It’s another Saturday, so for those who tune in, welcome to a Saturday Diary of Nuts & Bolts of a Democratic Campaign. Each week, we discuss issues that help drive successful campaigns, and once a month we look into “Horrible mistakes you should avoid” (last Saturday of a month). If you’ve missed prior diaries, please visit our group or follow Nuts & Bolts Guide.
The last Saturday of every month is where we discuss “AARGH!” mistakes campaigns make and why you should avoid them. This week, we get to deal with one of my favorite subjects: Let’s keep it PG, shall we?
Next week, we’ll get back to Jessica Jones and her plan to seek a state Senate seat, but when we discuss “AARGH!” I try to focus on the humor. If the 2016 presidential campaign has shown us anything, it is that new rules are being set for what a presidential candidate can say in a race. The NY Times referred to it as “foul-mouthed and proud of it.” With seemingly a new set of rules happening in what candidates can and can’t say, maybe you’re thinking now is the time to just let it fly—talk in blunt terms with the people around you.
Well, this week we’re going to focus on the fact that no matter how easily the language comes to your tongue, it is probably a good idea to choke the words back down.
You’re not Donald Trump.
Candidates watching the presidential race hear Donald Trump use some pretty choice language and listen to the crowd cheer and think “OK, well, this is OK now.” A word of caution: what works for a large-scale celebrity, certainly, does not work in the smaller races in which your candidate will participate.
You do not need to watch the entire Republican screed, but at 3:42-3:55, you can see how throwing the f-bomb works out in public. Not very well. I have never met a candidate who privately cannot swear, a bit, like a sailor. Some turn the craft of profanity into an Olympic sport. In small public audiences, though, wrong phrases and crude language can quickly turn an audience against you.
I wish I could say that the only time I have ever seen or heard of this happening was with this young Republican in Minnesota, but I can think of more than once where a candidate has slipped and said something certain to offend a few members of the audience.
Most candidates will attend meetings in public forums or in the home of an individual. Just as you do not swear in church, the individuals who attend these events do so because they are interested in the politics and in many areas of the country; they are not really interested in you dropping f-bombs or other profanity. Some voters see it as a sign of a weak mind, others just get offended.
You’re not a member of the cast of Veep either.
Twenty years ago, a woman I know used an insult that, to this day, marks one of the most offensive and hilarious things I have ever heard. Just thinking about it I snicker. Having known this person for years, her speaking out in that way was a banter that did not surprise anyone present and was well received. In a closed group where everyone knows one another, some rough language won’t cause a lot of trouble.
A campaign, however, isn’t guaranteed to be a close knit group and it does not work like a sitcom. You are going to be dealing with people who represent a wide age range. Whether they are volunteers or staff, it is almost impossible for you, in quick order, to determine if your latest hilarious comment will be received as funny, offensive, or even harassing. Remember, your campaign office is still a place of work. If this is something you would not say in a regular workplace for fear of being fired, you probably should not say it in a campaign office. Public tear downs and humiliating attacks, with language, make for hilarious TV and terrible, terrible campaign offices.
One of the few times I have ever walked out of a campaign office and thought, this is a train wreck, involved a fight between a finance director and a candidate which included a profanity-laced tear down of someone working for the campaign. I thought to myself, yeah, this is not going to end well.
There is no doubt that at some point, someone will slip, use some inappropriate language, lose their temper. Candidates and staff should work hard to avoid confrontations that change the social dynamic within an office in negative ways.
Oh, screw it, you’re going to f—this up.
Yes. It’s true. At one point in your campaign, whether you mean to or not, there is a high likelihood you are going to find some choice words coming out of your mouth. If you are conscious of it, though, you will be far more careful where it happens.
Jessica Jones, our state Senate candidate, attends a local celebration. While sampling pies, local conservatives approach and pester her on issues. She smiles, nods, explains her position and walks away.
Getting into the car to drive home with her body person or campaign manager, the moment the doors close, the walls come down and language comes out. She recognizes who her audience is, and our candidate gets to vent.
When you work to control how you speak, and in front of who you let your guard down, it is a lot less likely you slip up and make a big mistake in front of someone you will offend in public.
AARGH! I’ve been there.
I have been trying to end many “AARGH!” diaries with real mistakes so we can say “AARGH! I wish I could take that back …” Several years ago, a candidate had a very bad day with a microphone. No, there was no profanity over the microphone, but for whatever reason, whenever she would lean in the microphone would give that loud feedback squelch that made your teeth chatter, so she stood back and barked her speech into the mic.
Leaving the stage frustrated and tired, she turned to the person who was there to help her that day, grabbed a bottle drink from her and forgetting to dial back her voice from having to yell into a microphone said out loud “Goddamn, that shit was HORRIBLE.” Standing six feet away from her were members of the League of Women Voters.
The older women heard her, spun around and gave her a glare that instantly made it feel as though the room dropped about ten degrees in temperature.
Final thoughts:
Screwups happen in campaigns, and once a month, you get to laugh just a little about mistakes we’ve all been through. It happens. Knowing they can happen, though, does not mean you avoid trying to stop them. Always remember, treat your campaign stops as though you are a guest, and speak to them in the language that says you are a guest and respect them.
Next week: There is a Reason They Pass The Collection Plate.
Nuts & Bolts: Building Democratic Campaigns
Contact the Daily Kos group Nuts and Bolts by kosmail (members of Daily Kos only).
Every Saturday this group will chronicle the ins and outs of campaigns, small and large. Issues to be covered: Campaign Staffing, Fundraising, Canvass, Field Work, Data Services, Earned Media, Spending and Budget Practices, How to Keep Your Mental Health, and on the last Saturday of the month: “Don’t Do This!” a diary on how you can learn from the mistakes of campaigns in the past.
You can follow prior installments in this series HERE.