Eric James Wolf

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Suffer Fools Gladly

The twelve most common marketing mistakes made by politicians. (Part 1)

The twelve most common marketing mistakes made by politicians. (Part 2)

"Democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people."
Abraham Lincoln.

Suffer Fools Gladly

by Eric James Wolf

I see a lot of liberal politicians out in America who, in their effort to not offend, are held in silence. Their silence is caused by their fear that they may isolate themselves, or far worse, engender opposition from conservative voters. In seeking to not offend, they do not attract voters to their cause.

You Have to Stand for Something.

I can see the look of wonder on many campaign managers’ faces when they read the above line. I can hear them saying right now.

“If I stand for something then I will galvanize my opposition. I will become a lightening rod of negative and disrespectful attacks.”

Are you satisfied with your campaign’s energy level?
Are you satisfied with your campaigns ability to attract volunteers, money, and voters?
Do you believe that, win or lose, your campaign will influence the agenda for the next election cycle?
Do you believe that you have the respect of Republicans and Democrats alike?
If you do not have their respect, how can you expect to get away with standing up for what is important?

You Can Earn Their Respect.

I’m in the middle of recording, “Election 101- Getting Elected in the Urban Environment” with Ed Sullivan. Ed is the most experienced New York Assemblymen I could find. He has run for office over thirteen times. He has built up an amazing real world experience at running for office as a liberal and politician with integrity.

“For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.”

King James Bible, 2 Corinthians 11:19

When I was interviewing Ed about his ability to be elected repeatedly, he quoted to me this Bible verse. Now, neither Ed nor me are church going folk, so needless to say, I was surprised at Ed’s biblical knowledge. He pointed out to me that in the Bible there are many verses that deal with politics and the art of getting elected. I am always interested in any perspective on getting elected.

Don’t let the old language fool you! This one is a real humdinger!

A good politician knows how to galvanize their base without energizing their opposition. It’s not enough to passionately express your perspective in a way that excites your base. You also have to spend energy learning what stands or ideologies will bring the mob with the torches to your door. Of course mobs are a specialty with some politicians. If you are one of those brave folk, ignore this advice.

American politicians who just want to be liked, if not loved, must take this biblical advice to heart. Suffer fools gladly and ye shall reap election after election. Then will come the real question that will show wisdom and integrity.

How do you suffer fools gladly?

Well, I’d start by never closing the door to a particular group or constituency inside your jurisdiction. That means practicing the art of listening to people who may not like you and looking comfortable when you are not. The art of listening is not to be underestimated. We will return to this subject later, sometime after November. But for now, just know that you have the power to defuse and deflate your opposition. Seek out opportunities that may allow you to become familiar to them. It’s hard to hate or fear those we know are really good, even if we don’t agree with their intentions.

Something familiar is rarely recognized as dangerous.

Just ask cigarette smokers. Most voters are willing to forgive you for disagreeing with them, as long as they believe that you are being authentic and have integrity.

Good luck. Remember to deflate, not transform your opposition. They probably won’t vote for you, but at least you can get them to stay at home if it rains.

Smile like you believe it, and make sure you do something this week that is not related to your campaign. If I can be of any assistance to you at all, please give me a call.

Sincerely,

Eric James Wolf

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