"How to Win an Election in Three Easy Steps": GOP Debate #5

Alright, maybe not three easy steps. But I want to prove to you that it can be simple. Maybe not easy, but definitely simple.

How do you win an election? In a perfect world, you would have to convince, through honesty and sincerity, a majority of the people voting to support your ideas, policies and beliefs. In case you hadn’t noticed, we do not live in a perfect world. And in this imperfect world we see elections won through false promises, charisma, charm and sadly, at times, outright lies.

After the fifth and final GOP debate of 2015, one thing is clear - the majority of the Republican primary field understand the threats that are facing America. The solutions are proffered by the candidates are varied. However, I believe that several understand what good foreign policy is.

But back to the original question. Those who don’t have an understanding of good foreign policy or the threats facing America appear to be oblivious to the pulse of America. Those who ignore what American citizens are feeling are not going to succeed in elections. This is a fact that the polls have borne out so far.

Let me ask you a question, what do you find yourself yelling at the TV? When you hear the news on the radio or a commentator, or a talking head on TV, what is it that you are dying to hear that no one is saying?

There is a vindication in knowing that our fears and our hopes are shared by others. It is so refreshing to hear someone you know agree that our nation's tax system is overly complicated and punishing those who are trying to succeed. It is even more refreshing to hear someone in a position of power and/or influence give voice to the things you are thinking. That is how talk shows succeed or fail. That is how candidates rise to prominence and eventually to office.

Regardless of your feelings on Trump, Carson or Cruz, these three have been the strongest voice of what a large majority of Americans are feeling.

When America hears Donald Trump saying, “We need strong borders. We need a wall.", when America hears Ted Cruz saying, “ We need to stop bankrupting our country. Right now our kids and grandkids are inheriting a country where our national debt is larger than the size of our entire economy….[W]hat we're doing to our kids and grandkids is morally wrong.”, that is when millions stand up in their living rooms, pointing at the TV with a triumphant “Yes! Exactly!”. Finally, someone has said what they were thinking all along.  

And that is where support comes from. That is how you win an election. And that is also where you run into a huge problem.

President Obama could get in front of a microphone and teleprompter and say the exact same words as the GOP candidates, in the exact same order, and if you didn’t know who he was, he could have you smiling and nodding your head, thinking, “Finally, someone is saying it!”

Can you see the problem? Never, ever judge a person or especially a candidate, based solely on the words they say. Words are important, vital. Yet, there is another piece of evidence we must, as responsible citizens, examine before ever making a decision concerning who to trust with the national helm. That evidence is actions.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words....

Actions. What has this person done? I hear the words they are saying, but is what they are doing consistent with what they are saying? Wonderful speeches and perfect rhetoric mean absolutely nothing unless they are backed up with honorable actions.

I would venture to guess that, while the latest GOP debate had several “bang your head against the wall” moments, there were also several “That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking!” moments. So think back. While watching the debate, what were those “Yes!” moments? Now take a moment and think, does what they said line up with what they have done?

See? Winning elections is simple.

Jonathan Paine

@painefultruth76

painefultruth1776@gmail.com