As we hit two weeks to go before Primary election day, I figure it might be my final chance to give some last minute advice to those brave and/or fool-hardy souls who have chosen to run for public office. I see too many people who throw their hat in the ring but seem unable or unwilling to do what it takes to win, so here's some free advice based on seeing where people get it right and where they go wrong...
I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they run for local office is never telling people where they stand on actual issues. It's not enough to say in your campaign materials that you are trustworthy or that you're a nice person, what church you attend, that you have 2.5 children and a yellow lab, etc. Too often people spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars running for local offices but never seem to give people a reason for voters to take time out of their day before or after work to cast their lone ballot. Campaigning is a form of advertising and the first thing you do when you try to sell something to someone is tell them why they can't live without the product (which, if you're running for office, is YOU). Give concrete examples of how and why you'd do a good job. Voters need information and too often campaigns spend lots of money without telling voters anything besides where a candidate graduated, what they look like and other generic and meaningless factoids.
The flip side of convincing people to vote FOR you is convincing people that they also need to vote against the other person, not because they're bad but because you'd do that much better of a job. "Negative" campaigning gets a bad rap but it works because it's how you tell people that the other person is not as good as you. Many politicians get it wrong and give negative campaigning its bad reputation because their attacks aren't substantial and on message- they are mean-spirited and personal where they should be about issues and drawing a contrast between choices. I find too many candidates seem to do either too little or too much negative campaigning- too many don't understand the subtle difference between highlighting areas of difference and just being nasty. As a voter I need information that gives me a reason to vote for you and not stay at home, but a campaigns that gets too bitter and personal can keep people at home (which can be an intentional strategy used by politicians who know the other person is a stronger candidate). If I think the other candidate is also an acceptable choice then maybe voting isn't that important and I can just get home and fix dinner for the family and mow the lawn instead of choosing which little circle to fill in with a number 2 pencil.
I'm also surprised by how many people are willing to spend a bunch of money to buy campaign signs, send mailers, put their ego and pride on the line and then suddenly seem to get cold feet when the going gets tough. Elections can get expensive (why do you think so many politicians are people that already have money?) and if you're facing a tough opponent you can find yourself writing check after check to keep up. Too many times people jump in a race because it seems fun and exciting when people are telling you that should run, but then start to chicken out when they realize how tough it is. If people see you aren't willing to invest your own money and time on a race, they'll be less willing to help you out when the going gets tough.
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30 comments:
PW,
This is the second time I have actually agreed with you.
This habit has to stop.
If any of you read the local rag's other paper on Saturday you saw a great politcal ad by Chief Sarver.
It set forth several areas that there is a clear difference and in my opinion a clear reason to vote for him.
I am sure that "barney" will attempt in the next week to counter the information that was provided in the ad.
However, Chief Sarver has what it appears a good grasp of the areas that need to be discussed by his opposition.
TS
TS:
I think this goes to Pol's point. I like Sarver, but I don't see him doing the bread and butter of any campaign... door-to-door at least not to the extent of Dar.
You can be the best candidate and have ads galore in a paper that has dwindling readership, but if you don't reach out to voters face-to-face, you are sunk.
he has to work, apparently "barney" I am told has unlimited vacation time he can have, as he sets his own time off.
So, Sarver is on the job working for the people who live in Hastings, on the job overseeing the 911 Adm. Bd. on the job as asst. city manager, on the job as a med. exam. invest.
"barney" is driving around in a vehicle you and I paid for, using gas that you and I paid for, being paid a salary that you and I paid for.
it is a no brainer who is the better person for the position.
But, you may be right, it really won't matter. the gun crazies will come out of hiding just long enough to vote and then scurry back into their bunkers, because you know "they" are coming to get us.
TS
A nice warm and fuzzy post (and it is good to have you back), however written by a person in the media who was hired and not elected.
Getting hired is about being talented and appropriate for the position. Getting elected is about having a name that is recognized and popular, and has nothing to do with how you may feel about any issue. In fact, taking a position on an issue, by definition, sets you up for failure. Every issue has pros and cons. Taking a position eliminates one or the other as your supporters.
Dar, Tom, and Mark will win big because they understand this. Most of the voters in the county have no idea who they are or what they stand for. The worst thing they could do is take a position on something. Note that the "debates" focused on job descriptions.
You would think that a yard sign with a green maple leaf would be effective, but when the tires hit the road, in the booth, the only thing the voter sees is the last name. Promoting anything else is a waste of valuable resources. Why candidates put their photo in an ad is pure ego for their own benefit. There are no photos in the booth.(personal confession)
In a local contest, the personal contact is more important than ads and signs. The object is to agree with everyting, smile a lot, and get a bunch of buddies to do the same thing. Popularity is the driving force behind democracy. A candidate with a shallow-minded electorate need not apologize for a shallow-minded campaign. "Casting pearls before..." voters ignores the reality of the process.
