By David Lubofsky
Campaigning and losing sight of the goal and who you are as an individual can lead to losing the election for new candidates.
When this Guam senatorial election is over, I predict that many of the lesser known or new candidates who didn’t make it will have appeared to have campaigned seemingly more for a job with the governor, whom ever that will be, than to be a senator.
You can’t win a senatorial election for the most part on Guam for non-established candidates without cross over votes. There are many new great candidates on both sides, but when potential cross over voters see them often sucking up to party leaders in their respective parties, the cross over voters may get turned off.
It just amazes me that new candidates think taking many pictures with Lou or Felix or party leaders or the most affluent on Guam will win them an election. It may get them votes in their parties, and a bunch of new friends but won’t for the most part win an election. It’s a turn off for many and in reality will actually show who their priority is or will be after elected.
Legacy candidates that think they deserve to be a senator based on family history etc but never once is seen with regular people or appear empathetic to issues facing struggling island residents will struggle to get crossover voters. Will Parkinson is a legacy candidate, but has put himself in the middle of issues that impact the islands cannabis industry and has shown empathy and support for other real issues. This may push him over the line.
It’s my opinion that new candidates who kiss ass in their party and that kissing often visible thru their pictures etc will not make it for the most part even though they are great people.
Chris Barnett, a Democrat, has done his own thing from day one apparently not beholding to anyone. Even though he was popular before, he appeals to all voters. His pictures primarily include the manamko and regular people. This builds trust and respect and a sense of empathy that he will have if elected. This is the exact same qualities that voters see in Therese Terlaje and what we all want.
Sarah Nededog has been seen at democratic events and hanging out with deep dems but overall she isn’t throwing it in our faces and is pretty low key as an example. This may push her over the line, including the fact that unlike any other candidate she has helped real people hands on in the past. The same with Tom Fisher. He is low key, doing his own thing and like Sarah picking up cross voters because of it.
Many of the new candidates on both sides would do a great job if elected, but again, in my opinion do not instill trust to get the needed cross over voters by how they may have prioritized their campaigns.
I think new candidates get caught up in the excitement, popularity and power of it all and forget or lose sight that voters want to see people they can trust no matter which party they are from, especially cross over voters, referring back to Chris Barnett and Therese Terlaje as mentioned examples.
Sucking face, figuratively, as an example with Jim Moylan will lose you many crossover voters as well as republican voters.
For those who compromised your individuality as a candidate to be a good party person and lost: remember that they who helped do not give a crap now.
David Lubofsky is an advocate for accountability and safety in the practice of medicine, a proponent for reform of the Medical Malpractice Mandatory Arbitration Act, a father, and a resident of Tamuning.
