“Just run on what’s popular” is the absolute emptiest and losing-est electoral philosophy. We’ve seen again and again that people respond to candidates with authentic beliefs and values. People like leaders, not weathervanes.
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
Attributed to Ralph Klein when he was Premier of AB: "See which way the parade is headed and jump in front."
Often the public is unaware of a candidate's 'AUTHENTIC beliefs and values'. The PR teams roll out motherhood & apple pie 'fronts' of the ppl running & we don't realize the deceit til later.
The problem is running on what's popular, but never enacting any of it. Center based politicians are just Righties who like to pretend they have a soul. In the end, they are in it for the grift and to pay back their benefactors.
Absolutely, Democrats have to stop running disjointed elections focused on different issues every 2 years. Voters notice if your message changes every 2 years and you don’t do what you say. It also gives them no ability to shape perceptions over time with a consistent message of good policies.
Absolutely! Tim Walz, for example, really resonated with people because he was authentic. And it was only the time crunch they were under that let that happen. No chance he would have made it thru a focus group-y slog.
It was simple and true and really resonated with people.
And he'd largely led a life that spoke to the opposite of that.
I remembering thinking:
Yeesh, you people really have no clue what you're doing.
I apologize to tel you he is a wonky nerd who grew up all over the world father was a world renowned international labor relations professor murdered in a terrorist attack, and Kerr’s views on a wide variety of subjects are informed by voracious educational wonkiness.
Oh don’t get me wrong I totally agree with you. I also think he’s both genuine and good at communicating and a wonky nerd! He’s all the things. He’s like straight jock Buttigieg in some ways.
Dems argue a lot over the most urgent topics & candidates, whereas Repubs only seem to argue over who is the most hostile candidate. I’m not sure how polling may miss the mark in finding the ideal Dem platform & related stances, and who is the best match and person to stand up to a very hostile 47.
This happened w/ Dems to attract Bernie’s bloc. I wanted us unified. I knew about Hillary’s WH & Senate history, and was starting to learn Bernie’s Senate history. I still hate the acrimony in the Dem Party over who should have been the DNC nominee, esp. since we needed to to contend with Trump.
To be clear, I’m not saying you’re totally wrong, just that candidates should balance authenticity with considering public opinion. It is still very important to be authentic.
also, what is popular in *polling* specifically is highly dependent on how the question is worded and how the respondent interprets the question. "we should do something about the problems" probably polls quite highly but that doesn't mean "napalm the everglades" is popular
But also how the public has been made to understand whatever issue it is- which, as we all know- is from largely disingenuous and ulterior-motivated sources
This point can’t be emphasized enough. Think of our most revered presidents—Washington, Lincoln, FDR. None of them strike me as ones who said, “Gee, Bob, what’s polling well today?”
Like the pope is,not a leader,but a weather vane, then you have the forced popularity of Putin,Xi,Fatty3,et al. Trump is left out because a fart will eventually merge with the atmosphere of the room....
I mean Trump literally didn’t know what pro life meant in 2014. So when you say they don’t want weathervanes I think what you mean is they do actually but also they have to be whatever passes for charming in their particular milieu.
Comments
Often the public is unaware of a candidate's 'AUTHENTIC beliefs and values'. The PR teams roll out motherhood & apple pie 'fronts' of the ppl running & we don't realize the deceit til later.
There may be no hope for this country.
And he'd largely led a life that spoke to the opposite of that.
I remembering thinking:
Yeesh, you people really have no clue what you're doing.
We’ve lost every time this policy idea has won, except in 2020 when we won despite it.
Biden’s Presidency was a masterclass in governing by poll, and that also doesn’t work in the least.
To be clear, I’m not saying you’re totally wrong, just that candidates should balance authenticity with considering public opinion. It is still very important to be authentic.