The Long Game: Elections, Cougars, and Strategy
Cougars know all about playing the long game.
Am I talking about that magnificent wild creature of the West or that irresistible older woman with a reputation for dallying with hunky virile younger men (with big hands)? And what does either have to do with recent election results?
I am an older woman who learned decades ago the value of playing the long game, of understanding the advantages of being underestimated, of outlasting your opponents.
In the 80s, I was in a male-dominated industry in San Diego. As a commercial/industrial real estate broker/developer and one of the general partners for a limited partnership, I occasionally handled our land sales. In one memorable meeting where I was the only woman at the table, the buyers were represented by two over-confident, slicker-than-goose-poop men who felt they knew just how to handle a female negotiator. In the midst of hammering out deal points, one said to me: “You know, my wife has dry skin too—would you like me to ask her what products she uses to combat it?”
For a moment, I was stunned. Then I realized it was a ploy to distract me from the business at hand. I smiled pleasantly in his direction, but my mind said “that will cost you an extra $100,000”—and it did. It was at that point that I began to understand that walking away when things don’t go your way or when people don’t show you the respect you deserve is not always the answer. It doesn’t serve your own goals.
In the wild, cougars protect themselves through camouflage. They rely on stealth and surprise to survive—they often conceal themselves for hours waiting for an opportune moment to pounce. That is what we must do now. Stay in the game so we are clear about what is going on, not guessing or depending on misleading headlines. In poker or baccarat, if you don’t have a seat at the table you have no influence on outcomes—you are merely an observer with opinions. We need to watch and wait, support those who further our ideals, play the long game.
Remember that Hillary won the popular vote. More than half of America’s voters supported what she stands for, her proposed way forward. Trump will disappoint. Not necessarily because of his ego or his nasty belief system, but because he’ll sell out his supporters in his stronger concerns for his personal legacy and because of his driving need to bend others to his will.
Trump will disappoint as all presidents eventually disappoint in some way—because every single world leader, every single member of Congress, every governmental agency has its own agenda and they will mount road blocks when things aren’t going their way. American government is about advice and consent, not just as pertains to the constitutional provision requiring Congressional approval of certain presidential actions, but also in every hour of every day. It is about proposal and compromise, large scale collective bargaining, giving to get.
I plan to wait out this ugly turn of events. I will try to speak up more often when I encounter bigotry in any of its ghoulish forms. I will remember those who don’t seek an inclusive society—and leave them off my invitation lists, my ballots. I don’t advocate violence—it only begets more violence. I will lie back in the weeds and keep my eye out for a chance to move strategically up the mountain.