The O’Toole Chronicles: The moat around the castle

Notwithstanding the fact that I held elected office for 29 years, I have perhaps spent more time managing campaigns and handling candidates than actually being a candidate. After a few decades, I have come to learn a thing or two about campaigns and candidates.

Lesson one of the day: Candidates need to act like candidates and avoid becoming the omnipresent, omnipotent beings that rule the campaign universe by fiat.

For starters, candidates must come from a place where they don’t aspire to be the smartest person in the room. I know this sounds rather harsh and simplistic, but it is true. Candidates are way too busy campaigning—they don’t have time to read everything and be the authority on all issues. Additionally, candidates are less than objective and are, should I say, emotional or reactive to certain issues in a campaign. I would suggest that this is reason enough to allow other opinions to be heard from objective observers. Candidates by their nature are very egotistical and driven. The smart ones don’t make the mistake of crowding out the room with their advisors and top money players by laying claim to knowing the answer to every campaign question or strategy.

Grounded candidates, dare I say successful candidates, encourage diverse opinions and insights and readily accept contradictory or conflicting ideas. This is true for two reasons: First, it is a smart play to know the most differing opinions so you can make an educated and informed decision. Second, even if you think you have cornered the market on intelligence and no longer see the need to hear the opinions of your supporters, play the game and allow the mere mortals to feel that they are a part of the campaign apparatus, not just on the periphery. It goes a long way to create an atmosphere that makes everyone feel included and useful. Again, not rocket science but like in real life, a little humility and empathy goes a long way.

Lesson two (and this blends into lesson one): The candidate must have a campaign manager who needs to adopt the rules of lesson one.

I have seen failed campaign after failed campaign where the manager, or so called gatekeeper, keeps all information secret and guarded and doesn’t allow anyone else close to the candidate. Having all roads run through one person is a certified recipe for disaster and a loss. The manager or top advisor must include as many people as possible around the table. Failure to do so will create ill will and jealousy and will lead to horrible consequences. The manager is like a moat around a castle. That moat must create a controlled environment that still allows traffic to penetrate and have access to the castle. The moat must allow for a charitable amount of give and take.

I worked with a campaign manager from outside the district and he had no idea about the ideological bend of the constituents and had no flavor of the culture of the voters. I felt compelled to take some time one afternoon to introduce him to a dozen random supporters in the diverse district. The manager thanked me for the life lesson and immediately changed his communication plan.

Let me end with this, to successfully navigate the shoals of dangerous terrain, you need to have total awareness of all that is happening in the world around you, and that means listening to as many people as humanly possible and then make an informed and logical decision.

Class dismissed.