In some ways, politicians are a lot like beer.
In days of yore, when beer was brewed in small batches for drinkers the brewer knew, each brew had a distinct flavor. These days, though, with most beer made by a handful of corporations with global reach, the products all taste the same.
The same could be said of many candidates these days. Perhaps it’s this similarity that has led to the development of a new standard used in comparing candidates: whom, voters ask themselves (at least in pundit mythology), would I rather have a beer with?
To assist in discerning a difference between the two candidates running for Northampton mayor this fall—Michael Bardsley and David Narkewicz, both Democrats—the Valley Advocate used the new measurement. Here is a glimpse of what it’s like to have a beer with each of them.
Methodology
The Advocate invited both Narkewicz and Bardsley to have a beer with our analyst at the time and establishment of their choosing. In an effort to keep our test samples roughly equivalent and free of outside contaminants, each candidate would be allowed to set the agenda for his beer session. Rather than grill each on his respective record, the analyst would focus mainly on the quality of the experience itself, including the candidate’s choice of venues and beverage selection.
Test Subjects
Narkewicz is currently president of the Northampton City Council and one of two councilors-at-large. His fourth term on the Council will end in September, when the current mayor steps down. Narkewicz will serve as acting mayor for the remaining four months of that term.
In the early ’90s, Narkewicz served in the Air Force; subsequently, he worked as an aide in the United States Congress. He is married, has two daughters and for the past decade has been a stay-at-home father.
Bardsley has been involved with Northampton city government since the early 1990s, and has also served as Council president and as a councilor-at-large. Recently retired, Bardsley worked in the Amherst schools as a teacher and guidance counselor for nearly 30 years. He has been an active member and leader of local and statewide teachers’ unions; he has been a civil rights activist and organizer, he says “all my life.” In the city’s last mayoral election, Bardsley ran against the incumbent and lost by less than 400 votes.
Venue Selection
Narkewicz chose Packard’s on Masonic Street in downtown Northampton. The bar has been a mainstay for generations of local drinkers. Any evening after work, it will be crowded with a cross-section of politicians, city hall employees, firemen, police and DPW workers, local professionals, and college students. Packard’s has a moderately large selection of domestic and foreign beers on tap, mostly from mainstream breweries. The meeting began in a booth at 8 p.m. As the analyst and the candidate talked, large screen televisions displayed live sporting events..
Bardsley suggested an itinerary of beer venues: Northampton Brewery’s deck, Roberto’s Italian restaurant on Pleasant Street, and the Elks Club in Florence.
The Northampton Brewery serves a cross-section of locals, Valley residents and tourists, and when open, its expansive rooftop deck is a popular hangout. Most of the beers are brewed on the premises, but the Brewery also has several guest beers on tap, often from New England micro-breweries. The meeting started at 3 p.m.. The hot July afternoon dulled the drinkers’ ambitions, and they soon headed to the Elk’s Club. It is a members-only club, and the analyst had never had a drink there. Both candidate and analyst drank bottled imported beer. It was not noted whether the establishment had any beers on tap.
Beer Selection
Bardsley drank the Northampton Brewery’s house stout, and two Guinnesses at the Elks Club. The analyst had a local IPA at the Brewery, then drank Guinness Stout along with the candidate. Bardsley later admitted that while he enjoyed beer, it was not his first choice of libation.
At Packard’s, Narkewicz drank a Stella Artois, as did the analyst. The beer is brewed in Belgium by Anheuser-Bush InBev, the world’s largest brewer, with $36 billion in revenue last year. Regrettably, the analyst contaminated the beer selection process by ordering first, possibly affecting the candidate’s selection. Narkewicz said he thought the brew perfect for a hot summer’s evening.
Starting the Conversation
The conversation with Narkewicz first touched on the many roles he was now trying to fill and the challenges of balancing all his responsibilities. He had just spent several hours campaigning door to door and said it was hard work.
“Sometimes I get confused for a Jehovah’s Witness or a salesman,” he said, “and sometimes, at first, people don’t want to talk.” Still, he said, he enjoyed meeting the people and hearing their ideas. He said he thought it was essential for politicians to reach out to their constituents and speak face to face, no matter their differences.
Northampton’s current mayor will leave office in September, four months early, for private employment. As the current City Council president, Narkewicz is an unusual position: he will assume the seat he is currently running for prior to election. While he said he thinks this could be an advantage for him in the election, allowing voters to see how he performs, he also said “it could be a double-edged sword,” giving his opponent ammunition. He also said that, while he would be assuming the mayor’s duties, he would not get paid the position’s salary.
“The last time a mayor left office early was in the early 1970s,” he said. “No one currently in city hall has experience making this kind of transition, and there’s a certain amount of making things up as we go along involved.” Ever since the plan was announced, Narkewicz has been shadowing the current mayor, trying to learn the ropes.
