the 100 rules of politics
a crash course in political reality [and mediocrity]- a better-liked candidate will almost always beat a more competent candidate. ~bill straub
- whenever two candidates agree on an issue, there's no debate on that issue, so the contest shifts to other issues. ~clifford d may
- winning elections is about moving "swing voters." winning is not about reaching the voters already for you or against you, but by focusing on the undecideds, the swing vote. ~the democracy center
- whoever controls the agenda, controls the outcome. ~professor david c leege
- never make more campaign promises than necessary. ~the wyeth wire
- the only two real political questions are: "who's getting screwed?" and "who's doing the screwing?" ~molly ivins
- simplify your campaign message. if you can't get your message down to two or three sentences, you're more interested in hearing yourself talk than you are in communicating. ~sal gazzetta
- in politics, an organized minority is a political majority. ~jesse jackson
- avoid controversy. ~david ammons
- fundraise often. the candidate should spend four to five hours, six days a week, fundraising. a candidate who is serious about winning will do this. ~bob mcdevitt
- become reality-driven. don't kid yourself. find out what's what, and base your decisions and actions on that. ~gary e johnson
- if you don't delegate, you'll lose. ~craig varoga
- if in doubt, don't. if still in doubt, do what's right. ~donald rumsfeld
- campaign behaviour for wives: always be on time. do as little talking as humanly possible. lean back in the parade car so everybody can see the president. ~eleanor roosevelt
- when only one side fights, they win. ~james zogby
- good intentions do not necessarily produce good results. ~daniel r simmons
- always change a losing game plan. ~alan tonelson
- do not lose touch with reality. take voters as they are. for most voters, politics is only a small and not very important part of life. ~rainer erkens
- define yourself and your priorities before your opposition defines you. ~joe murray
- the more campaigning, the better. ~unknown
- what really counts is not how many people line up on each side of an issue, but how intensely each side holds its opinions. ~james m lindsay
- always ask the question: how does this make people happy? at the end of the day, elections are about making people happy. ~garry f douglas
- politics is practised to be in power. politics is practised to remain in power. one way or the other, politics is the game of power. ~nepal news
- people with power never give it up without a fight. ~mark latham
- take care of your supporters. ~john stackhouse
- to get votes, you must offer people something and be respected by your constituency. ~arthur nitzburg
- avoid energising the opposition's base. ~solveig singleton
- talk about what voters care about. ~sal gazzetta
- the winner is not always the swiftest, surest, or smartest. it's the one willing to get up at 5:00 am and go to the plant gate to meet the workers. ~unknown
- get elected. get re-elected. ~everett dirksen
- with the press, there is no «off the record». ~donald rumsfeld
- most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody. ~franklin pierce adams
- listen to the people and focus on their prime needs. voters are pretty down to earth. the successful politician listen to voters, identifies the «bread and butter issues», and addresses them. ~rainer erkens
- before you announce your campaign, be prepared to answer the question: «why are you running?» you should have a one-sentence, 30-second, 2-minute, and 10-minute version of this answer. ~ron crickenberger
- the fact that you're on their side doesn't mean that they're on your side. ~t. nielsen hayden
- beware when any idea is promoted primarily because it is «bold, exciting, innovative, and new». there are many ideas that are bold, exciting, innovative, and new, but also foolish. ~donald rumsfeld
- don't run against a popular incumbent unless you are well known and have a strong base of support. ~arthur nitzburg
- when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. ~dennis green
- the pen is mightier than the sword, but money beats them both. ~bradley canon
- speak in simple terms! use short sentences. avoid complicated technical terms people can't even pronounce, let alone understand. ~rainer erkens
- in politics, there is no heavier burden than stratospheric expectations. ~george korda
- the first rule of politics is to know thine enemy. ~newt gingrich
- don't be fooled by your own propaganda. ~dave stewart
- persuasion is a two-edged sword ~reason and emotion. plunge it deep. ~professor lewis sarett, sr.
