Until Election Day 2022, I am going to focus on getting good candidates elected. Because I want them to succeed, I want most candidates in my circle of influence to use my reliable system for getting elected. It is called “There Is No Substitute For Victory.” That is only most candidates I know. For the candidates with awful anti-freedom ideas, I hope you delete this email without reading it. For all the other readers, this next month you are going to get a snapshot into some of the unique ways I view elections that have made me such an asset to so many candidates in the past.
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A candidate writes:
Allan,
I have an event coming up and am a little nervous. Wondering if you have any time to help me prepare. Trying to stay relaxed and focussed.
-Super Dad
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These are some examples of a gotcha event
1.) highly biased journalists ask highly biased questions designed to make you look like a moron and to leave your opponent looking like a superstar (this is the format of most debates when you run as a grassroots candidate)
2.) the editorial board of the local paper wants you to come bloviate for a while so they have more ammo for hit pieces on you
3.) someone unhinged comes up to you with a camera and starts asking questions
All three are gotcha events. I am going to have a look at the first and share some principles that apply to all three.
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To prepare for a planned gotcha event, jot down some notes on the following:
1.) what are five to ten stories that you would tell a stranger about yourself if you wanted him to get to know who you are better.
2.) what are five to ten things you want to do while you are in office.
If you have those two things and follow them pretty closely, it won’t matter what they ask you, everything will go just fine.
People vote for people and not just for issues. Let’s show off you, the candidate and his care and love for the community at the gotcha event and all will go well.
Does that sound good?
Here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter what questions they ask. It doesn’t matter at all. They can ask the worst most derogatory questions ever.
You are going smile and answer the questions you want and tell the stories you want that leave everyone there saying “That guy isn’t so bad at all. I rather like him.”
A fool goes into a candidates forum run by his opposition and treats it as an anything goes real debate on the issues. Issues don’t win elections. They play a role, but there is more to it than that. Bring up all the issues you want from your government boardroom chair, bring up all the issues you want on your vetted email newsletter, bring up all the issues you want at the monthly meetings you have at your home and invite the public to after getting elected.
If you bring up all the issues in this nonsense forum, which is designed to trip you up, then you are missing the point.
The point for you at a forum or other gotcha event, dear grassroots candidate is to get you closer to winning. That means you share the views that are most important to you, you share the stories that illustrate your love for the community best, you share stories that give insight into you as a person. The result is this: those who have been told to hate you say “He doesn’t seem that bad.” Those who love you say, “I’m still voting for him,” and those who are neutral say “He seems like someone I can get on board with.”
Either stay focussed on your most important points or your enemy will get you focussed on his most important points.
The League of Women Voters isn’t your friend. The Chamber of Commerce isn’t your friend. The students committee at the local high school or college isn’t your friend.
Go show off your personality a little. That’s what forums are for. And make it a loveable side of you with a quick value or theory or stance shared here or there.
Find out how long the answers are. Practice 45 second answers and 90 second answers. For a school board race that might look like this.
1.) address the question in one sentence. (It can even be “Thank you so much for that question.”)
2.) follow that with a half sentence segue into a story
3.) tell your story
4.) mention one or two issues
5.) mention the needs of all special interest groups: teachers that are not getting all the support they need from our board (both monetary and emotional), parents that are not getting all the help support and access they need, a community not getting the transparency and diligence they need. Mention those about equally over the course of the night.
6.) bring it back to the reason you are running: the kids. Bring it back to the kids every single answer before you wrap up.
And after you have that all laid out, even if organizers have given you questions, I would ask a friend to pepper you with those questions that organizers gave you but also pepper you with questions like these:
Please explain why members of the community have suggested you are a rapist on social media.
How many times a week do you beat your wife?
Do you think the community should be shocked to hear that you are a racist?
Never say words such as
“I am not a rapist”
Or “I am not a racist”
Or “I do not beat my wife.”
It’s possible no one heard the ridiculous question, but everyone will hear your answer if you use any of those terms. Do not even repeat them.
Never. Ever for any reason repeat them about yourself. No matter how untrue the accusations, they are not things that we perceive innocent people saying.
You go right back to the above: Tell a story, mention an issue, bring it back to the kids.
Do this and the gotcha events won’t get you. You’ll weather them and may even win them.
I want you to win.
I want your values to win.
Let’s get to work doing that.
Join “There Is No Substitute For Victory” by tapping here.
Allan Stevo