, Washington took notice of us. Our message was delivered and in the days after we left we have already seen movement on some of the issues we were talking about.

RPAC. As a staff member tasked with promoting RPAC to the membership, it was exciting to see so much enthusiasm from REALTORS® from all 50 states for RPAC. The crowd was alive, it was energetic and it was passionate. RPAC was like a rock-star that day and the RPAC Pig was in hog-heaven.

I’m being honest when I say this. I was blown away at how drastically my expectations were exceeded. The Rally to Protect Homeownership met all of the objectives NAR aimed at and more. The influence of REALTORS® and RPAC was apparent that day. I left proud and feeling very fortunate to be on staff at MIBOR and to be able to represent such an important and influential group of professionals.

Pat Cline

Political Affairs Liaison

Click here for more pictures!