Ponderstorm My Brainstorm on Life & Politics

Last year I ran for local government office. I have often said I ran “unsuccessfully”; however, I’m not sure that qualifier is entirely accurate since winning is not the only measure of success. Regardless of the outcome, I learned a lot and now can look back and see things I did well and areas in which I made mistakes — in some cases, lots of mistakes.

My thoughts below are designed to encourage more conservative candidates to run for office and to run with success. While conservatives will not win every election, they will lose every election in which they don’t run. The morale of the story then is to get out of our comfort zone and run. And by following a good plan, I feel that most conservatives won’t just run but will run well.

My Suggestions for a Successful Political Campaign

1. Know why you are running.

Running for office and campaigning is hard work. It’s very tiring, expensive, and emotionally draining and the race doesn’t end until the polls close on election night. With such a gauntlet to run, the candidate must remain confident in his or her reasons for running. Such confidence and the accompanying clarity of vision produces the steadfastness and resolve (and energy) needed to finish the race.

2. Differentiate yourself from your opponent(s).

If there is nothing different between you and your opponent then the race comes down to a popularity content. To avoid that potential disaster means you must find about three strong and compelling issues that you can promote and your opponent cannot. While this divides people along opinion lines, you need some division to gain supporters. Stay on message with those points and repeat them often — they become your brand that is remembered within the voting booth.

3. Be able to clearly articulate your vision in one sentence.

We only have one chance for a first impression with someone — remember, that someone is a potential voter. That first impression is largely formed with the first sentence they hear coming out of our mouth. Therefore a candidate must be able to demonstrate his or her strength quickly and confidently under a variety of scenarios including door-to-door campaigning, chance encounters, public speaking, and so forth. The first sentence is a good time to articulate one or more of the three points from #2 above.

4. Consistently set the agenda of the campaign.

A candidate must early on shift from a defensive position and go on the offense. That doesn’t mean name calling, mud slinging, and pointing out the personal weaknesses of your opponent. Instead, it means steering the conversation and the agenda of the campaign to your issues and vision. It means staying on Read More…

Posted under Campaign

Many Ponderstorm readers know that I’m running for office in Starkville. Election day is June 2. We all know that many people make up their minds in the last three days before they vote. With that in mind, the local Republican Party Executive Committee funded a quick television campaign to provide a unifying message and exposure for all participating Republican candidates. We focused on four issues that are important to most voters in Starkville.

Here’s our TV spot:

What are your thoughts?

Posted under Campaign, Video

As I write this I’m distressed to say it looks like there is no path to victory for John McCain. But since I prefer to see the glass as half full, I’m searching for something positive to write about tonight’s election. Is there anything positive to consider right now?

After careful thought I think so. I think there is still reason for conservatives to hope.

This 2008 election cycle has a remarkable number of parallels to 1976 when Democrat Jimmy Carter beat Republican Gerald Ford. As you may recall, Ford became President following the resignation of scandal-plagued President Richard Nixon. With the Republican brand tarnished by Watergate and the messy war in Vietnam fresh on voters’ minds, Carter eked out a 50.1% popular vote and a 297 to 240 electoral win.

As things now stand, Obama appears to be headed for a similarly narrow victory over McCain. As in 1976, the 2008 Republican brand is deeply tarnished by six years of squandered opportunities, wasteful spending, an unpopular Republican President and war that seems to drag on and on. Add in a candidate who had difficulties mobilizing his base and energizing people with a clear vision and you have a recipe for Republican electoral disaster. For Democrats, though, these factors created the perfect storm to sweep into power.

Rewind to 1976. Carter, like Obama was very inexperienced. Little was known about Carter just as little is known about Obama. Contrasting these Democrats were Republicans Ford and McCain who were both tested and experienced leaders. They were, however, dragged down by sweeping calls for change and widespread desire to put a new face and political party in Washington.

