Day 2,3,4 and (5): Lobbying
With D-Day impending, the jostling for seats is getting very much heated, with insiders leaking information on who's at where's and what! Sandiwaras such as the 'not keen to contest', 'subject to party leadership', or 'for the greater good' have become common occurrences. It almost as if the candidates and candidates wannabes are the most altruistic and noblest individuals, devoting their family and lives to the well-being of the general populace. Politics is not a high school. Elections is not a popularity contest. Governance is not a student leadership council. Elections have consequences. Politics dictates the direction of the nation - the economy, the security, the wages! Politics is a career choice, just like a doctor, a lawyer, an entrepreneur, a business tycoon; it's repetitive, boring, and requires hard work. Most importantly, politics is no charity. The people are not selecting public servants, rather are electing a member of their community to lead and to represent them. They are selecting their 'boss', the chief executive. Politicians are not accountable to the people, only to the party bosses and constituents; just like the management of a public listed company is not beholden to common shareholders; but only to major ones, who have a seat in the board. Thus politics is a game of perception, where the bluffs can be call, with consequences!
Last night, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced his intention to stay in Permatang Pauh. That should be the case as now is not the time for the senior to be adventurous. PR needs him to campaign around the nation, and he would not be able to do so unless he stays in his stronghold. Though argument can be made that moving to Perak would be the wiser move, as PR needs to expand the parliamentary seat for DSAI to become the next Prime Minister. A move to Tambun would rattle the ranks of his old nemesis - Dr. M and the old UMNO machinery. The commander-in-chief of the PR would be leading the charge to recapture Perak, the morale of the troops be very much uplifted. It comes with a risk, but the risk is worth as DSAI needs only to move around Perak and Selangor. The battle down south is a battle for the Rocket to expand their base; and the East is still a PAS battleground.
Early rumors has it that DSAI would contest in either Lumut, or Padang Rengas. Lumut should have been the preferred choice as it has a 35% chinese base; and the incumbent MCA sec-gen DS Kong Cho Ha won by a mere 298 votes. This victory no doubt is won through postal voting by the army as there are several army camps in the vicinity of Lumut. This can be overcome with the support from the Malay ground to DSAI. Alas, this is now mere fantasy. An opportunity unrealized.
Political Organization
What consists of a political organization? It's the management of five elements - general strategy, groundwork, messaging, planning, and fundraising. The key to having the most successful organization lies to its groundwork and fundraising prowess. Grassroots organization and fundraising are the most difficult tasks and therefore often neglected by almost all politicians. Most prefer to do only messaging; as the reward comes upfront, but during election itself, has very minimal impact. The political maestro, Lee Kuan Yew, had concurred with the above statement, having stating that parliamentary debates are meant for the elites - a theatre to appease the what conservaties like Rush Limbaugh loves to say "latte sipping Starbucks liberals". All politics are local! Period! It's bread and butter after all, with a touch of emotional connection.
Harry Reid, the majority leader in the US Senate, was expected to lose his reelection during the shellacking 2010 campaign, but he prevailed, to the disgust of Republicans, while throwing political analysts off guard. I've stated on record that he will prevail, because he understands politics. He understands the nature and the importance of groundwork, or fieldwork in the States. Now he's the most powerful politician in the Legislature and possibly the whole US administration. He's probably the 2nd most powerful Majority Leader in the Senate after Lyndon B. Johnson - one of my favorite politicians of all time.
This is no different in Malaysia. To win an election means having the necessary groundwork. This means having develop the logistical proficiently to deliver the votes and to ensure the votes are counted as it is.
Stalin - "It's not the people who vote that count, it's the people who count the vote"
Or, to be more precise
"You know, comrades," says Stalin, "that I think in regard to this: I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how."
Winning an election is no different that winning a war, it's a battle of logistics and a battle of attrition. These factors shall be explain in my later post.
GOTV - Got Out the Votes
I was actually very surprise to see this word in our briefing. Of course it has been translated as "Getting out the voters" (As I had stated in my previous post, very different strategies involve). Regardless, GOTV is the core principal to groundwork - grassroots building, and fieldwork.
The party expects to implement GOTV within 3 weeks to polling. This is a really big misconception to a well thought political strategy. A well run GOTV can produce miracles, such as the Howard Dean 50-states strategy that lay the path to subsequent Democrats and Obama victories in the Red states, and Obama triumphs over Hillary during the hotly contested 2008 primary. The lesson in this is that GOTV takes time. It requires real work - planning, fundraising - and lots of effort and hard work. More so, it needs at least 15 months to lay an effective GOTV. There is no shortcut to GOTV.
The concept of GOTV is to churn out supporters, particularly in unfamiliar or opposing territories. Thus a successful GOTV will allow the candidate/party to find friends in the 'black' areas. This is to dispel the myth that GOTV will turn 'black' areas 'white'. Likewise, you don't educate the voters, you appeal to the emotional attachment of the voters to make them feel familiar/intimate.
According to PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali, the list of candidates for all seats should be finalize by Sunday. This is a matter of urgency as candidates wil not move if uncertain of its status - a problem face by politicians from both side of the aisle. Already, the jockeying has reach fantastical new heights with magniloquent obituaries delivered to political rivals. Keep it coming.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
Further discussion of political strategies will follow, as well as its relevance to our GE13 and how it would impact the results.
Disclaimer: These views are honest and private to 'me'. For reading purposes only, no reposting allow. Please respect my privacy of thoughts and emotions. Allow me to be objective and most importantly truthful.
