How To Be Elected President
Presidential elections are now a billion dollar business, with massive marketing campaigns run by specialists. Bestsellers minutely analyze winning and losing strategies and tactics. Yet an important factor in successful campaigns is usually ignored. It was formally called “the common touch” but with the increased political influence of the South and Southwest I call it “the good ole boy” factor. It goes like this. The American voter is having a beer in a bar. The two presidential candidates walk in. Which candidate would the voter prefer to have a beer with? Let’s look at some of the choices: Franklin Roosevelt or Herbert Hoover? Harry Truman or Thomas Dewey? John Kennedy or Richard Nixon? Jimmy Carter or Gerald Ford? Ronald Reagan or Jimmy Carter? Bill Clinton or George Bush? George W. Bush or Al Gore? (Granted, Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush’s political persona made it a lot closer than it should have been.) Barack Obama or John McCain? The...