Today we’re wrapping up a series of posts on The 15 Questions You Must Answer Before Running for Office. This is in response to the top vote-getter on our poll question, “What is the biggest obstacle to running for local office…and winning?“ That answer was: “Where do I start?!?!”

Questions 1-5 were:

• 1.) Have I done anything to distinguish myself?
• 2.) Do I want this job?
• 3.) Can I win?
• 4.) Do I legally qualify to run?
• 5.) Can my ticker take it?

And Questions 6-10:

• 6.) Can I devote the time needed to win?
• 7.) Am I ready for bloodsport?
• 8.) Do I want to put my family through this?
• 9.) Would the outcome of the election, win or lose, box me into a corner?
  
• 10.) Am I willing to ask people for money (repeatedly)?

If you are still with us at this point, answering in the affirmative to each of these ten questions, you’re ready to move on to the last five questions in our list. But these questions are not “simple” Yes/No determinations; they’re short-answer to essay:

• 11.) Why do I want to do this and what can I contribute? Write down the specific reasons you want to run for this office, listing the changes, improvements, or new ideas you have to offer. Be specific. Where do you stand on the important issues facing your community? Why are you running for this office? What do you hope to accomplish? This will be the first draft of your campaign rationale — the basis for your candidacy — your message, and appeal to voters. If you have trouble answering this question, you’re going to have trouble coming up with the rationale for being in the race.
• 12.) What uniquely qualifies me for this office? Judge Lawrence Grey, in his campaign manual “How to Win a Local Election”, writes: “You have to ask that question of yourself because every voter is going to ask it about you. During your campaign, somebody will ask you straight out why you think you are qualified for the job. You have to be ready with a good answer, and to be ready you have to have thought about your answer, about your qualifications.” Again, be specific. Build on your answer from the question above. Define your candidacy to the voters. Otherwise, your opponents will do that for you.
• 13.) What are my strengths and weaknesses as a candidate? Ronald A. Faucheux does a great job in explaining the importance of assessing your strengths and weaknesses in his must-read campaign book “Running for Office”. He writes: “Make a list of your strengths as a candidate and as a prospective public official — strengths that may potentially appeal to voters. Be objective. Ask friends and advisers, confidentially if necessary, and get an honest reading…[Also] make a list of your weaknesses as a candidate and as a prospective elected official. Again, be cruelly objective.” Your strengths will be the core message of your campaign. They can be your personal strengths (like experience, reputation, accomplishments, or previous success) or “political strengths” (your stances on important issues of the day). Obviously, your weaknesses are not going to be the central theme of the campaign (at least you hope not!). But it’s important to honestly evaluate your weaknesses so that you can be prepared for the inevitable attacks from your opponents. You should have rebuttals ready — as well as counter-points to refocus the debate on the areas you want to talk about: your strengths and your opponent’s weaknesses. The purpose of this exercise is to prepare yourself for framing the choice voters have in the election. Question 14 builds on this idea.
• 14.) Why am I a better choice than the other candidates? This question is ultimately what elections are all about: why am I a better man or woman for the job than the other available options? Campaigns are about choices. To be successful you have to draw lines of distinction between yourself and others in the race. Candidates who don’t stand out from the pack are anonymous. Anonymous candidates are losing candidates. Explain to voters in point one, two, and three why you are better suited to fight for their concerns in office. Be able to articulate your strengths juxtaposed to your opponents’ weaknesses. The most powerful political messages are those which demonstrate your strengths as a candidate (personally and/or politically) and vividly illustrate your opponent’s weaknesses at the same time. Faucheux calls this “mirror opposite” strengths: those that contrast directly with the weaknesses of the opposition.
• 15.) Can I make the final, irrevocable decision to run? Ultimately, you reach a point of no return when deciding to run for elected office. I think of the movie Back to the Future: Part III when “Marty” (Michael J. Fox) and “Doc” (Christopher Lloyd) attempt to time travel from the Old West by getting a steam engine locamotive up to 88 m.p.h. before running off a cliff.  There’s a “point of no return” sign posted beside the tracks. At that point, the only two options are “STOP!!!” or “FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!” In the decision to run for elected office, if you reach that “point of no return sign” (which might be a filing deadline or a self-imposed decision date), but decide it’s not the right time for you run, put on the brakes. The train will stop before it goes careening into the canyon. No harm done. But if you go past the warning sign, you’d better commit to running…and running like hell! Again quoting Ronald A. Faucheux in “Running for Office”: “Search your soul and consider the implications a candidacy may have on your life and career…Until you’re sure you’re in the race for keeps, and make a firm commitment in mind and spirit, you will never get off the ground as a candidate. If you’re going to run, run. If not, stay home and let somebody else do it. Determined, decisive candidates will run rings around the Hamlets who interminably ponder — without resolution — whether to get into the upcoming race. Until you’ve made a final, firm decision to run, it will be difficult — maybe even impossible — to get friends and potential allies to make commitments.” Don’t end up at the bottom of the canyon. Put on the brakes while you still can…or get that train up to 88 miles per hour!

I hope you’ve enjoyed our 15 Questions You Must Answer Before Running for Office. If you have any feedback or questions, please share with the RunSmart2Win audience. And if you’re contemplating a run at elected office, go through the 15 Questions and let us know if they’re helpful in your decision-making process.

Tags: Campaigns Tips

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 at 5:30 am and is filed under Campaign Tips, Get in the Game. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.