What you don’t understand about politics

In my experience, as a campaign manager and as a staffer in a state capitol, what most Americans misunderstand about politics is the difference between campaigning and governing.

A campaign is about winning. That’s it. If you don’t win, you do not get to implement your agenda while the other candidate does (whose policies you presumably disagree with). Therefore a certain amount of animosity between candidates is understandable as is a degree of ruthless, shameless strategy and tactics. Attack ads, misleading quotes, push-polls, personal insults, shameless race-baiting/class warfare/fear-mongering/scapegoating are effective campaign tactics — they galvanize supporters.

Negative campaigning works. Many people know that campaigning is cutthroat but they shouldn’t really think it of the candidates. The problem is us. We love it, have done since the beginning of the republic.

Candidates will say some vile stuff about their opponents, oh yeah. I’ve had to talk some of my candidates out of doing so, frankly, I’ve had to talk some into it.

In the end of the day, campaigns are zero-sum events. Clear winners and losers.