Nineteen people had already voted ahead of me in Hastings yesterday. By tomorrow, more people will have voted in Hastings alone than read this blog in a month.
with any luck they will have voted for for anyone other than the trio.
ts
grillo,
you having brought up leaf, we will hope that the voters turn over an old leaf this time around.
Ts
El Grillo couldn't be more correct. On the local level, it's all about pounding on doors, smiling and shaking hands. And for God's sake, do not take a firm public stand on anything considered "controversial."
Sarver did what he ad to do in The Reminder. The local GOP leadership is up in arms over that along with Mark Doster's embarrassing outbursts at the Commission forum. (They'll get over it eventually but Doster may as well switch parties now and get it over with.)
Dar has been doing what it takes to win re-election. He's aggressively going after every vote. With Sarver, you just get a sense it's already over. There's a certain stench of pending defeat emanating from his campaign. Dirty shame since Sarver is clearly more qualified to serve as Our Sheriff.
DCuz
www.RightCuz.com
Voting for, or against candidates you are familiar with, is probably the rule in a small town like Hastings.
Although in a larger area, like a county, it may have more to do with who your friends know, or even who your friends, friends know.
The latter may very well be better illustrated by pointing to a letter to the editor from last weeks Hastings Banner.
In that letter an endorsement from the Right to Life of Barry county was enough for the writer to claim allegiance to a particular candidate. I pose that such an endorsement should carry as much weight in the election of a drain commissioner as an endorsement from the Buena Vista Social Club. Neither knows enough about the ins, and outs of... drain commissioner ...stuff, to have a qualified point of view. The same is true for who my cousins father in law would proclaim to be the best choice. Unless my cousins father in law would be a former drain commissioner himself!
Without familiarity of the candidates, and the issues, most voters will stare at the names on the ballot with one simple question in mind.
"Which name sounds... more ...drainy?"
As for the sheriff election I am torn. Between the insistence of T.S. calling or present sheriff "Barney" (an endearing name as I see it..deputy Fife was harmless), and the thought that (as a city dweller) I could lose someone that has overall, been a very effective chief of police. I agree with neither of them 100 percent, but I have not seen fit to change the status quo.
aggie,
Here maybe this will help.
WBCH......
"""CITIZENS WHO SUPPORT THE SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS WILL WALK DOWN STATE STREET IN HASTINGS THURSDAY OPENLY CARRYING A WEAPON TO PEACEFULLY DEMONSTRATE WHAT THEY SAY IS THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO OPEN CARRY. DAVID STEVENS, REPRESENTING BARRY COUNTY CITIZENS FOR SECOND AMENDMENT AND FIREARM RIGHTS, SAID LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS INTERESTED IN FURTHERING SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS CAN JOIN THEM AT RITCHIE'S COFFEE SHOP IN DOWNTOWN HASTINGS ON JULY 24 AT 4 P.M.""""""
For those of you who don't know Mr. Stevens:
He has his own key to the front door of the jail, he is in "barney's" office that much.
Yes, this should really put Barry Co. on the map, "come visit here, spend your money here. move here, tell your friends about us", yes this is the next chapter in the dumbing down of Barry Co.
"barney" I am sure will be leading the march with his now famous horse, you know the one, "trigger"
I can't wait to see who will win the door prize of free CCW lessons.... taught by "barney" and his gun toting buddy from the ted nugent group.
How far can you go before you are at 100% of dumb?
TS
Call 911!
I'm having a medical emergency!
TS has finally brought a new subject (or at least a different slant) to the blog, and I am struck to the core!
I will be at the parade with my camera and photos will be on the internet headed for the "Bello Oriente Social Club" before you finish reading the morning Hastings Banter! This will be visual proof of what I have been telling my Costa Rican discussion group. This is why we "Americans" have gone berserk and are the greatest threat to world peace since Hitler won his election.
Last year I cut out the letter written by Skip Coryell (gun-totin' baby-sittin')to explain to these non-violent people how an insane person could get enough political support to become El Presidente and take a formerly respectable country into an invasion of a sovereign country to lay claim to their natural resources. Hopefully, somebody can help me identify him so I can enhance the photo with an arrow pointing him out for them.
As here, the people there don't believe me. It is beyond their experience that more than one person in a community would own a firearm, and actually walk around with it on display.
