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Running for office for the first time can be a daunting experience… or one that doesn’t really faze you much at all. At the local level or in smaller groups, people are often placed in office for the first time with little preparation or fanfare.

“We need a new PM.”

“Padawan should do it!”

“Yay, Padawan!”

“Ok, Padawan, here you go… you’re PM. Have fun with that.”

In large groups or politically active kingdoms, the experience of running for office can be very stressful, difficult, and frustrating. Your best bet is to prepare yourself, no matter how “easy” the election looks beforehand.

Information on officers, duties, and requirements can be found in the Corpora; we won’t repeat them here, as this document is meant to address how politics figure into the process.

Let’s revisit the definition of politics from Part I:

pol•i•tics [pol-i-tiks]–noun (used with a singular or plural verb)
1. the science or art of political government.
2. the practice or profession of conducting political affairs.
3. political affairs
4. political methods or maneuvers
5. political principles or opinions.
6. use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, university, etc.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006

Running for and holding office is entering into the political arena at the next level. You will now be one of the official voices of your group. You will be responsible for running various aspects of the group and settling disputes. First, however, you need to get yourself elected.

It all starts with your declaration. A declaration is when a person (or a team) notifies the prime minister and the group at large that they are seeking to be elected to office. It is advisable that you make this announcement yourself rather than solely rely on the prime minister to advertise your candidacy. After all, the PM is supposed to remain neutral and only you can talk about your plans!

There are many different ways of declaring yourself for office. The most effective combines the two primary arenas we are going to discuss: live and online.

LIVE DECLARATIONS

A good way to begin your declaration period is to do so in person at a court, feast, tournament or other large function when most of the members of your group (or, in the case of running for a floating crown-type position, members from many different parks) will be present. “Live” declarations go over best when they are short, humorous or dramatic, and light. This is not the time to jump up on your soapbox and start lecturing about everything that is wrong with the group and how you will fix it. Remember that you are taking up the populace’s time for your purposes; you do not want them to feel that you have wasted their time.

Look at your live declaration as being your first impression. Though (hopefully) most of the people there know you already and probably have known you for years, this is your first impression as a candidate for this particular office at this particular time.

Here is one formula for live declarations. Like everything else in this primer, it is one way of doing things, but not the only way.

1) Have a plan. Decide ahead of time what you want to say and how you want to say it. This doesn’t mean to write and memorize a speech and then recite it like a robot- you don’t want that. If you are planning a themed reign, try throwing a little of your “character” into your speech.

2) Introduce yourself. Use the shortened or “everyday” version of your name. Do not tack on all your titles- this tends to make people think of you as pretentious and it strikes far too formal a note for this first impression.

3) Tell your audience that you are running for office and which office.

4) Mention that you have a lot of ideas, and throw a couple of them out there. Do NOT go into details.

5) End on an upbeat note, a joke, or with some dramatic flair.

What? That’s it? Don’t I want to impress people with how responsible and rational I am? Don’t I want to try to persuade them that I would be a good officer? Shouldn’t I go into all the reasons why they should elect me?

No, no, no and a thousand times no. Allow me to repeat myself: remember that you are taking up the populace’s time for your purposes and you do not want them to feel that you have wasted their time. No one likes being lectured. Amtgard is full of people who would rather be fighting than sitting there listening to you. The best way to flush your first impression down the toilet is to make your audience bored or impatient. The time for more detailed information regarding your plans is coming soon.

There may be people who will want to talk to you about your declaration afterward, even if it is only to tease you about it. Be open, friendly, and receptive to everyone who approaches you. People may come to you with ideas; be supportive and let them talk. Ask them to e-mail their ideas to you (after you listen to them!) so that you won’t forget them later. Above all, do not dominate the conversation. The best thing you can do for your campaign in this early stage is to leave people feeling that you care about their opinions and issues and are accessible to them.

WRITTEN DECLARATIONS

Part two of your declaration should be delivered on “paper”- whether it is actual paper, like a newsletter or pamphlet, or just internet paper in the form of e-mails and forum posts. The written declaration has two purposes: to reach those who were not present at your live declaration and to kick it up a notch. The written declaration should be more detailed and a bit more serious, though humor or a bit of character should be used if possible as well.

1) Introduce yourself. Again, beware of using a long string of titles; they tend to hurt your cause more than they help it.

2) Tell your audience that you are running for office and which office. Mention that you have already declared: a good way to put it would be something along the lines of, “As announced on Saturday at Weaponmaster, I am declaring for the office of…” This has the effect of reminding those who were present of your initial declaration; if you did a good job, you’re reinforcing that positive first impression.

3) List some of your plans and ideas and describe them. This should not be a point-by-point blueprint of each and every step or rule involved. Here is a good example of what to write:

“Conquer the Warlords Fighting Tourney! Compete in a brand-new style of tournament that pits a single fighter against multiple warlords in a test of endurance and skill! The competitor will face one, two, or even three warlords at a time as he advances down the field. Can you make it to the other side?”

The complete details are neither necessary nor desirable at this stage. You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with minutia, you just want to pique their interest. And let’s face it- you don’t want to give away the secrets of your cool new tourney to your opponents!

Try to touch on ideas that address the different aspects of the office that you are seeking. For example, if you are part of a pair running for monarch and regent, be sure to touch on battlegames or fighting tournaments as well as arts and sciences activities and social gatherings like feasts. If you are running for prime minister, mention record keeping, financial matters, and elections. This will demonstrate that not only are you aware of the different duties involved, you have actually thought about and made plans for them. This helps you to appear as a well-rounded candidate.