- politics is the art of the possible. ~otto von bismarck
- there are no permanent victories in washington. ~edwin j feulner
- never argue with a fool. people might not know the difference. ~unknown
- voters want to know where you stand on the two or three compelling issues that matter in their lives. tell them what you will do about the problem in one or two short sentences. ~dotty e lemieux
- everyone has a scheme that will not work. ~unknown
- never let the extreme wing of your party have any part in the campaign. the extremists have nowhere else to go. they are a given. the group you're after is the middle, and you don't get them by making them think that your party kooks will ever really have a role in governing. ~rafe mair
- find your message and stay on it. ~suzi parker
- don't talk about what you care about; talk about what they care about. ~sal gazzetta
- if you are a candidate, focus on only two things: raising money and effectively communicating your message to the voters. everything else should be handled by staff or volunteers. ~kamioner & associates
- it's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in. ~lyndon b johnson
- a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow. ~general george patton
- don't do anything you wouldn't want to read about in the local newspaper. ~george skelton
- if everyone in your community looks like a penguin, don't run as an aardvark. ~sal gazzetta
- feelings aren't right or wrong. they just are. don't dismiss anyone's feelings on an issue. no matter how wrong you may believe they are, feelings generally are stronger motivators than facts. ~garry f douglas
- everyone believes they are in the middle of the road politically. ~unknown
- the ground rules of politics generally begin and end with doing what it takes to win. ~john l smith
- whenever anyone says it's not about the money, it's about the money. ~bill clinton
- no attack should go unanswered. ~steve bousquet
- the art of politics consists in knowing precisely when it is necessary to hit an opponent slightly below the belt. ~konrad adenauer
- don't use words no one else does. ~gregory dunn
- money is still the mother's milk of politics. if you don't have at least a bare-bones budget, you will end up exhausted, broke, and un-elected. ~dotty e lemieux
- when your interview segment is finished, assume your microphone is still on. ~doug & d.m. collins
- never get into an argument with people who buy ink by the barrel. ~lane kirkland
- everybody is for change in general, but they're scared of it in particular. ~bill clinton
- the more you actually accomplish, the louder your critics become. learn to ignore them. maintain your integrity and continue to do what's right. ~gary e johnson
- first rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. ~donald rumsfeld
- for every human problem there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong. ~h.l. mencken
- campaign money is used to target people who are going to vote. ~amy goldstein & richard morin
- beware every policy's unintended consequences. ~joyce purnick
- when politicians need to «find» money, they always seem able to. ~george howland, jr.
- a rule of thumb: in a winning race, expect to spend at least $1 per person in your district. per person; not per voter. ~sal gazzetta
- when your enemy is busy digging himself into a ditch, let him keep digging. ~stephen moore
- image is everything. ~linda williamson
- analyse your strong and your weak points, and try to reduce or eliminate those weak points which prevent you from succeeding. ~rainer erkens
- how you do in one election does not always translate into how you will
do in another one. ~ron faucheux - keep your sense of humour. as general joe stillwell said, «the higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind». ~donald rumsfeld
- no matter how many yard signs you put up, some will eventually disappear. ~joe garecht
- consultants don't lose elections; candidates do. ~michael tomasky
- politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect each from the other. ~oscar ameringer
- all politics is local. ~tip o'neil
- those who cast the votes decide nothing. those who count the votes decide everything. ~josef stalin
- behold the turtle. he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out. ~james b conant
- raise 20% of your total campaign funds up front as seed money. if you can't get 20% of that money as seed money up front, you shouldn't be running to win. ~sal gazzetta
- secure your base. ~madeleine albright
- money matters most in modern elections. ~derek cressman
- what you say doesn't matter; it's what your opponents can claim you say which counts. ~simon hoggart
- if you know what you're doing, do more of it. but if you don't know what you're doing, do less. ~james pinkerton
- concentrate on three issues which are of interest to your voters and stick to them. ~rainer erkens
- perception is reality. don't ignore the importance of perceptions. ~garry f douglas
- if you step in front of a microphone, get your facts straight. ~ron word
- determine your goal. develop a plan to reach that goal. then act; don't procrastinate. ~gary e johnson
- voters expect immediate and tangible benefits for themselves. voters want to know exactly what you will do for them. ~rainer erkens
- dance with the one that brung you. ~darryl royal
- anything that will be revealed eventually should be revealed immediately. ~henry kissinger
- an organised minority trumps a disorganized majority. ~sam freedman
- never turn down a free meal and never miss an opportunity to visit the bathroom. ~lyndon b johnson
source: the fundamental rules of politics by bill winter, libertarian party news editor.
