SovereignLife for Offshore Banking and Asset Protection
How to Effectively Argue Your Case
The following is another essay written by California LP member Bruce Cohen, who is currently campaigning for the US House of Representatives, 48th District (Laguna Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach, etc.). You can visit his site, GetBruce.com, for details on his issue positions, donation information, and other related topics. Though none of us here at LAN are within the 48th Congressional District, we extend our support to this competent and viable candidate and wish him luck in the upcoming elections. Now, without further Adieu, the Libertarian Action Network is proud to present...Winning Issues – Choosing Your Battles in The War of Words
For Libertarians to make a difference in the ever so important world of Politics, we must make the most of our efforts. Working smart works better in Politics, just like in business. To that end, we must choose the topics we lead with carefully. Not making progress, or worse yet, turning off voters is something we can’t afford to do. Hence the idea of choosing winning issues. Campaign managers have long known about this and have steered their candidates towards them, and away from losing issues.What is a winning issue?
Winning issues resonate with voters. They are issues a party or a candidate can ‘get ahead’ of their opponents on. Winning issues also must reflect your true position. Voters can sense insincerity, so you must be true to yourself. For the same reason, it’s not good to get caught on both sides of an issue. Winning issues highlight the differences between our opposition and us. And finally, they must be issues where the voters prefer our solution.
What is not a winning issue?
For a political party, winning issues should not divide its members; for a candidate they should not divide their constituency. They should not be something your base or potential voters are divided on, either. The Democrats and Republicans know this, and use it to their advantage. Such consensus building strategies are what the mass media commonly mean when they say that a candidate is “appealing to his or her base”.
Picking your battles.
In politics, as in life we have only so many hours and so much money. This makes it essential to choose issues we can win hearts, minds and votes with. When we run on winning issues, we're not ignoring what’s important. Instead, we're focusing on winning. As we convert and recruit voters and members to join, we'll have plenty of time to share our viewpoints with them later!
The 'Sir Galahad Principle'
The Sir Galahad Principle states: “I will win because my heart is pure, and I am on the side of righteousness”. This is a myth, and entirely false in practice. Most politically active people, especially those running for public office, tend to believe in this. You can be right 100% of the time and still lose elections. You can be right 100% of the time and still not grow the party. That is why choosing the correct set of issues is so important. When we find common ground with our constituency, we can build the freedom movement. And, as this new blood adds energy to our effort, they will learn about the other solutions Libertarians have to offer.
‘Driving over a cliff with both flags flying’
The late President Reagan was once asked why he didn't push a particular issue with Congress and America. He felt it was a battle he could not win at the time. He preferred to focus on battles he could win, saving his resources for these efforts. His famous quote on the matter was, “I'd rather not drive off a cliff with both my flags flying.”
Examples of losing issues
Libertarians have long known that the issue of abortion is not a winning issue for them. America is divided on the issue, and there are clear positions by both our major competitors. There is little division within the party, but in this case, we can’t win new voters to our side with this issue. The death penalty is another losing issue. By choosing sides, we stand to gain nothing politically. Certainly it’s fine to have an opinion on these things. But to lead with them or focus a campaign on them is counter-productive.
Likewise, the current controversy regarding the War in Iraq. America is divided on this issue. We don't have anything new to offer to the discussion, as Libertarians. And, even should you disagree, it’s not something we can recruit with. Both of the other major parties have all the ground covered here. Don't waste your time and effort on losing issues!
Examples of winning issues
Fortunately for Libertarians, there are many winning issues we can use! On so many public policy matters, neither Republicans nor Democrats offer good solutions. Libertarians have solutions America instinctively likes and understands, when framed properly.
Libertarians can get ahead of their opponents on the Social Security issue. We have the only workable solution to the problem. Already proven in Chile and other nations, our solution has widespread support in the intellectual community and amongst informed Americans at large. We have the only good solution for education. John Q. Voter loves when we suggest ending government monopolies in education. He also loves the idea of cutting costs and improving results for our children.
The Libertarian solution to the health care problem likewise is something only we have to offer. On this the party agrees, and America understands. With a good explanation, you can have your audience, if not outright agreeing, considering the Libertarian solution as one worth discussing.
Trying to cover too much ground is also a losing tactic. Focus on a few things you know your audience cares about. Then, spend your time to persuading and convincing, making sure to sound reasonable and articulate.
Next month we'll explore the idea of winning issues further, and look forward to your comments. We Libertarians have made a big difference in American politics, but have a long, long way to go. By learning best methods we can refine our approach and get better long-term results. Now, let’s go give the Republicans and Democrats a run for their money!
Copyright: ©October 2005, Bruce Cohen
WWW.GetBruce.Com
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this article, please e-mail me at firefox-spam@walala.org. We value your feedback, so please e-mail or visit the forums.