Courage and character still matter in politics. Often it is your most potent weapon in a political campaign. A story of an election where it made all the difference.
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It was late on election night a few years ago. TV on. Lights off.
I was fiddling with my phone in the dark when I heard something that caught my attention. A candidate for Congress was giving a speech he never thought he would.
He’d challenged a long-term incumbent in what was considered an impossible district for him to win. And yet he had. Against all odds.
What he said in his victory speech is profoundly important to anyone who is or has ever thought about running for office.
‘I never thought I’d win this election,’ he said. ‘Even my friends told me I would lose. I ran because I had things to say about health care that I knew my opponent never would. I wanted to do things to fix it, I knew my opponent would never support. I wanted to be a candidate for something instead of someone against everything.’
There is something magnetic about a candidate in an election so passionate about a cause they throw caution to the wind and seek public office for the purest of reasons. To run even when victory seems hopeless, to fearlessly speak the courage of their convictions, even when it means sailing against the political winds.
Sometimes people like that win.
It is common today to see candidates twist themselves into a pretzel trying to nuance their every word or thread a needle on every phrase.
All too common are those who bloviate about who they hate, with nary a word about what they hope to accomplish.
Sometimes voters find refreshing those who have steel in their spine; who authentically stand their ground, advance their cause, offering hope instead of hate.
The ultimate test of character and courage is being willing to risk defeat standing for something more important than you.
If you are in that category, I invite you to be in touch.
Want to Talk to Jay? (845) 458-121
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.