Persuading Politicos Part 1: Don't Be a Single-Issue Voter

As I promised in an earlier post about the Washington Briefing, this is the first in a series of tips on "lobbying" -- how to maximize your effectiveness in persuading GOP activists to support Huckabee.

The goal here is to show that Huckabee's supporters are thoughtful, realistic, mainstream conservatives. As evidenced by the Ron Paul movement, having a lot of very active, true believer supporters doesn't translate into electability if the supporters are perceived as being "fringe."

And with that introduction...

Rule #1: Don't be a single-issue voter.

Single-issue candidates don't win elections or know how to govern the country. So if you want your candidate to have credibility, do not tell people you support him because of one key issue. Otherwise, the listener may conclude that your candidate is a single-issue candidate because you are a single-issue supporter. (Fair or not, that is reality.)

Take a tip from the preachers: always list three different issues that are important to you when explaining your support. Two is fine sometimes, but more than three is too much information for the listener to process, while one issue is too narrow.

Example: What NOT to Say

"I support Mike Huckabee for President because he supports the Fair Tax. Let me explain to you what the Fair Tax is and why it's good for America..."

Problem: Even though you may be prepared to list 3 reasons you support the Fair Tax, it still makes Huckabee look like a single-issue candidate. Even worse, the listener may not care much about this one issue, or may even actively oppose it, causing him or her to oppose Huckabee.

Example: What You Should Say

"I support Mike Huckabee because he is the most charismatic and likable candidate who consistently supports core conservative values such as low and fair taxation, the right to life, and securing our nation's borders. He had an amazing track record as Governor of Arkansas, lowering taxes, enacting covenant marriage, and even winning elections in a traditionally Democratic state with nearly half of the African-American vote."

Why this is effective: You made 3 big points, each supported by 3 subpoints, all within less than 30 seconds!
1) Huckabee is highly electable.
a) He is charismatic
b) He is likable
c) He won Arkansas elections in a Democratic-leaning environment
2) Huckabee takes solid conservative positions.
a) He supports low and fair taxation (note: you are supporting the Fair Tax without using a buzz word that may set off alarm bells for the listener)
b) He is pro-life
c) He wants to secure our borders against illegal immigration
3) Huckabee has a strong track-record as the executive of a State.
a) He lowered taxes
b) He enacted covenant marriage
c) He won the support of a broad spectrum of Arkansas voters
(Yes, 1.c and 3.c are double-dipping, but that's not a bad thing! Keeping it concise but positive-information-packed is good.)

Check back tomorrow for the next installment of Persuading Politicos. And don't forget to email me if you're planning to attend the Washington Briefing or want to know if anyone else in your area is planning to go. (Make sure to register ASAP!) I am working to arrange a meet-up for Huckabee supporters and am also happy to give travel tips for out-of-towners.

(Speaking of which, I have a request for a ride from the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Anyone coming from there or passing through?)

Go Huckabee!!