Make Your Election Campaign Successful

Do you have the desire to become a mayor, governor or senator? Would you like to become the president of your country? Are you interested in becoming a political campaign manager? Candidates and campaign managers must be familiar with the strategies and techniques they must use.

I took “Communication in American Politics” as a communications major at the University of Missouri at St. Louis. To win an election, you must follow the campaign commandments I am discussing.

Respond to attacks immediately. A candidate must respond to an opponent’s attacks within a day. In the 1988 presidential election campaign, Michael Dukakis hurt his chance to win by not responding to the attacks hurled against him by the Republican Party.

Let surrogates, or substitutes, attack your opponent. In the 1992 presidential election campaign, then-president George H.W. Bush called Bill Clinton and Ross Perot bozos at a debate. Many voters were turned off with this incident because they thought it showed a lack of professionalism. Bush should have let his vice-president, Dan Quayle, levy an attack.

Do not campaign for the votes you already have; for example, you should not focus on the groups of voters who usually vote for the political party you represent. All candidates should focus on receiving votes from independent voters. If you run as a Democrat, you should campaign to receive votes from Republican voters who are unhappy with your Republican opponent. If you represent the Republican Party, you should target Democratic voters who are unhappy with your Democratic opponent.

Negative ads work. You may be conce
ed about turning off voters by having a mud-slinging match with your opponent; however, it is necessary to discuss your opponent’s mistakes and criticize the stance your opponent holds on certain issues.

Avoid real issues in your media campaign; for example, you should not discuss or offer solutions to “hot” social issues such as abortion and stem cell research. If you discuss inflammatory issues, you will probably alienate certain segments of society and lose votes.

Only buy television spots. Presidential candidates who advertise on a major television network can reach the entire nation at one price. Imagine the cost of paying numerous newspapers and radio stations to run your ads.

Use your advantage as an incumbent. If you are the incumbent, make announcements that highlight your achievements. If you have signed useful legislation and handled your office’s budget properly, you have little to worry about because you will be judged on your record.

Always focus on the emotional appeal. Never focus on the logical appeal. Voters vote with their emotions. If your opponent is known to be against certain ethnic groups, you should say, “The election of my opponent will lead to an increase in ethnic strife.”

Challengers must attack the incumbent’s record. The most important thing challengers must do is criticize the incumbent’s mishaps.

Challengers must offer optimism for the future. If you are an inexperienced candidate who wants to lower taxes, you should say, “Taxes are too high. Elect me and I will give you tax rebates.”

Challengers must appear to represent the “philosophical center”. If you campaign too far to the left of the “philosophical center”, you might be considered “too liberal”. You run the risk of being considered “too conservative” if you run too far to the right. You must campaign as a moderate and target independent voters.

To meet the requirements for my class assignment, I wrote, “How Jimmy Carter Lost His Bid for Reelection in 1980”. Carter broke many campaign commandments. He addressed a black audience in Atlanta, a labor crowd in Los Angeles and a group of Jews in New York. On November 2, 1980, Carter appeared on television to discuss the Iranian hostage crisis. At a debate on October 28, 1980, Carter remained silent while his main challenger, Ronald Reagan, criticized his tax cut proposal, his opposition to increasing the minimum wage and his desire to use military force.

Reagan consistently followed the campaign commandments. He addressed blue-collar workers in Detroit, Florida and Louisiana. He attacked Carter’s record on the economy and hostage crisis. Reagan offered optimism for the future by discussing the tax rebates he gave tax payers while he was the governor of Califo
ia. While holding a debate regarding abortion with Reagan, John Anderson responded to the last question on abortion by saying he wanted pregnant women to have the choice to get an abortion. When Reagan was asked what he would do about abortion, he avoided giving a solution and said, “There’s one individual who isn’t considered at all. That’s the one who is being aborted.” Reagan focused on voters’ emotions by discussing the volcano on Mount St. Helens and the dangerous health hazards produced by trees at a campaign stop in Steubenville, Ohio.

To gather information for the term paper, I read, “Diary of a Dark Horse: The 1980 Anderson Presidential Campaign” by Mark Bisnow and “The American Elections of 1980” by Austin Ranney. Follow all the campaign commandments to win your election campaign!