Congratulations on your
decision to offer yourself for public office. You will find this challenge both
exhilarating and frustrating, a real roller-coaster of highs and lows. I just
want to offer you a few words of advice that you should find useful in your
campaign.
No doubt, you have already
discussed this decision with your family and close friends and have already
secured their firm support. You will be relying on them quite heavily in the
weeks and months to come. No matter how well organized or well-financed your
campaign is, you will have some dark days (or nights) ahead of you. Hopefully,
they will have the patience and enduring kindness to put up with those
inevitable moments in every campaign that test your sanity.
Electoral politics is the
only part of public life in Canada
Candidates for office come
from every walk of life and every background in our Province. Although their
life paths may be very different from yours, you will find that you share quite
a bit with the other candidates competing with you for office. You are likely
driven by the same passion to serve, and by the same belief that you have
something unique to offer. They may be your opponents, but they are not your
enemy.
Campaigns can become bitter,
narrowly partisan battles. If you start thinking of your opponents as “the
enemy”, this can lead you down a very dark and negative path. This attitude
encourages the very worst of behaviour and, since your campaign workers will
take the cue from you as to the tone of your campaign, you need to avoid this
viewpoint like the plague.
As C.S. Lewis wisely wrote,
“The next best thing to an honourable friend is an honourable opponent.” Since elections
are adversarial by nature, it is best to be an honourable opponent. Even if
others do not respond in kind, you will find that this approach will save you a
lot of trouble, especially as the tension heightens and tempers start to fray.
This is not an easy thing to
do. The pressure-cooker atmosphere of a fiercely contested election would try
the patience of a saint. But being a good elected representative implies a
certain quality of character that should be able to rise above the temptation
to get down in the gutter. By showing that you can “take the heat”, you
demonstrate that you are ready to serve in public office.
I also hope that you have
several sturdy pairs of good shoes. Given the amount of time that you will be
on your feet, mostly going door-to-door in your riding, good shoes are an
important investment in your campaign.
Both academic research and
political experience proves that the best place to deliver a political message
is at the doorstep. The television ad, the telephone call, the brochure or the
radio spot are not as effective or as compelling as a candidate asking a voter
for their support.
This may be more difficult
in a rural riding than in an urban one, but the principle of direct contact
between the candidate and the voter is the same. Not only is door-knocking the
best way to solicit votes, it also renews the social contract between voters
and those seeking office. Electoral studies show that voter turnout is higher
among those who have received a visit from a candidate or a campaign volunteer.
Not only these people more likely to vote, these people are more likely to vote
for you.
You will not be able to
convince everyone of the rightness of your cause and there are some people who
will not treat your presence on their doorstep as a positive event. But you
will be surprised and encouraged by the genuine interest you will receive.
Pace yourself but make the
effort to ensure that you, or your team, knock on every door you can.
As a last note, you need to
establish a respectful relationship with the media covering your election
contest. Reporters are there to tell a story, not to provide unqualified praise
or free advertising. They have deadlines they need to meet, as well as editors
or producers to satisfy. If you have something newsworthy to share, you will
find a receptive audience. If, however, you feel that you should receive media
attention because “it’s your turn”, you are sure to be disappointed.
Reporters are not your
friends. They are also not your opponents. They are just trying to do their job
and the essence of good media relations is to help them with this task. This
does not mean that you need to pander or tell them every thought that occurs to
you. It does mean that you should ensure that all relevant media outlets
receive your campaign communications and that you are fair to all reporters
covering your campaign.
Even if you have no comment
on an issue, a timely phone call or email to say so is better appreciated than
dragging out a non-response past deadline. It also helps if you know what you
want to say to the media and what you consider to be off-limits. On this, it is
critical to be consistent. If you decide not to talk about your family, for
example, don’t.
There is plenty more to
discuss but you already have enough on your plate right now. As you proceed
through your campaign, just remember that the penalty of not having good people
run for office is being governed by the bad.
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This article was originally published in the January 18, 2014 edition of the Telegraph-Journal.
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