“…The challenge isn’t coming up with a remarkable story… the challenge for a politician is ensuring that the story is both authentic and appealing enough to spread to the majority.” — Seth Godin
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/01/electable_vs_ma.html
“…Every day, politicians do mundane things. They sit through hearings or review boring proposals. But here, in front of the voters, voters who cared deeply about a single issue, each politician had a chance to really shine. And they failed. Miserably.
“People don’t renew or cancel their cell phone service because of the ads (the ads that might have gotten them to sign up in the first place.) They do it based on the service and the way it makes them feel. And people don’t vote to re-elect a candidate because of her debate performance or speeches.
“Voters decide because of the intense emotion they feel during isolated moments. The challenge of being a politician, whether you’re national or in a tiny village, is the same—to exceed expectations in the most intense interactions you have each day.”
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/01/how_to_get_reel.html
Lawn signs can swing an election, study finds
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/campaign-lawn-signs-little-effect-217166
“Politics is a Game of Addition.”
— Peggy Noonan, CBS This Morning, Monday December 28 2015
“…Politics is a game of addition, take the long view, don’t throw anyone out as you try to hit 60. ” — Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal, Friday November 28 2008
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122773612620961005
“…The magic is this: As soon as you stop acting like you need every single vote, you can earn the votes of the people you seek to serve.”
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/11/election-day.html
Each New Year’s Day Afternoon, The City of Toronto hosts it’s annual Levee, where members of the general public line up to get a turn at meeting and being greeted by the Mayor and members of City Council.
On a day when nearly everything else in the city is closed due to New Year’s, this was the only game in town. The only other game of note being the NHL Winter Classic down the road in Detroit, which everyone seemed to be following on their BlackBerries and other handhelds.
This being a Municipal Election year in Toronto, and the day before nominations officially open, I found numerous potential Mayoral and Council Candidates doing the rounds inside the Rotunda of Toronto City Hall.
Among City Council Wannabes wandering the Rotunda was one Al Gore, declared Mayoral Candidate. Oh really? “Al Gore”?
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On my 40th birthday, I found myself in the United States booth in the Exhibition Hall of World Urban Forum 5 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They used an entire wall to create a photo opportunity for Forum attendess to shake hands with The President. So I did.
Two and half years later, it’s Election Day in The United States.
For President Obama, it’s Re-Election Day… or maybe the U.S. Electorate will vote Tails instead of Heads and The World wakes up to President-Elect Romney.
Whoever wins tonight, or in the days that follow pending an inconclusive result, it will be a night of nuanced firsts:
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Imagine if the Electoral College ends up somehow in a tie and New Jersey winds up being the Tie-Breaker Vote.
We could have 50 Shades of Florida.