One of the first things any candidate must learn is message discipline – the ability to answer the question you want asked, not the question that was asked. Every campaign develops a message they want to get across to the voters and every time you talk to the media you have the chance to push that message. Candidates who don’t figure this out early don’t win.
Message discipline is an art form, and one that can be very, very difficult to master. Some candidates are great at it. Some aren’t. But for Republicans, given that we are often faced with a hostile media looking for a gotcha moment, message discipline is one skill that is at a premium.
Good message discipline is simple: answer the question briefly, pivot, talk about what you want to talk about.
Here’s a perfect example: You are running for the Senate in Missouri. The press asks you the following question: “You’ve been very staunchly pro-life. Are there any circumstances in your mind in which abortion should be legal?”
Here’s the kind of answer you want to give: “I have been staunchly pro-life, and I stand by the statements I’ve made about it in the past. But this election isn’t going to turn on abortion or social issues. It’s about the economy. Missourians want a government that is focused on the economy, creating jobs and putting them back to work. I’ve been working hard in Congress to cut spending and put us back on the road to financial recovery…” and so on.
What you don’t want to do is answer the question and keep rambling on, talking about stuff that isn’t central to your campaign message. Because when you allow the media to take you off message, bad things happen.
Like, you know, you say women have a magical power to keep them from getting pregnant from “legitimate” rapes.
This campaign has seen some pretty significant failures of message discipline from the Republican side of the aisle, and I, for one, am frustrated by it. We’ve allowed ourselves to get bullied into talking about issues that, in the overall scheme of things, don’t matter. The presidential and congressional campaigns this fall should be about two things only – the economy and the President and Democratic Senate’s records. If we are talking about anything else, we’re losing. Most of our candidates aren’t stupid, but we’re letting ourselves get sidetracked by sideshows when the winning message has always been clear.
When this campaign becomes about tax returns, outsourcing, the Olympics, Medicare, abortion – we’re off message. When our candidates let themselves go and get off message, we lose. And we can’t afford to lose. Too much is at stake.
Candidates have got to be disciplined. Answer the question, pivot, talk about the economy and jobs or the President’s record. Don’t let yourself get sidetracked into making dumb statements.
Next week, I’ll be writing my commentary from the Republican Convention down in Tampa. I’m looking forward to spending a week hearing about the economy, jobs and the President’s record. If our candidates are talking about anything else, we’re going to be in trouble.