I have added a new post on my blogsite, but if I get a reasonably good picture it will definitely take the top billing.
What time does the parade start?
High Noon?
Will it be led by a shiny black SUVs with smoked windows or booted, jhodpurring chrome-helmeted
"posey" members?
Will there be a 24-handgun salute at the war monument? (4 x 6)
Perhaps a "Right Wing for Life" banner carried by a couple of "Annie Oakleys"?
I'm feeling a bit better. Save the EMT response for an accidental discharge event, or perhaps a Christian cross-burning.
I was thinking of showing with my husband's long sword, but it seems they only want guns specifically. *bummer* Maybe I can rustle up a half dozen SCA people and we can show them what real weaponry is all about. It takes a real man (woman) to take out a burgler with a pair of throwing daggers at 20 paces.
this march on thurs@4:30pm is nothing more than "barney" and his friends attempting to embarrass Chief Sarver over his letter in the local rag, which was a response to letter the previous week written by who? Mr. Stevens, who again has his own key to the front door of the jail as he spends so much time there with his little buddy "barney"
They are going to attempt to have a confrontation over what is open display versus "brandishing".
Apparently I am told that "barney" in his ccw class tells people you can carry a gun anywhere you want as long as you can see it.
How sad is it that the very person who was supposely elected to uphold the law and enforce it, is using these types of tactics to get reelected.
If anyone does not think that "barney, big boy & puppetmaster" is not behind this you need to visit your doctor as you have lost it.
I just wish I was a business person in downtown Hastings, what a great climate for folks to come downtown and buy from my store, outside you have a bunch of gun crazy "rednecks" walking around with their replacements for manhood strapped to their overweight hips.
This may be where the local Reb. Party gives out it's annual 2nd Adm. Award.
Grillo, take lots of pics. and post them we all need to see this dumbing down of Barry Co.
TS
TS - dad said the childlike and swattish ccw parade that has been authorized and organized by the sheriff, should not and will not embarras chief sarver one bit. this is exactly what Sarver needed. Sarvers accountability, extensive education,administrative experience skill and his integrity are head and shoulders above what we have in the sheriffs today.
the ccw parade will surely expose leaf for exactly what he is, but more importantly WHAT HE ISN'T. leaf doen't comprehend that a parade is a "a showy or ostentatious exhibition or display of something". in this case that "something" is just ANOTHER display of barney leafs immature need for more negative media coverage. we can only guess that the whole trio plus, the republican party leaders, will be first in line at ritchies.
what we've learned in the last six months is that leafs integrity is not what he tells the public it is. his actions and words speak volumes. it has became clear leaf will do anything in his power to continue the dumbing down of our county at the taxpayers expense. his used-car salemen approach of talking out of both sides of his month will be exposed and should be listed on his campaign propaganda. it is so sad leaf doesn't recognize or comprehend what the sheriffs job description is and that part of the sheriffs responsibility IS to "protect" all citizens of our county, not just his cornies or the trio plus.
I do not agree with all of you regarding this open carry event.
I was offended by Sarvers comments that open carry is brandishing. The second ammendment is one I hold dear and will defend with my life if I shoot someone coming into my home to rob or hurt me, my children, or my animals.
I learned a great deal from Skip Coryell's CCW class and afterwards felt able to protect my home and family. MY husband is not always home to be the defender and I am ok with knives but I would not take a knife to a gun fight.
I plan to be in the event with my husband's antique revolver but I am having trouble finding a holster to fit it. The one holster he has is for a bigger antique black powder pistol.
If I could openly carry a rifle or shotgun I would have no problem because I have several to choose from being that my father has given me and my husband some of his collection. I have some great antique rifles and shotguns which will be handed down to BOTH my children.
Feel free to call me a gun nut I will accept that name with pride. I am also a rat nut, animal lover, home and child defender. And if you can't handle it, kiss my rear!!
OW,
very mature on your part.
ts: dad said ow is the exact kind of person that elected barney and the trio plus gang in the first place.
it isn't a wonder why our county is in such a financial and dismal jam. get your gun maude, barney's calvery is comin and going to throw us all in his new jail for failing to violate.
open your eyes ow, barney has talked about you behind your back long enough, don't you get it.
TS et al: I agree with the general concensus expressed here that the "Second Amendment" parade is assinine and is very likely to bite Barney in the butt. Suggestion: why don't a few people show up at the "parade" wearing KKK hoods and 'hanging'rope and cap pistols..... you could fire the cap pistols off at random and it would surely get attention. Others could wear a red kerchief and play 'cops and robbers' like little children are prone to do. If I didn't live so far away I'd be tempted...... what a funny donnybrook this could be.
