Why this year could be a realignment election, and what those who plan to run for office someday should be doing right now.
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There are certain times in American history which historians call a realignment election. Where huge swaths of the electorate permanently switch their alliances. It happened in 1860, 1896, 1932. In other elections, Americans have grown so weary of the party in power that they opted for change that lasted generations. 1954, 1974, 1994.
The reasons differ. Depressions, Recessions, war, corruption, or the failure of an incumbent party that was unprepared or unable to handle a calamity. This is not a prediction that 2020 will be one of those, but it is becoming clear it could be. We are already in a recession that could become a depression worse than the great depression.
Our federal institutions have proved incapable of producing adequate medical supplies or Covid 19 testing kits.
Prices for meat, a staple of the American diet, are surging as packing plants without adequate protective gear shut down. Thanks to a dysfunctional federal bureaucracy, vegetables rot in fields as food bank lines stretch for miles.
Promised aid to small business owners has been slow to arrive, or not at all.
The calamity has laid bare problems and inequities in health care, health insurance, and a social safety net that is very generous to the wealthy and often non-existent for wage earners.
All of this makes this election unpredictable, as voters determine which candidates and which party is better able to lift a country on its knees, and make government work again.
If you are planning to run for office in the future, now is the time to begin preparing. To become an expert on your jurisdiction and the concerns of voters where you live.
To expand your network of friends and people who have influence in your city or community.
To become well-informed about the issues affecting your community, prepared to tell voters how you are going to fix a problem, rather than simply complain about a problem.
The best time to start preparing for a campaign in 2021 or 2022 is now. If you’ve thought about running for office someday, or think you’d like to, I would be happy to speak with you about what you do starting now … so that you can win an election and make a difference.
Political consultant Jay Townsend works with smart, passionate candidates who want to run for office, win elections and make a difference. He has successfully helped candidates learn how to run for the U.S. Senate, how to run for Congress, how to run for Mayor and develop a winning campaign marketing strategy.
How to win an election:
Running for office and knowing how to win an election is a challenge, especially for first time political candidates just learning how to run for office. Discerning the fine points of how to campaign, raise political contributions, and execute a political campaign strategy often requires the help of someone who has served as a political strategist or who has experience as a political consultant.