How to make me NOT vote for you. (a public service message for candidates)

 Op-ed by Dom Genova

Here we go again. The election cycle is starting and we’re going to be subjected to another round of stories, press releases, advertising and phone calls. 

I vote independently. I am not a Republican, Democrat, Conservative or Liberal. I believe that when you vote, your choice should be based on facts and logic. I do not expect that any candidate will be perfect. I believe one should judge a candidate versus the others on the ballot. Who do you believe has the character and ability to best represent your values? Does the candidate have the character to vote against their party if it’s the right thing to do or do they simply tow a “party-line”? 

Already I am frustrated. I know that you candidates are looking for my vote. Rather than explain what you need to do to get my vote, let me tell you how to LOSE my vote. 

Maybe this will get through to you. 

1)    Lie. This tactic comes in two forms: either an outright lie about a fact or the telling of a half-truth. The half-truth is particularly insidious because it paints a picture without context. Take, for instance, a half-truth strategy often used, the “lose-lose”. A representative may be accused of voting for their own pay raise. What is not explained is that the pay raise was attached to a good bill, let’s say funding veteran services. If they vote no, they are accused of “voting against veterans.” If they vote yes, they are accused of “voting for their own pay raise”. 

2)    Disrespect your opponent. Like using a derogatory adjective when mentioning their name.  It could be something like pro-criminal (name), terrorist (name), sleepy (name), racist (name). This is simply childish and says a lot more about your character than it says about your opponent. 

3)    Have no consideration for my privacy.  Every time the answering machine picks up and a candidate yaps their pitch over the speaker, it drives my consideration to the other candidate. Never is there an “opt out.” Why should you have the right to bother me at home, but I can’t do the same to you? 

4)    Claim you have superpowers. The reason we have a problem with crime, inflation, immigration, healthcare and a host of other problems is that we have not elected YOU, correct?  Yes, you are the turnaround expert and keeper of the “secret sauce” and smarter than all of us. Give me a break. And please stop saying how you are going to “fight for” me.

5)   Tell me that all members of the other party are evil. As an independent voter, I will go to fundraisers for both candidates to hear their views personally. I depend on math and logic to make an informed choice. I don’t want to hear name-calling and vitriol. I want you to tell me about your ideas and plans, not how bad the other side is. Whining and complaining are extremely poor sales strategies. It tends to make me not like you, which translates to me not voting for you.

So there, I am going on record. I am not speaking for anyone else but me but if I feel this way, I bet there are a host of other people like me who would agree.

In the 1976 movie “Network,” a TV anchorman, upset with crime, inflation, and Russia, angry that nothing was changing, encouraged everyone to open the window and shout “I’m as mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.” In the movie millions took his cue.

Consider this one guy shouting.

~Dom Genova is a former car dealer who made his living as “The No-Nonsense Car Dealer.” Genova is the No-Nonsense Roundtable, a one hour show broadcast of iHeart’s 50,000 watt station in Rochester NY, NewsradioWHAM1180. Some of his guests are famous, others you may not know but should know. The radio broadcast is every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and is available later as an iHeart podcast or YouTube. Both can be found on www.NoNonsenseRoundtable.com.