Elections present voters with important choices. Whether it is the local race that will affect the Dumaguete community, the Negros Oriental populace, or the national race that could change the direction of our country, an election is the perfect time to consider the issues that we care about and decide which candidate we should support.
I would like to suggest a few tips on how we voters can judge and choose the best candidate in the coming election.
What are we looking for? You can judge candidates by the positions they take on issues, and the leadership qualities and experience they would bring to the office.
Our first step in picking a candidate is to decide the issues”¯we”¯care about and the qualities”¯we”¯want in a leader.
When considering the issues, what problems do we want those in government to address and respond to? For example, we may be interested in the environment, in alleviating poverty, lessening unemployment, security, or climate change. Does anyone in the race also care, I mean truly, care about these concerns?
When we consider leadership qualities, what characteristics do we think make an effective elected official? Do we look for intelligence, honesty, humility, an ability to communicate?
Who are these candidates? We need to research and collect information about the candidates. Read their positions on their campaign website or in the newspaper they write, watch media coverage, and online discussions.
Other sources of information we may get information in getting to know these candidates include: flyers and posters, media coverage, online news, radio broadcasts, TV ads, endorsements by credible individuals, trusted organizations and news outlets, content of their speeches, their performance in public debates, online forums and town hall events.
Where do they stand on issues? In a local race, interviews with the candidates can be helpful. For incumbents, a look at their voting records on issues important to us can also tell us a lot.
We need to ask ourselves: Does our collected information give us an overall impression of the candidates? What specific conclusions can we draw about the candidates’ positions on issues?
What are their leadership qualities? Deciding if a candidate will be a good leader is difficult. How can we know if someone will be transparent, responsive, participatory, honest, open, or able to act under pressure if elected to office?
Here are some ways to read between the lines:”¯
– Look at the candidates’ background and their experience. How prepared are they for the job?
– Observe the candidates’ campaigns. Do they give speeches to different groups (even those groups that may disagree with them)? Do they accept invitations to debate? Do the campaigns emphasize media events, where the candidates can be seen but not heard? (For instance, a candidate is seen cutting ribbons to open new bridges rather than going on record about transportation and infrastructure challenges)
– Review the campaign website, social media content, and materials. As we watch the campaign develop, we need to consider information that provides insights into candidates’ personalities and leadership qualities. For example, do campaign materials emphasize issues or nice images? Do materials paint a true picture of a situation?
How do other people view the candidate? Other people’s opinions can help clarify our own views, however, let us also not discount our own informed judgments.
– Seek the opinions of others in the community who are affected differently by decisions of political leadership. Talk to people of diverse backgrounds and positions, such as a person of a different race than we, a teacher, a member of the business community, a tribe member, or a sexual or gender minority person to find out which candidate they support and why.
– Learn about endorsements. Endorsements provide clues to the issues a candidate supports. For instance, a candidate endorsed by a group of environment-protection advocates will surely be in favor of legislation that safeguards nature. A candidate endorsed by pro-lifers is surely opposed to abortion. Get a list of endorsements from each of the candidates’ campaign websites. Find out what these groups stand for and find out why they are endorsing the candidate.
– Look into campaign contributions. Where do the candidates get the funds to finance their campaigns? Do they use their own money or raise funds from a few wealthy donors, from many small contributors?
How does a candidate use video? Candidates are aware of the potential power of video and try to use it to their advantage. When we see videos about a candidate or that feature a candidate, let us consider that the picture we see is staged by a media advisor whose job is to make the candidate look good on camera. As we watch news coverage of campaigns, let us be aware of staged events (also known as photo-ops) and try to instead focus on what the candidate is saying about the issues and not on how he/she looks, how good she/he dances on stage, or how many toddlers he/she has kissed.
Let us support the candidates we believe in and not because of the money being spread around. Let us talk to our friends and family about “our” candidate. Let us never be afraid to ask questions during forums, debates, or rallies or when a campaign worker knocks on the doorbell. Write letters. Let us tell candidates, newspapers, and party leaders how we really feel about things happening around us.
Only when we take action that democracy is really in action.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
