Top Democratic Strategist Robert Zimmerman: 'Record Level Activism Will Save Our Democracy'

In light of the head-spinning events of the past 10 days, I was primed and ready for some serious conversation with my ‘Lunch’ dates this week. Robert Zimmerman and Joan Gelman are both passionate politicos who have lent their voices –as well as their time and talents to numerous Democratic campaigns. Robert, co-founder of the public relations/marketing firm Zimmerman/Edelson, is the Democratic National Committeeman from New York and one of the most sought-after commentators on cable news. He’ll be talking politics with Martha MacCallum on Fox News tomorrow night on her new show, The First 100 Days. Joan, a successful television producer who has been a political activist since junior high school when she worked on Adlai Stevenson’s campaign, (“He was a god!”) and later canvased the country for Robert F. Kennedy, arrived first, brandishing the political button she’d just made. It boasted an iconic image of pioneering feminist Bella Abzug marching with a group of women with ‘Marching ALT-LEFT’ in large red type. She and I traded stories about how our lives are now consumed by cable news. “I’ve got a huge stack of books on my nightstand that I want to read,” she told me. “But I just can’t. I’m watching MSNBC nonstop.” [kickout id="1"] Robert, who is always the best dressed man at Michael’s, joined us minutes later, having made a few stops to offer ‘hellos’ around the dining room. I hadn’t seen him since before the election when he, along with pretty much everyone else, thought Hillary Clinton would emerge victorious. I had so many questions for him, I barely knew where to start. “The night of the election, one network told me they were calling Florida for Hillary at 8:30 [p.m.], another told me 9 [p.m.],” he said before I could even utter a word. “One executive told me they were probably going to call the election at 11:30 [p.m.].” So what happened? “There's no one soundbite answer,” he began. “To me, the FBI [investigation into Hillary’s emails] and the third-party candidates were clearly critical factors.” Then, he added, “The anger and angst [in the country] were building for years and Democrats were not listening and connecting with it. Too many Democrats took the Obama years for granted.” But that’s in the past. “I’m done worrying. Group therapy can only go so far and I’ve put the Häagen-Dazs back in the freezer,” he said. Instead, he’s focusing on the here and now and showed surprising optimism. “I feel empowered by the fact that 2 million women marched [in The Women’s March] and this weekend, spontaneous protests were organized. The real challenge now is how we come together as a country.” But how? “The events of the past few weeks and the protests rise above party politics and partisanship. The fact that we see so many people coming together not as Democrats or Republicans but as citizens is what counts.” He does, though, give his party high marks. “I’m proud of the way the Democrats have conducted themselves in Congress.” He also had some praise for the other side of the aisle. “Over 40 Republican members of Congress have now spoken out opposing the Muslim ban. Lindsey Graham and John McCain have shown real leadership and Chuck Schumer is exactly the kind of leader the Senate and the country needs right now.” We all agreed between watching the news nonstop, a little political humor, courtesy of SNL, is something of a balm for the brain. “I have a newfound respect for Alec Baldwin,” said Joan of the actor’s performances as the president on Saturday Night Live. “Lorne Michaels is the Mark Twain of our time,” added Robert. Describing the executive orders coming out of the White House as “extremely demagogic and divisive,” Robert summed up the first 10 days of the Trump presidency thusly: “We’ve had soundbites and press releases that incite fear and scapegoating. The Muslim ban and the blocking of refugees is a travesty that betrays the very principles of our country.” Joan and Robert both agreed that the White House’s handling of Holocaust Remembrance Day was an outrage. “They dismissed that Jews were the target,” said Joan. Then Robert offered, “Every administration–Republicans and Democrats alike, have always addressed Hitler’s plan to extinguish the Jewish community in their Holocaust Remembrance statement. It is no accident that Steve Bannon’s emergence of power has resulted in the deletion of any reference to Jews in the Trump Holocaust Remembrance statement. It has always been the goal of Holocaust deniers to try to delete the fact that the Holocaust was about the destruction of the Jewish people.” Even with the level of political conflict that is escalating by the day, Robert believes people feeling defeated and dispirited by the new administration should not lose hope. “The tension and fear so many people have felt since the election can’t create a sense of paralysis,” he said as we finished up our coffee. “We can’t live our lives looking over our shoulder and thinking defensively. The record level of activism that we’re seeing throughout our nation gives me hope and confidence that we will hold our ground and that we will not be dictated to. It shows we have the will to fight to save our democracy and our constitution.” [kickout id="2"] Faces in the crowd: 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl and 48 Hours Mystery’s executive producer Susan Zirinsky fled to the Garden Room in search of a quieter table. No such luck … it’s Wednesday!