Ignite

Political Consulting

political parties

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One Size Does Not Fit All

One size does not fit all, one idea does not fix everything.

Simple concepts that are being ignored in today’s political landscape. Politicians are looking for the one issue that will appeal to all voters. They are accepting the premise that only one issue that may not even being focused on the community may dictate election results. People think their elected officials have the answer to everything. No one is infallible.

Each community has different challenges. What may appeal to voters in one district will not in another, many times even across a town. Candidates should speak to issues that impact their community. While it may seem by reading social media and talking to people that everyone is discussing issues beyond a candidate’s control, a candidate who focuses on their district will make the biggest difference.

Additionally, it is easy to get caught up in theoretical conversations that have the ability to alienate people. When running for an office like City Council, a discussion about the federal deficit is not fruitful and can be off putting. Discussing crumbling curbstones in a neighborhood is showing awareness and concern. Voters want someone who is engaged with the area not someone who just sits and reads about large scale issues unrelated to the office they seek.

Be present in your community if you want to run for office. Notice things, speak on local issues. you may need to point out issue to the community but that will show people that you want to advocate for them. Local politics involves local issues, voters will appreciate your concern and connection to the community.

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All Politics is Local

There is a classic quote about politics. The late Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.” Despite this brilliant quote, local politics are generally ignored or minimized. Yet issues that local government handles, have a great impact on everyday life.

People tend to focus on politicians and issues on a national level. That is what you see all over social media. Political parties support and help build national candidates and ignore municipal candidates. The resources of the national political parties do not go down to local candidates. Nor do the major political parties pay much attention to local candidates.

Part of the issue is that local politics is connecting to individual voters. National parties want to tailor messages to reach a wide array of voters. The one on one meetings are something that national parties want to avoid since their feeling is that it is too expensive for them. Instead the focus turns to larger issues that the media also focuses on. This allows marketing to go to a larger cross section of voters. The voters, in turn, see these issues and focus on them also. The parties help to create the focus on issues that will enable them to attract voters on a large scale.

What do people deal with daily on a local level? How about potholes? Potholes can impact a person in a number of ways. The pothole could destroy a tire adding an unexpected expense or maybe it is more insidious. It could just put your car out of alignment causing faster wear on your tires and lower gas mileage. This can have an impact on your budget. So should that be a focus when people go to vote. Should they look for a candidate that puts road maintenance as a priority? What about local education, rubbish removal, snow plowing and more? This does not even include the importance of police and fire protection that municipalities are responsible for in most cases. These are important issues that deserve attention. When people see piles of garbage in a neighboring lot, they don’t call their U.S. Senator, they call their city or town council person. So it seems important that these are important positions that require important and serious people.

Decisions made in town halls have an impact on people’s lives. Not just city and town employees but the people living on Elm Street. The local elected officials deal with multi million dollar budgets and contracts yet on election day they tend to be an afterthought in the whole electoral process. The local level is where governing happens, decisions are made and lives are impacted. This is also where your elected officials are the most accessible and relatable, you’ll see them at the supermarket or the baseball field. What affects you will be affecting them also. It is time that people and the political parties take interest in local politics, it is in their best interests.