Getting An Early Start

 The Spring season is new and the legislative session may just be starting, but that doesn't mean it's too early to begin planning for Autumn's elections.

The job of guiding a pro-business agenda through the legislative maze is difficult enough, but it approaches the level of impossibility if lawmakers are unfamiliar with the menu of complex economic issues facing Florida today. There are many factors influencing the economy; the state's statutory and regulatory regime ranks among the most important. Thus, promoting the candidacy of those who understand and advocate policies based on the principles of economic freedom is crucial to the business community's efforts to enact those policies.

That's one of the reasons the business community takes certain preparatory steps early in the election cycle. One of the first of these steps is the analysis of legislative districts because it is the foundation from which everything in an election plan is built. This analysis involves the compiling of demographics, current voter registration, and elections results. The data receive an in-depth review, precinct by precinct, of trends over the last several years.

The next step is usually a statistically sound survey of voters' thoughts and attitudes on a variety of issues, including candidate name identification. In some circumstances, a survey may include some test ballots.

Every piece of information is crucial to the attempt to predict election results. The answers sought include whether or not an incumbent could be successfully challenged and how much money would be required to mount the campaign. Most election consultants firmly believe they can mount a winning campaign in any district; the analysis helps them decide whether the odds for success justify the time and expense of the effort.

Once vulnerable or crucial seats are identified, the effort moves to the next phase: candidate recruitment, screening, and education. In this phase, we seek candidates with the desired philosophical foundation. Just as importantly, however, is to determine whether the candidate has the requisite characteristics and aptitudes to both run a campaign and to perform well in the legislative arena.

Helping a pro-business candidate win office requires some good luck but is much more dependent on hours of analysis and days of exploration. And then the work is still not complete until the candidate is thoroughly briefed on all the issues -- pro and con.

For many people, campaigns and elections are nothing more than a slightly unsavory game, one that is partly played out in the media and partly in secret. It seems little more than a contest of accusations and dirty tricks. Candidates proclaim their empty promises of, "Elect me and I will fix everything for you."

This perception is unfortunate and often incorrect. Far too often, candidates and voters alike do not take campaigns and elections seriously. Yes, the flavor of the campaign should be exciting and those working in the campaign should have fun. But that's not enough. Since the political process affects so much of what we do, elections are rightly a vital part of the adventure of life. Like so many other important pursuits, preparations for the election cycle require time and care. As business people well know, getting a jump on the competition increases the chances for success.