That was the setting in 1976 and again in 2008. As history shows us, though, the four years after 1976 were not pretty. Carter was tested with an international crisis by Iran and he failed miserably. Instead of acting decisively, he focused on talks and cut the military. Furthermore, the economy grew worse as inflation, unemployment and interest rates rapidly climbed.

Ironically, in 2008, Iran is again at the forefront of the international agenda and the economy is extremely weak. Like Carter, Obama puts a huge amount of trust in the power of talks to resolve aggressive conflicts with unreasonable people like Islamic extremists and dictators. Honestly, I fear for our future as a nation.

As Joe Biden warned, the next President will be tested with an international crisis within a short period of time. The response of that unavoidable test remains to be seen. Will Obama continue to look and sound like Carter or will he prove my analogy wrong and lead wisely?

That’s the dark side of my analogy. Is there a silver lining you might ask? Is there anything to give conservatives reason to hope? I think so and here’s why.

After four years of failure under Carter, the nation was fed up with international weakness, unemployment, inflation and failed Democratic leadership. In 1980 the nation was ready to elect a new leader who was proud of America and willing to tackle the problems instead of just talk about the symptoms. In short, the nation was ready to embrace conservatism and his name was Ronald Reagan.

So my question tonight is who will be our Ronald Reagan in 2012? Who will step forward and lead this nation out of the mess that liberalism and socialism inevitably bring? Who will be or next Ronald Reagan? Will it be you?

Posted under Barack Obama, Campaign

What follows is the official Ponderstorm Political Endorsements for the 2008 political season. Please note that apart from the Presidential race, these endorsements cover what is on my ballot (see sample ballot – pdf) for the 3rd Congressional District and the Northern Supreme Court District in Mississippi.

You will notice a strong Republican bias. I am urging support along those lines on the federal level since the Republican Party, in spite of its many faults, remains the only party willing to even half-way protect social values, win wars and promote the free enterprise system of economics. Here are my endorsements and some reasons for them.

President/Vice President – John McCain & Sarah Palin (R)

For me, the choice of voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin was easy to make and decided months ago. McCain and Palin are social and fiscal conservatives who believe in protecting the United States and winning wars. Need I say more given the alternative?

While I could easily argue that John McCain is not my ideal candidate, he is light years ahead of his opponent on issues that deeply matter to me and to the integrity and safety of this nation. In a tight election year like this, I gladly endorse John McCain and Sarah Palin for President and Vice President, respectively.

MS Senate – Thad Cochran (R)

Senator Thad Cochran has served Mississippi since 1972, first as a United States Congressman and in 1978 as a Senator. When he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978, he was the first Republican in over 100 years to win a statewide election in Mississippi.

In the years since, Cochran’s voting record has been consistently conservative. He leads with humility and an unassuming manner that has earned the respect of millions on both sides of the political isle.

MS Senate (special election) – Roger Wicker (R)

Senator Roger Wicker was appointed to the United States Senate on December 31, 2007 by Governor Haley Barbour. Wicker’s appointment, due to the resignation of retiring Senator Trent Lott, fills that vacancy in until the general election on November 4, 2008.

Prior to this Senate appointment, Wicker served in the House of Representatives since 1994 and the Mississippi State Senate from 1987-1994. Wicker, though guilty of using earmarks to bring special projects to his congressional district, has a socially conservative voting record overall and, I feel, remains the better candidate to serve Mississippi in the Senate.

MS House District 3 – Greg Harper (R) Read More…

Posted under Campaign, John McCain

The embedded video below shows what is at stake in this election regarding the right to life. Hear Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain in their own words state their positions on this foundational issue. I urge everyone to look deep within their heart and ask themselves if he or she really wants a pro-abortion President of the United States.

For me the choice is clear and John McCain is the only candidate who gets this fundamental issue right. No amount of poise, polish or eloquence from an amazing candidate can change my mind. On the contrary, when I see the candidates on this issue, John McCain is the one who displays eloquence and grace while Barack Obama stumbles around or calls for a bloody genocide. For this, Barack Obama is a sellout to black people and the whole nation.

Posted under Barack Obama, Campaign, John McCain, Video