Asked whether the shadowing process had shown him any dimensions to the job that he hadn’t anticipated, Narkewicz said he hadn’t realized how great a role the mayor plays as an office manager.
“Human resources is a bigger component of the job than I’d expected,” he said, pointing to the many meetings with department heads and contract negotiations with unions as examples. He added, though, that during his time in the Air Force as a personnel specialist and later as an aide to legislators, he had had some experience with managing staff.
The conversation with Bardsley began with an update of what he’d been doing since losing the last election. To run for mayor, he’d chosen not to seek re-election to the City Council, putting his seat up for grabs. In the June before the election he’d retired from his position in the Amherst schools. After decades in public service, he suddenly found himself a private citizen with a lot of time on his hands.
“What I miss most,” Bardsley said of his previous life, “is the kids. As a guidance councilor, I had a strong connection with many of the students. The payback sometimes could be enormous.”
He has not been idle, though. In addition to leadership roles in several organizations (such as the Elks and his condo board), he completed a UMass course on permaculture. This design approach to agriculture and urban planning tries to replicate natural ecologies in our lifestyles, thus reducing waste and helping us live more sustainably. Given his longtime experience with low-income housing issues, he’s been offering “support and guidance” to residents navigating local bureaucracies. He’s also been involved in the founding of the Dementia Initiative, a local effort with Cooley Dickinson Hospital to support mental health patients and their families.
Bardsley said he doesn’t miss politics, mainly because he doesn’t feel he’s left it. He’s kept close watch on Council proceedings, and he says he hasn’t let his previous defeat deter him from a second campaign.
“It was a very close election last time,” he said. “I see this as part two in my candidacy. We’re building on a base started more than two years ago.”
However, Bardsley revealed, one dramatic change is that he has hired the marketing team that helped beat him in the last mayor’s race. This time around, Darby O’Brien of South Hadley will be in the Bardsley camp, not attacking it.
Policy
Both candidates discussed the policy issues that are important to them. In many ways, their platforms and agendas appear similar. Finding new ways to contend with Northampton’s dump closing was critical to them both. “We need to get out of the garbage disposal business and get into the recycling business,” Bardsley said.
Narkewicz pointed to the work he’d already been involved in changing Northampton’s trash fees to make recycling more attractive. He wants to work with companies to reduce the packaging of their products, or make the packaging out of recyclable materials and not plastic. He imagines a day when a trip to the transfer station will consist of only one small container a week for each household.
Both candidates said they recognized a need to make the mayor more of an ambassador for the city than ever, actively promoting Northampton and trying to attract positive attention. Whenever he travels throughout the region, Bardsley said he makes a point of checking out tourist information booths to see how Northampton is represented. He’s often been disappointed, he said, and he sees marketing and public relations as an area that could make a significant return on investment.
Narkiewicz focused on transportation and energy. In addition to road improvements he’s worked on locally (including the new traffic circle in Florence), he pointed to his excitement about other forms of transportation: buses, bicycles, the train.”The train will return to Northampton during the next mayor’s tenure,” he said, and he sees that as a tremendous opportunity.
Besides discussing how he might apply what he learned in his permaculture classes to city government, Bardsley spoke at length about the need to reconsider how the city uses all its resources—financial, natural, and, on the human side, its “rich pool of local talent and expertise.” He wants to urge both public and private organizations to hire local employees and use local services. “Some large institutions hire firms as far afield as New York City,” he said, pointing out that comparable services often can be delivered closer to home.
Summing It Up
“Having a beer” with candidate Bardsley lasted about two and a half hours. The rhythm of the conversation was casual with many digressions, most of them ending with a punch line. He asked as many questions as he took and did not appear to be in a hurry, allowing topics to range freely and keeping several threads going at once. Several times he offered anecdotes off the record; sometimes he offered witty jabs that he dared the analyst to quote.
“I think the mayor’s office needs to take advantage of its position as a bully pulpit,” he said, explaining one of the ways he intended to promote the city and its ideals. “Not being a bully, like some administrations, but a bully pulpit,” he added.
The beer with candidate Narkewicz lasted about an hour. At the outset, he described himself as a policy wonk and warned he could go on about policy forever. True to his word, he spoke at length about his positions and current political work. For example, he explained in great detail his interest in working with an outside firm to upgrade the energy efficiency of city buildings affordably—a program he hoped to bring to residents. While initially interesting, the level of detail he supplied was often challenging. Overall, he was clear, intelligent, friendly and earnest. He maintained steady eye contact and seemed undistracted by all that was going on around him.
At one point, Narkewicz said he thought people would understand “just how far I’ve come in a relatively short time.” Proving this point seemed to be Narkewicz’s objective during his hour with our analyst. Bardsley’s approach seemed more relaxed. The retired guidance counselor seemed able to do something the other candidate didn’t seem to have time for: enjoy himself.
