Black Immigrant Daily News
Politicians and activist groups frequently use social media to increase the public’s awareness about topical issues and to garner support. The speed at which this communication moves and volume of information it provides makes social media a game changer. This is so much the case that some politicians rely on social media statistics to evaluate their performance and to project their chances of success at the voting polls. Notwithstanding the usefulness of these indicators, some voters still prefer an “old school” approach and will only vote for an elections candidate who displays a “human touch.”
Human touch
This human touch requires communication by a candidate with voters beyond videos and tweets. For example, the candidate must visit people’s homes, participate in community activities and speak in person with constituents from time to time to hear and assist with the resolution of their issues. By being involved in this way, voters and non-voting influencers can get a better feeling about a prospective candidate and gauge whether a candidate is sincere about his or her representation or whether his or her goal is something else.
Candidate must demonstrate work beyond human touch
While the human touch is important, all of a candidate’s time cannot be spent at coffee shops, in supermarket aisles or on back porches. The candidate must also be seen to achieve something tangible that people can point to at election time as an “accomplishment” and as indicator of the potential of the candidate to make an even bigger contribution if elected to office.
Fine lines
The activities undertaken by future candidates (existing elected officials or new people putting themselves forward) will need to be funded personally, via grass roots donations or corporate sponsorship. In accepting and disbursing these funds, however, there are some fine lines that must be observed.
Boundaries include periods of election sensitivity where elected officials must be careful about how they disburse government funds (any disbursement may be seen as going towards a personal, political interest or re-election rather than a public interest). Elected and unelected persons must also be mindful about not inadvertently “starting a political campaign” outside the period allowed under the relevant Act and not compromising the public interest by “over-promising” to private and other donors.
Getting burned out
While preparing for elections, future candidates must also be careful not to get “burned out” before the big day. Burnout can easily happen if candidates start out too early and try to do too many things at once without pacing themselves. This may particularly be the case for persons who intend to run as independent candidates and who may not have a large team to support them or persons to whom tasks can be delegated.
Outcome of imbalance
Ultimately, maintaining a balance is important if a person wishes to achieve goals and meet voter expectations before and after elections. Going too far in one way or the other will cause voters to become disillusioned if the outcome is that things are not done properly or in a timely manner or below voter expectations. All of these things must constantly be borne in mind, even when executing the “human touch.”
NewsAmericasNow.com