ELCOL.
you forget one thing, more than likely "barney" will be alongwith "bigboy", he has proven it already the city of hastings city limits mean nothing to him.
He would take it upon himself to arrest anyone that did not see it his way.
I have been told that if he is reelected he has been very quietly taking steps to attempt to take over police serivces in the city of Hastings.
As far fetched as this sounds, today on the west city limits his black suvs were inside the city working the traffic coming and going.
This will be the first step, and if he can get the right comb. of commissioners hang on. he has made the statement that he wants to be the only law enforcement in the county.
If he can defeat Chief Sarver, and then convince the city he can provide services cheaper look out.
He has already been conducting criminal investigations inside the city and not brothering to tell the city pd about it.
There is a reason of late his deputies have been all over the city working traffic, i am sure there is plenty to do out county, but he is making a statment.
Hang on it is coming.
TS
TS: Sorry I can't imagine Barney convincing the Hastings City Council to subcontract city law enforcement to the country..... that's a real stretch.
You know what? EVERYBODY talks about me behind my back...and I could care less...they don't matter to me.
I appreciate the people on here and in real life who have the testacular fortitude to talk to me face-to-face...the rest are cowards hiding behind their screen names.
I have not asked Dar about the allegations made by Bulwark and Truthseeker because the reasons don't even matter anymore. I have moved beyond wanting such a small part of helping the community and have gone back to school to pursue another career.
Did you all think I really sat in the corner crying about your so-called truths? HAHAHAHA ROFLMAO
BTW El G: Nice chatting with you Monday at Applebee's...If you want to meet my mischief of rats call me sometime. Also I forgot to get some worm tea from you for my mom's garden, I'll have to catch you soon.
OW,
Is a collection of rats called a "mischief"? I didn't know that. How cool!
I have just taken out "Teaming with Microbes" at the suggestion of the horticultural director of the Leila Arboretum. She is aereating the VermiJuice and controlling the pH to make it even better. Bring a sealable container.
I'm hoping that a reporter from the B.C.Enquirer will be on hand to cover the event Thursday, but the general attitude seems to be that it will be a non-event with mostly smoke up our kilts, and I don't mean gunsmoke.
If the charade was planned to make the Hastings Banter, somebody should have told the parade organizers about deadlines. It will be at least a week before whatever happens makes it into print around here. By then Ch.3 and the G.R.Press won't even recall that it happened, if it did.
Yes a group of rats is a mischief...and my 17 rat babies sure do cause mischief!!! I used to have a poster with the names of groups of things called "Multitudes" I wish I still had that poster, it was interesting to know what groups are called.
I do not know what the event organizers had in mind regarding press. I did ask Skip if he had an extra holster for my antique revolver and he said not to worry if the holster is too big. Its the point that counts I guess.
I've been thinking of wearing an animal skin and carrying a club.
All of my firearms were shipped out west last month. I still have my 22" machete, but it is a tool, not a toy.
If you wear an eye-patch and yell "Aaargh!" every so often, you could tuck your pistola in a brightly colored sash.
What do you call a "multitude" of gun-nuts? Would that also be a "mischief"?
I believe they are called idiots.
TS
I will be there carrying my reproduction two-shot black powder derrenger (i think that's how its spelled) I found the holster and am realy to go.
If anyone has the testicles to be there to watch the march, I'd love to chat as long as you tell me your screen name...
OW,
Do you have a permit for the Derringer?
Bring a water-pistola to the Bistro at 4:00pm. No permit required.
We are going to lay our bicycles across the road as a blockade, and defend it for the TV cameras.
Please, no tire burning.
The Derringer is an antique black powder reproduction and as such it does not need a permit. Under the laws I found yesterday online it is not even considered a firearm because it has no firing pin.
I would feel more empowered with an actual live handgun in the holster on my belt but alas I cannot afford the one I want while making $7.50 an hour cleaning up dog poop...hopefully that will change in the near future as I go back to school to earn yet another certification.
A water pistol would not make the point as loud and clear as an actual handgun unless I had a toxic substance in the barrel. And I can walk around a bike no problems.
As with a revolver or pistol of a "real man", nobody knows if the water pistol is loaded until it goes off, intentionally or otherwise.
If you are a fan of statistics, the real threat in your home (statistically) is "The Last Boy Scout" since the most frequent cause of death by firearms (with firing pins) is domestic violence. The distortion, above, about more children dying in swimming pools is typical of people who think that if they put something in writing it will come true.
Point out to them what happens when you kiss a rat. Not much!
What is a multitude of princely frogs called?
wantabes....
ts
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