IN THIS CHAPTER
Deciding to be a politician Understanding election winners Becoming a great candidate Determining your political type Dealing with election results An image appears in your head. Itâs the politician: nice teeth, fabulous hair, smells great, impeccably dressed, infectiously charismatic, popular, smart. Is this you?
No! Itâs Hollywood. The perfect politician doesnât exist. Itâs a myth you mustnât let dissuade you from taking a stab at joining the local school board or town council. As you can see from watching these government boards in action, any fool can get elected. Why not take a shot yourself and raise the bar?
To Be a Politician
Have you ever addressed an issue by saying, âIf I were king of the universe âŚâ? Everyone has an opinion about how things should get done. The position of King of the Universe would be ideal to solve people problems. This position, thankfully, isnât available in our republic.
If your desire is to see things run better, the arena in which you fight is politics.
The word
politics comes from the Greek
(politika), which means âaffairs of the city.â Politics is often described as âthe art of the possible.â This phrase means that you can do just about anything, given a rush of money from a spigot that can only open wider.
Before you dive into doing whatâs right or making things better, ask yourself whether you truly want to become a politician. Is it the best way to reach your goal?
- Politics is not a combination of the words poly, meaning âmany,â and ticks, meaning âblood-sucking insects.â
- The âart of the possibleâ means that politics isnât truly about doing whatâs right or whatâs best, but rather about just doing something.
- The Romans used the term res publica for politics. It means âthe public thing.â Itâs from this root that we get the word republic.
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Politics is about solving public problems. When no public problems exist, politics is about creating public problems for which no solution exists.
Avoiding public office altogether
Itâs entirely possible to change the world â or even the policies of the local water district â without being elected. Public pressure is often missing at the local level: Hearings are held and no one shows up, the local press fails to cover the meetings, and officials put little effort into soliciting public input. By your presence alone at a meeting, you effect change. This activism requires no long-term commitment and low public exposure, for the most part.
On the other side of the table, being a politician may seem alluring, but itâs also stressful. The job itself is easy enough that any nincompoop who wins an election can hold a guaranteed job for several years. Lack of performance is rarely grounds for dismissal.
No, the stress of being a politician comes from elsewhere. For example, you may feel pressure at work, beyond the routine drama of your regular job. Being away from family, missing out on hobbies, and having an obligation to public service for whatâs essentially a thankless job can be deflating.
A politician is open to criticism and ridicule, not always justified but always encouraged. You will be teased beyond anything you ever experienced in elementary school, often by people who claim to be adults. On the other hand, if youâre a one-issue activist who implores the city council not to demolish that last historic building in town, you may be dismissed by the power players, but thatâs it. The activist rarely suffers from incessant mockery.
The U.S. election system is built on competition. Itâs like sports for uncoordinated people: The political spectrum is defined by everyone inside as a struggle between the good guys and the bad guys or, sadly, good-versus-evil. Yes, even at the local level, political life can be nasty.
- The First Amendment upholds your right to complain about the government. The language is to âpetition the government for a redress of grievances.â This right covers everything from being abused by government power to being unhappy about a $10 fee to neuter your cat.
- See Chapter 3 for other ways you can become involved at the local level and effect change.
Understanding who wins elections
For all the talk of whoâs best-suited for office, an election is really a popularity contest: Popular people win elections. As the current slate of local and national politicians demonstrates, the public doesnât always pick the best or most qualified person for the job.
The typical ballot lacks details about the candidates. On the other hand, a proposition, bond, or levy features detailed language and specifics. For an officeholder, someone who may oversee a multimillion-dollar budget and make decisions that affect tens of thousands of people, the detail is often only a name. Some ballots may show party affiliation, which is rare for local office elections that lack a primary.
- Itâs not that the public picks the worst person â itâs that the public is conditioned to vote for the lesser of two evils.
- An election is a marketing campaign. If you want to be the most popular person on the ballot, you must sell yourself. See Part 3.
Having thick skin
Being on the ballot goes beyond a popularity contest. Itâs personal. If youâre going to take the plunge, you must have thick skin. Do you?
Donât discount this question! Itâs important, especially if your enthusiasm is high and you receive a lot of positive feedback from people encouraging you to run.
Suppose you submit your prized peach pie at the county fair. One of the judges offers that the crust isnât flaky enough. Dashed by receiving only a white ribbon, you withdraw from all social events over the entire summer. If this scenario describes you, youâre most likely too sensitive to withstand the slings and arrows of local politics.
Criticism isnât the only needle to pierce thin skin. Your decisions as an elected official are all yes-or-no. You canât cast a maybe vote at the local level. No matter how you vote on a controversial issue, someone is angry, and deservedly so.
Based on your decisions, which you feel are best for the organization or for the public, people you donât know will suddenly hate you. No, theyâll despise you. They will project all their hatred upon you, their anger fueled by the mass media and national polarizing politics. This type of disapproval goes beyond that offered by a judge at the county fair (who is getting paid in pie): Itâs fair criticism. As an elected official, you deserve it.
Is your skin thick enough? Youâll find out when you run. Elections are brutal. Brace yourself.
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Public officials have a lower bar for slander. In an election, your opponent may accuse you of minor or unspeakable acts that will offend you. In American politics, these accusations are considered fair game.
- Do you recall ever making a snide comment about a politician? You sneer, âThat guy is a scumbag,â without knowing him personally or having any details. Thatâs how the public is trained to think of a politician.
- In a local election, especially a nonpartisan race, extreme criticism is seen as a desperate act. See Chapter 12 for details on how to deal with negative attacks.
- Criticism can be fair or unfair. Itâs fair to criticize an elected official for a decision. Itâs unfair to criticize someone personally, but in our culture, such criticism seems to be routine.
Resisting conformity
I would recommend against running for office if your desire in social settings is to blend in with the group. The weight of social pressure is huge for a politician because most crave acceptance. Human beings are social creatures who value conformity and shun those with different opinions.
As a public official, you must be artful enough to enact change in a manner accepted by people who adore the motto, âWeâve always done it this way.â Groupthink is infectious among elected officials. The river must flow, and no one swims upstream.
If youâre the nail that stands up, you must be pounded down. Itâs extremely uncomfortable to be that nail, especially in an established origination that rewards consensus. Often, freshly elected officials give in to conformity like puppy dog...
