When the media is saying great things about a politician, them being in the spotlight is a simple task. The opposite of that is bad press. It can happen to anyone in politics. It doesn’t matter how prepared they are for an election campaign. A politician may have one of their statements taken completely out of context in the media, which could cause a tidal wave of
They can have a damaging effect on voter impressions. Political success as a candidate depends on the way the crisis of a bad press is handled. trouble for their campaign. Negative campaigns are a part and parcel of politics, worldwide. The public is often unaware of what goes in to an effective political campaign. Most of the myths given by cable news channels are incorrect. They are based on assumptions. To rid yourself of these common misconceptions, below is a list of five myths about political campaigns.
1.
BUILDING AN
ONLINE CAMPAIGN 30 DAYS PRIOR IS ENOUGH: Forget online
campaigning if you think 30 days is enough to get you all the attention you
need! Building your online image, content, and personality takes time and effort. Campaigns have to
start slow. First, build voter contact lists. Forge relationships with advocacy
organizations and unions. Understand and address voter issues. Split up your
campaign into multiple stages. As a representative, you need to influence what
people see, hear and read about you online.
Building an online identity is the first step toward the
goal. So create personal social media accounts and a professional website. How
much time do you predict it will take to set up an effective primary election
campaign? Way more than a month. You need to get to it from the time you
announce your candidacy.
2.
IF YOU DON’T
MAKE IT TO THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY, YOU CAN’T VOTE: Many
people believe if they don’t make it to the polls on Election Day to turn in
their ballot, their vote won’t count. Untrue! Absentee ballot allows voters who
are ill, away or unable to vote on Election Day to send in their votes. This
criterion varies from state to state. Some use this to avoid crowds while
others offer early voting. Campaigns should pay attention to the lack of information that citizens have about
the voting process. To make sure you don’t lose out on votes include early voting, absentee ballots, Election Day
registration, and vote at home.
3.
NEGATIVE
CAMPAIGN ADS ARE UNINFORMATIVE: During heated
campaigns, you may come upon 10 trite political attack ads an hour. You hate
them and think of it as unnecessary, unethical, and uninformative. You’re
wrong. According to a study conducted, we are better informed about the issues of the elections by watching
negative ads; these commercials prompt candidates to check facts, and opponents
to respond to clear their names.
While people still think of it as deplorable, it benefits
voters. The 2008 Presidential campaign is a good example of how negative ads
are informative. John McCain claimed Barack Obama’s economic plan was bad for
small businesses. This led to a series of debates where Obama hit back and
better explained his stand, giving voters a lot more information.
4.
POLITICIANS USE
NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING BECAUSE IT WORKS: It’s a
long-held belief that politicians use a negative campaigning strategy as it benefits them. Politicians also believe negative ads
are more memorable than positive ones. This is not always true. A campaign does not work or win favor based on its tone
(positive or negative), more or less depends on how well the ad connects with
the public on an emotional and rational level. The problem with mudslinging is
it can misfire and do more harm than good.
For example, attacks against George W. Bush’s military
record in the presidential election (2004) is a classic example of how negative campaigning did not work. In
spite, Bush went on the win elections. For, the simple reason being Bush was
popular and notable among the public. Criticizing him or attacking him would
not change public opinion (due to emotional connect). Lyndon B. Johnson’s Daisy ad is a good
example of how negative campaigning
works. The ad raises concerns over the nuclear conflict during the cold
war period. It instills a fear in people by asking the public to choose between
life and death. Johnson won the elections with a landslide victory.
5.
YOU CAN
INFLUENCE VOTER OPINION WITH JUST FACTS: If you think by
providing voters with just facts will get you their votes, you
are deluding yourself. In fact, voters respond better
when you tap into their emotions and beliefs. Start by addressing the issue: How many able candidates offer a
strong agenda built on policy issues but still end up failing because they
couldn’t connect with voters on a personal level?
The failure here is that facts alone aren’t good at
resonating with people’s emotions, which is pivotal to securing the trust, and
the vote of a person. The solution is candidates
have to tie in policy issues or items on their agenda to specific pain points
in the community. For example, instead of telling voters about your plan for
stricter environmental regulation, tell them about how the regulation will get
the local lake cleaned or improve drinking water facilities in the neighborhood.
“The American people deserve truthfulness, not more political
campaigning. The American people deserve a responsible government that seeks to
address their needs, not more ideological dogma.”
(Jose Serrano)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5
Myths about political campaigns you should know” by CallHub
No comments:
Post a Comment