Weak Candidates, Strong Positions

One source of frustration for many voters is that their favorite candidate just cannot get the votes to advance in a race fr certain offices. The fact is that just being the candidate with the best ideas does not make you the best candidate for the office.

To be an effective politician, a person must 

1. have the proper positions on important issues

2. convince people to vote for them 

3. be able to accomplish something when elected. 

For the first point, many times the positions a candidate support are not the positions the majority of voters support. Politicians often get around this problem by misinforming voters as to their real positions or agendas.

For the second point, a person has to be likable, or at least more likable that their opponent(s). They have to be a better salesman or saleswoman of themselves and their positions. They must be able to take advantage of their strengths and the weaknesses of their opponents and the voters.

For the third point, many good people are able to get elected,, but unable to finish the job. Look at Ron Paul, he has good ideas, but cannot get anything passed because he is ineffective in the system. Others get in there and work across the aisle, thus end up compromising to get something passed. Unfortunately, both of these strategies have given us both bad and good legislation.