Ok, the CD-2 race is bouncing along and it's getting pretty repetitive. Jared does something, Joan zings him for it, Will supports Joan's zinger - lather, rinse, repeat. Guys (and I mean that in a gender neutral way), this is getting boooooring.
Ok, there's what we would all like to see, and then there is what makes the most sense if each candidate wants to win the race. And these are two very different things. So lets look at what I think each should be doing if they want to win, in alpha order (I'll do reverse alpha next time):
Joan - your constant litany of questions about Jared are effective. And they are legit questions, not necessarily actual problems, but they are legit questions. While none have been a major hit on their own, in total they make people concerned about Jared.
And in a 2 person race, this could be a winning strategy. People go to vote and they are thinking Joan is mean, Jared is questionable - vote Joan. But this is a 3 person race and in this case they can walk in going Joan is mean, Jared is questionable - vote for Saint Will.
You need to start giving us reasons to vote for you. Start pounding out your vision of what you will do in office, the big picture of what we get with you there. Let us know the plus side of election Joan. And leave zinging Jared to your staff so you retain the positive aura.
Jared - your trying things outside the box is refreshing and a lot of people like it. And your message is resonating with some. But the details are killing you. In the business world if you get the important things right the details are not critical. In politics the details will kill you. This country spent over a year and impeached a president over a blow job. Allen lost the Senate over using the word macaca, not his long history of closet racism.
Whoever is telling you not to worry about the details, don't listen to them. If you have others telling you the details are important and you are ignoring them, start listening to them. If you can't get the details right, you will lose this election.
These details are defining you at present. And come August if you have a 10 month trail of them - you're toast. Because Joan and Will will define you as someone who's problem with details will lead to poor legislation.
Will - Ok, at present duck and cover looks like a good plan. But that assumes that Joan and Jared will continue to do the same thing for the next 8 months - not gonna happen. They're both very smart and will adapt as the campaign progresses.
You are foregoing a tremendous opportunity right now to tell your story. You are "3rd place" and being ignored. You can work on getting out your story, who you are, what you have done, why that would make you a good legislator. And most importantly, why we should vote for you. What do we get if Will Shafroth is our legislator?
You need to be reaching out to people big-time now. So that when the arrows start coming at you, Joan & Jared don't get to define you because you have already defined yourself. Weekly email blasts, winning events like the coats & cans charity drive, talking to various groups. And you need to reach the groups you don't know, not the ones you already are connected to.
So there you have my take on what each candidate should be working on over the next couple of months. Of course, advice is worth what you pay for it...
