CNN online recently pronounced the “Blue Wave,” that surge purported to sweep Democrats into all sorts of impending mid-term offices, was DOA. And they used polling numbers to “prove” their point. But a few suddenly tight races doth not the death of a movement make. If there’s anything we learned from the 2016 presidential race…
With Illinois primary season firmly in the rearview mirror, it’s time for the losing candidates to reconsider their political futures and for the winners to get ready for the real work! I’m not saying it’s easy to make it through a contested primary, because it’s not! In those still demonstrably Republican Chicago collar counties, that…
All right class! We’ve already covered that the best campaign managers: Work for both sides Work for candidates with a winning mindset Know how to effectively message and reframe attacks Ah! But we’ve saved the best for last! Because what truly separates great campaign managers from the merely good ones is the capacity to perceive…
When we last left off, I was answering a friend who asked, “How would a first-time candidate – or even one who’s lost a campaign or two – know how to hire the kind of campaign manager that would likely lead to a win.” We’ve already covered that the best campaign managers are essentially apolitical,…
A friend and I were having one of our frequent politically-based philosophical discussions when he asked, “How would a first-time candidate – or even one who’s lost a campaign or two – know how to hire the kind of campaign manager that would likely lead to a win.” That was such a great question, it…
When we last left off, we were lamenting the fact that, though juries do their damndest to communicate with any attorney willing to “listen,” most refuse to pay any attention to them whatsoever. And we were using a Kane County, Illinois, murder trial to illustrate that very point. So let’s continue! Shortly after the decedent’s…
Perhaps it’s simply a function of the average law school education, but considering the number of trials I’ve covered as a journalist, I’m consistently amazed by the average attorney’s capacity to completely ignore the jury. It’s beyond baffling! Considering your client’s financial or criminal fate rests squarely in their hands, doesn’t the jury deserve more…
So, you’re running for local office and your opponent, or one of his surrogates, just launched the kind of scurrilous personal political attack that makes your family’s toenails curl. What do you do? Counterattack? Unless you’re a communications/public relations expert – and most candidates don’t come close – counterattacking is a really bad idea. Responding…
Of course, that’s a play on Cubs Manager Joe Maddon’s 2016 “Try not to suck” motto, but it’s amazing how well it applies to local political candidates, too! Though it’s utterly unnecessary, it always amazes me how many of them go out of their way to suck!
So what’s the antidote to this far too common phenomenon? I’m glad you asked! Here are the ten best ways a local candidate can refrain from sucking: