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25 ways to lose elections1

We regularly offer advice on how to improve an election campaign.Unfortunately, many lose campaigns, because they continue to makethe same mistakes. After conferring with friends and editorsthroughout the country, we composed the selection of the mostcommon errors, committed by ambitious politicians and theirassistants.

We present the material, which consists of 25 recommendations. Fiveof them apply to candidates for the elected office, the other five to

leaders of electoral campaigns, five more to those who head campaignfundraising, rest ten are addressed to press- secretaries, those, whocorrespond for the structure of campaign, the study of competitors,and by all, who one way or another is connected with conducting of theelection campaign.

Thus, we present the enumeration of the errors, which it is necessaryfor a candidate not to make.

1. To speak untruthfully about past positions and actions.

We live in the age of information. As a deputy, for each separatequestion voted on and what was his position was is easy to establish,since there is an account, including a computerized one. Furthermore,many appearances are recorded on video or audio tape. Beforeattempting to rewrite your past, remember that your competitors canhave a complete dossier on you. Any deviation from your previous linecan become the property of press, used to destroy voters confidence

in you.

2. Attempt to lead the election campaign.

1 Adapted from 25 Ways to Lose an Election, published by Campaigns & Elections.

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Many excellent leaders of election campaigns fall into the difficultsituation, when suddenly they find themselves in the center of politicalscene. On one hand, many good deputies cannot be good leaders ofthe election campaigns. In fact, a good candidate allows for a person,who stands in the campaign headquarters, to lead it. Remember: one

person cannot deal immediately with two matters, especially, if eachthem of them requires complete attention from 12 to 18 hours in a 24hour period.

3. Failure to participate in fundraising for your campaign.

In contrast to campaign management and its scheduling, fundraisingrequires your participation. A candidate who does not seek to solicitfunds from supporters must not expect that someone or another will

make up for this.

4. Traveling in entourages of many people.

Even if you not populist, remember that nothing will so turn votersaway from you as traveling in entourages of many people as in themanner of an emir of a rich oil-producing country.

5. Inability to explain briefly and clearly why you decided to put forthyour candidacy.

If you are not capable of doing this, everything else no longer has anyvalue: you lost the campaign, without having had time to begin it.Recall the famous 1979 interview when Ted Kennedy was unable toarticulate to Roger Mudd why he was participating in the fight for thepresidency.

The leaders of the election campaigns of candidates must not:

6. To revolt against the husband or the wife of candidate.

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Under no circumstances, do not make it possible for oneself to irritateeither the husband or the wife of the candidate with whom you work orany other member of his (her) family. This would force the candidate totake management of the campaign upon himself. If you want topreserve work, smile and endure. The candidate, of course, will listen

to the one with whom he will sleep in one bed.

7. To hire personnel, without explaining to each of his/herresponsibility.

Election campaigns are sufficiently disorderly by nature. The inefficientdistribution of authorities not only will lead to loss of time, but also willcreate an atmosphere of rivalry and hostility. It is more useful to directthe entire passion of the members of your command against the

competitors than to allow them to war with each other.

8. To leave secret information on the table.

Information is power. However, the places where informationconnected with the campaign is kept are usually well-packed withpeople. Moles exist not only in the spy novels of Le Carre and operatenot only among large multinational corporations. Offices of electoralcampaigns are also frequently the field of rivalry. So it is better not to

take the risk.

9. To allow wedding generals [people with good intentions who dontknow what exactly they are doing] to control the election campaign.

Any kind of organizational committees usually consist of influentialpersons, ready to help candidate by the means of their name or purse,but not more. They are owed a showing/exhibition, but do not allowtheir interference in the course of campaign. This is the affair of

personnel which works on a constant basis.

10. To be overzealous in March, if selections are scheduled forNovember.

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The early beginning of campaign does not mean that each day must beexamined, as if elections were taking place today. The first months ofcampaign are conducive for fundraising, development of campaignstrategy and tallying the number of votes needed for achieving thegoal. If all necessary preparations are made at the early stage of

campaign in the manner that it is assumed, results undoubtedly willshow more lately. Prioritizing and scheduling will make it possible toavoid the danger of over-exhausting the candidate before theapproach of elections.

