The Stealth Candidate
What happens if a candidate turns out to be so bad at being a candidate his campaign doesn’t dare let him loose on the public – say, because every time he opens his mouth the campaign totters on the brink of destruction?
The solution: A Stealth Candidate.
It’s an old tried and true formula. Sixteen years ago the people running Lauch Faircloth’s campaign did it. Lauch was a famous businessman who could squeeze twelve cents out of a dime. He could smell out a land deal just by driving through a county and rolling down the window. But he didn’t give a toot for issues – some wit once said Lauch thought pro-life was a position advocated by murderers on death row – and that was a pretty big handicap for a candidate. So every time Lauch got within shouting range of a reporter his campaign had a moment of sheer terror.
The second time in my life I laid eyes on Gary Pearce was the morning we sat down in Wade Hargrove’s law office to negotiate the terms of the Sanford-Faircloth debate. The one rule we both agreed on right away was neither campaign would ever use a piece of videotape from that debate in a TV ad.
Back in 1992,
Well, Tuesday night Bev Perdue surpassed Senator Faircloth when it comes to having bad moments in debates.
Bev started carrying on about how she was going to change Raleigh and Pam Saulsby, WRAL’s reporter, asked, Well, can you give one example of how you differ with Governor Easley?
Perdue just sat there blinking. She stammered: ‘I’m more hands-on.’
Saulsby said again, ‘But give me one example.’
Perdue just sat there staring back at her like a deer caught in the headlights – right there, for about ten seconds, her campaign teetered on the brink of destruction.
Here are six ground rules for Stealth Candidates – or for someone like Bev who can, say, take three different positions on offshore drilling without knowing it.
1. Keep the candidate in the headquarters calling people for money. That’s productive. And safe.
2. Occasionally – but only occasionally – let the candidate do a headquarters ribbon-cutting. But never include a speech.
3. Put out a lot of written press releases and positions papers – but never, ever, let the candidate talk to a reporter.
4. Spread rumors of candidate sightings – but only let voters actually see the candidate in still pictures in TV ads (which may need to be enhanced).
5. Avoid spontaneous moments like the plague. One slip of the tongue can cost the campaign a million dollars to repair the damage.
6. And, oh yes, never let the candidate debate. Your whole campaign could go down in flames in minutes.
And, that said, here’s the incredible thing – a lot of times it works.
Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.
The Stealth Candidate
What happens if a candidate turns out to be so bad at being a candidate his campaign doesn’t dare let him loose on the public – say, because every time he opens his mouth the campaign totters on the brink of destruction?
The solution: A Stealth Candidate.
It’s an old tried and true formula. Sixteen years ago the people running Lauch Faircloth’s campaign did it. Lauch was a famous businessman who could squeeze twelve cents out of a dime. He could smell out a land deal just by driving through a county and rolling down the window. But he didn’t give a toot for issues – some wit once said Lauch thought pro-life was a position advocated by murderers on death row – and that was a pretty big handicap for a candidate. So every time Lauch got within shouting range of a reporter his campaign had a moment of sheer terror.
The second time in my life I laid eyes on Gary Pearce was the morning we sat down in Wade Hargrove’s law office to negotiate the terms of the Sanford-Faircloth debate. The one rule we both agreed on right away was neither campaign would ever use a piece of videotape from that debate in a TV ad.
Back in 1992,
Well, Tuesday night Bev Perdue surpassed Senator Faircloth when it comes to having bad moments in debates.
Bev started carrying on about how she was going to change Raleigh and Pam Saulsby, WRAL’s reporter, asked, Well, can you give one example of how you differ with Governor Easley?
Perdue just sat there blinking. She stammered: ‘I’m more hands-on.’
Saulsby said again, ‘But give me one example.’
Perdue just sat there staring back at her like a deer caught in the headlights – right there, for about ten seconds, her campaign teetered on the brink of destruction.
Here are six ground rules for Stealth Candidates – or for someone like Bev who can, say, take three different positions on offshore drilling without knowing it.
1. Keep the candidate in the headquarters calling people for money. That’s productive. And safe.
2. Occasionally – but only occasionally – let the candidate do a headquarters ribbon-cutting. But never include a speech.
3. Put out a lot of written press releases and positions papers – but never, ever, let the candidate talk to a reporter.
4. Spread rumors of candidate sightings – but only let voters actually see the candidate in still pictures in TV ads (which may need to be enhanced).
5. Avoid spontaneous moments like the plague. One slip of the tongue can cost the campaign a million dollars to repair the damage.
6. And, oh yes, never let the candidate debate. Your whole campaign could go down in flames in minutes.
And, that said, here’s the incredible thing – a lot of times it works.
Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.