4) Close it out by again making yourself available to people; invite them to contact you in person, by e-mail, or by phone (if you are comfortable giving out your phone number) if they have any questions.

5) Last, but not least, be positive. Do not sling mud at other candidates; do not make accusations or imply that the current state of affairs is horrible and only you can change it. Promote yourself without dragging others down, because mud has a way of splashing back at you.

What am I doing with all this?!

Congratulations! You are creating your public image for this election and painting a picture in people’s minds as to what sort of officer you intend to be. You are, in other words, campaigning. Fairly painless, right?

Now you just have to fill the time between your declarations and the election.

BUILDING YOUR IMAGE

1) Stay active. Make sure that you are at the park each and every week. If running in a floating crown situation, travel to different parks as much as possible.

2) Be available but not overbearing. Don’t start getting in people’s faces or cross-examining them about the election. Make sure that you spend some time on the sidelines during the day so that people have a good chance to approach you with any questions they might have.

3) Stay happy. Be yourself, be positive- be someone that other people enjoy having around without turning into someone you’re not.

4) Don’t be fake and don’t overexpose yourself. Don’t significantly change who you are and how you participate or respond to things. For example, if you normally post on the forums a few times a week, don’t suddenly start responding to every thread. If you participate in battlegames but refuse to ditch, don’t suddenly start ditching every chance you get. There’s a difference between being visible and being annoyingly obvious. Politically savvy Amtgardians will spot this behavior immediately and it won’t help your image with them at all.

5) Pick a halfway point between your declaration and the election, and send another message to the e-mail lists and forums. Be positive, and highlight a few more of your ideas for the reign.

Hopefully your experiences will be painless and the election process will run smoothly. Win or lose, you will have gained valuable experience that you can put to good use the next time you decide to campaign for a position.

WADING THROUGH MUD

What if things get ugly? Many Amtgardians- especially those who are active in politics or striving for the top fighting or arts and sciences honors- are competitive. Some people handle competition well, others do not. If you find yourself on the receiving end of mudslinging, slurs, or accusations, step carefully and do not, under any circumstances, act without thinking thoroughly about it first.

Before you say or do anything, examine the incident very carefully. Take a step back and try to evaluate your reaction. Could it be that you misunderstood something? Could you have read more into a statement than is actually there? Are you being too touchy or do you have a legitimate cause for complaint? Ask others whose judgment you trust if they see it the same way that you do- it could be that you are making something out of nothing. If you determine that it is not a case of being too sensitive- or if it’s so blatant that there is no question- think very carefully about your next course of action.

It may very well be that an angry or uncompromising response is called for, but even so- think about it first. Write a response- make sure you don’t send it anywhere by mistake! – and, if possible, sleep on it. Read it over again in the morning and make changes. Send a copy to one or two people whom you trust to keep it to themselves and ask for feedback. Think seriously about what could result if you post it.

In some situations, it may be better to not respond. Sometimes it might be better to address the issue privately; sometimes a public response is necessary. Remember that you, as the target, are unavoidably emotionally involved and try your best to not let your emotions cloud your thinking. Rely on the advice of those you trust. Avoid becoming paranoid or assuming that “everyone is against you”- this kind of thinking will not help you.

The key to any campaign is to maintain your ability to think and to respond with thought. Even if you ultimately decide that the best response is to rant angrily at your opponent, do so with thought behind it. Never, ever say or do anything publicly without having considered all possible outcomes beforehand.

Easy to say, difficult to do. We all have buttons that can be pushed, and everyone gets angry from time to time. Chances are good that at some point in your career you will be provoked into speaking without thinking, and you will learn from that experience as so many of us have (over and over again!)

If you do lapse and say something that you later regret, cowboy up. Admit your wrongs and apologize. The very worst thing you can do is go down with the ship fighting to justify something that can’t be justified. People make mistakes. Strong people are able to admit their mistakes and apologize when they are in the wrong. Weak people make excuses and refuse to acknowledge mistakes. Even if in the short run it loses you the election, in the long run you’ll be better off for it.

It would be impossible to detail every situation that could occur during a campaign, but if you remember these steps, you should be able to respond appropriately to any situation:

1) Stop.
2) Think.
3) Think again.
4) Ask for input when appropriate.
5) Act.

Only one final hurdle remains: the election itself. How you comport yourself- win or lose- will affect future elections. People have long memories, so guard your behavior well.

If you win, do not indulge in overly emotional displays- in politics, as in sports, excessive celebration is frowned upon. It’s good to be happy that you won; it’s not so great if you spike a throwing dagger and scream, “Who’s your daddy?!” at your opponent. Save the victory dance for when you get home. A smile is good; a broad toothy grin is not. Do not gloat. Be gracious, even if your opponent isn’t. Again, people have long memories and you never know what may come back to bite you on the rear later.

Being a good loser is especially important. Smile, nod, and congratulate your opponent. Don’t walk off by yourself or leave early; it will be noticed. Stay in the group, talk, smile, and show yourself to be strong enough to handle defeat. You may not have won this time, but there’s always next time. You don’t want your behavior now to be held against you later.

Most importantly, try to keep your sense of humor. Don’t let yourself dwell on defeat; try to learn from the experience and move forward.

If you have won, you now find yourself in the spotlight and your behavior will be even more closely scrutinized. Congratulations….?

Next - Chapter IV- Wearing the Shiny Hat: The Basics

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