Those responsible for fundraising should never do the following:

11. To ask only once.

Even the postman rings twice. The leader of the fundraising groupmust be ready to turn to people four or five times. If there is no solidand no final answer, then hope exists that a contribution might bemade. Separately, this also relates to those who have already madecontributions. Your donors believe in your candidate and they haveinvested in him. Those who have given money once before are morelikely to give again, rather than those one who have not given.

12. To be too paltry.

The only thing worse than not appealing to a large enough number ofpeople for the money is requesting an insufficient sum. Better torequest too much than too small.

13. To assume failure upon calculation.

They will reject to you. Sometimes many. But if love is not shameful,fundraising is not shameful. Expect many failures. This occurs.

14. To assume a promise to make donation is a donation itself.

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People want to make good, but sometimes their words get carriedaway. One ought not to count money before they entered thecalculation.

15. To keep messy accounts.

Poor accounting not only reduces your chances to obtain money in thefuture, but it is also possible to lead to troubles with the federalelection commission or the state commission. Any such incident willcomplicate the position of candidate.

The press- secretary should never do the following:

16. To allow leakage of information to one or another media outlet.

Any rumors presented as fact must not appear in one or anothermedia outlet otherwise others will be angered that you are alwaystrying to get to the big wigs. Present the larger portions ofinformation to the largest newspapers, from time to time offer up

smaller pieces to smaller scale outlets.

17. To go over the head of a reporter to his boss.

If you have serious grievances, turn directly to the reporter. If in thepast you have not been critical and your claims are substantiated,turning to the author will directly be o your benefit. Complaint to theboss will be considered as an attack on the work and the wage of thejournalist. If one takes into account reporters wages, this the errorthat you hardly want to make.

Critical for the scheduling of the campaign one must never:

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18. Ignore fine details and personal preferences of candidate.

The knowledge of such details as the time an event began and theprecise place of its conducting grows exponentially, if a candidatemust take part in 13 events in the same day. Be sure that you know

exactly all the details of each concrete event and that they are knownto the people who accompany the candidate. Do not forget thepersonal preferences and even the quirks of the candidate. Everycandidate who is not happy with the work of his assistant on campaigndesign, thinks that he can should do the work himself.

19. To force the candidate to stay in the car, traveling around theregion.

More often than not, it depresses the candidate to sit the entire day inthe car while he could be amongst the people to personally shakehands with each. Your task is to make it so that the candidate is able tobe more with the people and so that less time would be lost in vain.

20. To make promises in May to take part in events planned inOctober.

Any election campaign requires flexibility in the last three weeksbefore the election day. During this time, cancellation of previouslyscheduled events for the sake of such flexibility will only anger people,

and they will not show up at the ballot box.

The person responsible for scrutinizing the competition must not:

21. Allow the leak of information about an upcoming attack on thecompetitor.

The element of surprise is critically important in politics. In order toachieve maximum success, it is necessary to catch the opponent off-guard. The less people are dedicated/prepared in planning their ownattack, the better.

22. To present oneself for not who you are in reality.

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There are many ways to reach compromise with the opponent.However, one ought not to say that you are journalist, governmentagent or someone else. If press learns about this, and it for sure learns,you will receive a very serious blow. Ask about Eda Garvey about this.

23. To lie.

When they catch you in a lie (and this unavoidably will happen), theinitial blow will not reach the candidate. Any attempt from your side toneutralize damage will cost you your work. Refuse to lie, you will losework nevertheless, but at least preserve your integrity and the future.Being that once caught in a lie, they suddenly explain that thecampaign no longer requires their services. Ask about this of LarrySpinks.

24. Forget to say thank you

You dont need to be a doctor of psychology in order to know thatpeoples reaction will be more positive if they feel that they are valued.Election campaignsthey are long and exhausting races, and regularpersonnel as a rule work overtime, and do not receive correspondingpay. From time to time dropping a good work or thank you oftencompensates this, whipping up the desire to work and quelling the

flash of irritation.

25. To forget who is the chief boss.

The shortest way to end up in the unemployment office-- that is, toforget whose name is entered into the ballot for voting. Only voterscan deprive the work of candidate. But candidate can easily dischargethe coworkers of his staff or the leader of his election campaign.