By James Irwin
An independent has been spotted in Iowa and New Hampshire. He is a decorated war veteran, a popular leader, and one of America’s largest landowners. He's also 283 years old, wears a cravat and travels on horseback.
George Washington—out of retirement and out of the grave—is back on the campaign trail, where he aims to reintroduce himself to Americans by encouraging participation in the election process.
Portrayed by historical interpreter Ron Carnegie, Washington—yes, this is real—launched his “It Starts Here” civic values campaign earlier this month and is visiting several primary states to promote political participation as a hallmark of democracy. The marketing effort, organized by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, comes with the trimmings of a modern-day political campaign, including a responsive website, media advisories, a tour bus and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“I think it’s an awesome campaign because it connects the past with our future,” said David Rehr, program director for the Advocacy in the Global Environment program at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. “I think that’s a positive thing. It raises a spark about the unique character of the country. I think you sit up in your chair a little straighter when you see the video and go, ‘That’s my man, George Washington.’”
‘Some of these issues are with us forever’
The campaign, currently in New Hampshire after a three-day swing through Iowa, focuses on promoting civic responsibility, which Mr. Carnegie, as Washington, emphasized at an Aug. 3 kickoff event.
“We continue to attempt to forge a more perfect union, and there is a responsibility that falls on all your shoulders,” he said. “You do not have the luxury in a free society to be a spectator. You must be a participant. You must enter into debate, you must know the issues, you must be enlightened, and you must vote.”
Those words, Dr. Rehr said, are creating a campaign that’s “almost a grasping of the foundation of the country.” They also are a hallmark of Washington’s legacy, said Denver Brunsman, associate professor of history in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
“I think it’s clever,” he said. “I think Colonial Williamsburg and Carnegie are tapping into something that goes all the way back to the founding of the United States—one of the principles of a republic is citizen involvement and participation”
Speaking Aug. 13 at the Iowa State Fair, Washington—portrayed by Mr. Carnegie—emphasized the importance of voting and civic engagement. It was one of several public appearances Mr. Carnegie made in Iowa and New Hampshire this month during presidential primary events. "That's part of the thoughtfulness of the campaign," Dr. Rehr said. "They really planned this out to maximize public impact and media. They’ve done a masterful job." (The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation)
Historical accuracy adds legitimacy to the campaign. Mr. Carnegie has portrayed Washington for more than a decade. His mannerisms and diction mimic that of the nation’s first president. Authentic costumes and rhetoric, Dr. Rehr said, reflect a seriousness that Colonial Williamsburg puts into recreating America’s past. And while details of modern political topics would be unrecognizable to an 18th century farmer-turned-general-turned-president, the topics themselves extend back to the founding of the country. Washington, Dr. Brunsman and Dr. Rehr said, would recognize the timeless debates of taxation and the role of government, for example.
“The issues present today are very much like the issues that were present then,” Dr. Rehr said. “What’s the role of government? Where is the appropriate line of living in a civilization that is governed, but also allows for maximum freedom for people to pursue their goals? What’s the relationship between the citizen, the state and the federal government? Some of these issues are with us forever.”
Promoting civic virtue
Though Washington sided often with the Federalists—favoring a strong national government and supporting a national bank—he was against political parties. He famously sought unity over partisan ideology, even as rifts in his own presidential administration between Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton became more pronounced.
The “It Starts Here” campaign likewise does not endorse any candidates, or back parties. It is another hallmark of Washington’s political philosophy, Dr. Brunsman said.
“A true republic, in Washington’s mind, wouldn’t have political parties,” he said. “In his mind, the problem with political parties is that they were in it for themselves—for the good of the party rather than the good of the nation. Washington, in some respects, is the last classical republican.”
More than 215 years later, Colonial Williamsburg is trying to bring those ideas back to American political debate.
“I think one thing we may have lost since [Washington’s] time is this idea of civic virtue,” Dr. Rehr said. “The founders would get into politics because they thought it was virtuous to be engaged—they tried to minimize self-interest. I think today, sometimes, the criticism of American politics is it seems to be so self-interest focused that you lose part of that unity. Hopefully this campaign will help reconnect people with being more focused on civic virtue.”
