Monday morning mail

In Matt's recent Teaching Elephant's to Talk Tip titled "Advice to Ignore," he writes about the shortcomings of listening to everyone and their mother for campaign advice. Rather, Matt argues for selecting one or two qualified advisors to listen to from start to finish.

If you don't recieve Matt's regular tips, you should, so click here. They're like soul-food for the political junkie, and doubly delicious if you're running for office.

Now, in response to the lastest tip, we recieved some mail that's worth repeating (and responding to)....full post for more...


One reader writes:

Matt, local candidates have usually run on a shoestring. SE Texas is a Democratically-dominated area for local elected offices. Following your logic, maybe if we had some wealthy Republicans here who had the "want to" and "fire in the belly" to run, who could afford to hire "professional political advisors," we might have a chance for a winners. Otherwise, are you saying "It's hopeless."

Are you saying "Forget it" if your local candidates either cannot afford or either do not want to invest the money in hiring a "professional political advisor"?? I think there may just be a little more to it (winning a local election), in the smaller towns and backwoods counties, than just "hire a professional political consultant." You do a disservice to the small fish in the smaller ponds--when it sounds like you are saying "Sit on your butts and wait another 20 years for someone with enough money to come along who is able to hire a professional." Is that what you are saying? No offense intended.

Matt's response:

I never said you had to hire a professional consultant. I'm not sure why people assume that. Here is exactly what I said: "Find one or two qualified advisors -- and listen to them from start to finish. Note: Just winning one or two races does not qualify someone to be an "expert" (sometimes people get elected by luck.) Instead, find someone who won a race they weren't supposed to win and make that person your advisor." In my estimation, a JP (justice of the peace) who won an election he wasn't supposed to win is qualified to give you advice. That said, when I use the word "pro" I do not literally mean someone who is a professional. It is more of an expression. However, I can see that it was misleading. I'm going to fix it so that when I use this tip in the future, it is clearer.