The Rules of Politics, presented by the Libertarians

[AmericanErrorist]

Bill Clinton had 'em, and he used to brag about them in speeches.

Otto von Bismarck had 'em, and he used them to build the modern nation of Germany.

Gary E. Johnson had 'em, and they helped him become one of the nation's most respected libertarian-leaning governors.

Lyndon Johnson had 'em, and they were usually vulgar.

We're talking about Rules of Politics. That is, fundamental truisms about politics, campaigns, and government.

Since most Libertarians are not professional politicians, many are unaware of the broad body of accumulated wisdom about how politics works. So, we scoured books, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet to collect these "100 Rules of Politics."

They come from a wide variety of sources: Politicians (some famous, some not). Political science professors. Journalists. Bloggers. Commentators. Political organizations. Publications. Political activists. Campaign consultants. Some are from that prolific phrase-maker, "Unknown" (a close friend of the popular "Anonymous").

Some of these Rules of Politics are very specific advice about how to win elections, or how to govern. Some are general truths about how real-world politics operates.

Some are so broad they could be considered Rules of Life. Some are narrowly tailored to address particular campaign challenges.

Since they come from a wide cross-section of opinionated experts, some even contradict each other. That's fine. Borrow from the ones that make the most sense to you.

A word of warning: Libertarians did not write these rules. Some are so cynical you'll be offended.

On the other hand, some are so commonsense you'll wonder why anyone bothered to write them down. (Why? Because common sense frequently isn't.) Some are so insightful they will change the way you look at politics. Some are so salty you'll smile.

But all have some kernel of truth that might come in handy in a future campaign, initiative lobbying effort, or term in office.

Consider these "100 Rules of Politics" a crash course in political reality for non-politicians. Here we go...

http://www.lp.org/lpnews/0402/rules_politics.html

[catzies]

1. OK, on the 'unintentional irony scale' this one is a 10!

"Anything that will be revealed eventually should be revealed immediately. -- Henry Kissinger"

Bwahahahahahaha.....

[yardwork]

2. Avoid energizing the opposition's base. -- Solveig Singleton

Doh!