Conservatives seem to be worse than the welfare queens they love to blast in campaign speeches.
Really, it's not so much that they ask, as much as they demand. They want more money to run their campaigns, and will say anything to make you feel bad if you do not give, or shame people because they do not want to donate.
If I ever run for office, I hope that I would never have a harsh and condescending attitude toward anyone.
It's time for people who run for office to realize that money does not grow on trees. Potential donors are not ready to throw a bunch of money at someone they do not know, and spend the rest of the campaign season wondering if the money is well-spent, or will have any lasting impact.
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| Gimme Gimme Gimme! |
Businessmen invest capital to expand their business, to reach new clientele, or to innovate their products and services. They do all of this risk-taking and analysis in order to get something better: more profit.
I wonder how candidates would phrase their requests for money if they put themselves in the shoes of potential donors.
Do they have anything worthwhile to offer? Is their campaign accomplishing more than mounting time, resources, and personnel for an elected office?
Campaigns can and should be about winning elections and setting necessary policy goals with legislative and political outcomes.
Yes indeed.
Can political figures shape their campaigns with more outcomes and successes, even if they do not get elected? Perhaps if candidates demonstrate that they are helping other candidates get elected. If their campaigns combine service and profit with electioneering, more people could be persuaded to donate.
One thing that I hate, though, more than just about anything else -- candidates who beg and shame potential donors in the same sentence.
This bugging-begging is all wrong.
Now, why has all this talk about campaigning and political donations taken up so much time and space on this blog and in this writer's mind?
I have been listening to political consultants for the past three weeks complain about the lack of money for good, strong conservative candidates.
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Boo-hoo! Whaa! Gimme Gimme! * UGH *.
Can I go home now? One consultant spent thirty minutes telling me over and over that conservative candidates are not getting enough money, and that is why they do not win elections. Then he condemned all the candidates in a local race who were raising money and getting strong name ID, but they were considered "Establishment" because they had formed strong connections with government officials and local charities. How else do potential candidates develop credibility and trust with potential donors? They have to do something or demonstrate solid character in some way. Look at Donald Trump, the Politician who has harnessed the skills of an anti-politician, and so far doing very well politically.
Corrupt mayor, twice convicted of felonies Buddy Cianci (Providence, Rhode Island) charmed everybody. Surely good, solid conservatives can do what these monstrous egos and vain megalomaniacs have done. Surely they can. Sometimes the most quaint and un-presupposing among us can sweep us off our feet.
So, how do solid, simple conservative candidates do better for themselves?
The answer to a lack of money is to work at getting money. The "campaign conservative" welfare mentality about fundraising and campaigning has to stop. I am not Oprah, and forget about calling Dr. Phil. Elvis is way dead, and Nancy Reagan gave up the Psychic by Tina thing a long time ago, thus so should we.
Do we have friends and family who trust us enough that they would put a little money toward our venture? Are their colleagues and coworkers in our midst who know that we have gone to great lengths serving them, and thus they would move to serve us? If candidates have developed enough day-to-day credibility with the common man in their communities, and have shared a single connection with enough people, then a political candidate could do very well.
Candidates have to work at getting money, just as conservatives in general expect individual citizens to work, invest, and save in order to improve their lot in life and for the family and future. So until then, conservative candidates who don't have enough money,
Please stop with the begging-bugging!
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