Convicted Positions versus Polled Positions

[Stinky The Clown]

Let's assume you're a candidate for Congress for the 33rd Congressional District in Red State - RS33.

You're an uberliberal at heart, but your district is reddish purple. You have personal convictions on most important issues - and in particular, those issues affecting your potential constituents.

Your opponent is the incumbent. He's an arch conservative, but comes across as a moderate due to having been to a Richard Mellon Scaife-funded Candidate Boot Camp, where he graduated at the head of his class and recently returned for a specialization in lying. In short, he's a typical RW nutter.

You *know* that he's really way to the right of most of your constituents, particularly on social issues. But most voters see only the coiffed hair, the toothy smile and the flag on his lapel. They hear only the dulcet tones of his lying words.

But you also know that you're *way* to the left of the majority of the voters in your district on some issues, and just left of them in others.

Do you run on your convicted positions or do you poll to find out as precisely as possible where you're constituents are and run on that?

In the one case, do you argue that while those are your views, your job is to represent your constituents and that's what you'll do, personal views aside. This would be totally honest.

But ...... in the other case you don't even discuss your views. You discuss what *their* views are and accept them as if they're your own. In short, you misrepresent yourself.

For this discussion, assume your heart is in the right place and your intent is really to the best possible job for your district.

What do you do? How would **you** handle this?

[MissWaverly]

1. run on core beliefs

americans are hungry for leaders; they are tired of crooks and liars, they want someone who
comes across as the real deal, a straight shooter and that can't happen when the campaign
is based on policies based on the poll numbers. That is what is making people so mad about the
Dems and their lack of spine.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. And if the polls show you're losing ...... ?

[MissWaverly]

3. Walk out among the people

I remember Jimmy Carter said that one handshake from Coretta King was worth a million votes,
look at winning dems in the past from your area, read up on their campaigns, go out to the
local friday fish fries at the fire hall and talk to the people, ask their opinions about what
their priorities are, politicians have to commit to the people themselves, it can't be done
by spreadsheets and consultants.

[MissWaverly]

7. If someone is running as an unknown they have to get known

When my sister and her ex were starting their business, the hardest thing was getting new clients, after they had been in business for 2-3 years, people came and said, you don't know
how many times we thought about trying you but waited to see if you would make it. Get known,
go to local events, find groups that support your ideas and ask for their support. Go talk to
the senior citizens at the retirement centers. I remember when O'Malley was running
for mayor here in Baltimore, he came to the farmers market to campaign. Go on the local talk
shows and take callers.

[longship]

4. We need an FDR, now!

Above all, we need somebody to say, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

We need a *LEADER*, not some smug, brainless ideologue. We need somebody who is well read, not the illiterate buffoon in the White House. We need somebody with passion and a fire in their belly, and a great love of freedom and of our Constitutional government, not the withered, cowardly wimp who selfishly puts his personal power above his country.

We need somebody to END this darkest time in our history. We need to find the person to do it.

In my opinion, at this time there is only one who stands out of the crowd.

[Hippo_Tron]

5. A poll driven candidacy is a great way to lose

The guy that I display in my avatar won by going out and getting his supporters. He went and talked to people in the traditionally conservative parts of his state. He convinced them to vote for him because they truly felt that he represented their economic interests, even though he was to the left of them on social issues.

Most Americans aren't rich. Therefore, most of the people in your district don't benefit from Republican economic policies. You go to as many of those people as possible and win them over by telling them that you will represent their economic interests in congress. Not just in TV ads, but by actually talking to them and campaigning in their areas, even if they are traditionally Republican areas.

Then, you use your liberalism to mobilize your ground operation. Loyal democrats will work their asses off for your campaign if you stand up for what they believe in. Also, you will get out your base on election day. Getting out your base is especially important during midterms.

Finally, you expose your opponent for the rightwing thug that he is. You expose every vote that he has casted to help corporations, every photo op that he has taken with Jerry Falwell, every time that he has voted with his party instead of his constituency.

It's okay to moderate your positions on one or two issues. If you come out in favor of civil unions instead of gay marriage but are good on everything else, chances are that your base will still come out to vote for you. But when it gets to the point that you have moderated your positions so much that you don't stand for anything but what the polls say, you are going to lose.

[loyalsister]

6. Don't run

or tell them how you will vote and risk losing.
There is a better chance of winning if you can find a candidate who is a Dem who represents many of the views of the district.
IMO it is unethical to run for office if you can't represent the voters who put you in office.
It's about the voters.