Volume 18: Voting in the 2004 Elections

How to Pick a Candidate

STEP 1: Study the Campaign

Two of the ways candidates can be judged are by:
1. The positions they take on issues, and
2. The leadership qualities and experience they would bring to the office.

Both are important. Your first step is to decide which issues you care about and the qualities you want in a leader.

Consider issues:
Think about community, state, and national problems that you want people in government to address. (See Step 3 for strategies on understanding issues.)

Consider leadership qualities:
Think about the characteristics that you believe an effective leader would have. Do you look for intelligence, honesty, an ability to communicate? What else? (For more on this see Step 4.)

STEP 2: Look at Campaign Information

When looking at information from television ads, debates, the Internet, and other sources, consider these questions:

• What did you learn about the candidate?
• Did you find out about the candidate's stand on issues or his/her qualifications?
• Did the ad or Web site make you feel a certain way about the candidate? How important was the music, the setting, the script, or the graphics?
• Does it tell you more about the candidate's devotion to family than about his or her qualifications or stands on issues?
• Were accusations or other statements made about opponents that can't be answered or denied?
• Is the candidate trying to target your emotions so that you accept certain arguments without question? Or does the candidate try to make you feel sympathy for him or her?

Recognize Distortion Tactics

Name-Calling. A candidate might, for example, call an opponent's behavior "wishy-washy" or "two-faced" when it should more accurately be described as flexible or responsive. Don't be sidetracked, either, by attacks on a candidate based on family, ethnicity, gender, race, or personal characteristics that don't make a difference in performance.

Rumor-Making. Have you ever heard a quote like this in a political campaign? "I've heard that Jones is soft on crime." This might be legal to say, but it might not be true. Tricks like this can sway an election. If you aren't sure if it's true, it's better not to pay attention.

Loaded Statements. "I oppose wasteful spending" doesn't say much. If a candidate gets away with an empty claim like that, he or she may never have to account for identifying which expenses are necessary and which are not.

Buzz Words. Beware of empty phrases such as "law and order" or "The American Way," which are designed to trigger an emotional reaction without saying much. If a term defies definition or leaves out great chunks of real life, be on your guard. Try to translate such "buzzwords" into what the candidate is really trying to say.

Spot Phony Issues

Passing the Blame. When one candidate accuses another candidate or party of being the cause of a major problem such as unemployment or inflation, check it out. The incumbent or the party in power is often accused of causing all the woes of the world. Was the candidate really in a position to solve the problem? What other factors were at work? Has there been time to tackle the problem?

Promising the Sky. There are some promises that no one can fulfill, and problems that are beyond the reach of political solutions. Public officials can accomplish realistic goals, but voters shouldn't expect miracles and candidates shouldn't promise them. When you hear nothing but "promises, promises," consider how realistic those promises really are.

STEP 3: Understand the Issues

• Examine the issues that are important to you.
• What changes do you feel that your community, state and country need most?
• What do you want to keep the same?
• Which of your interests are served by the programs each candidate is proposing?
• Weigh the alternatives.
• Listen to people on both sides of the issue.

Look at cause and effect. Consider what you have to trade off to get what you want.

Evading Real Issues. Many candidates work very hard to avoid giving direct answers to direct questions. It's not enough, for instance, for a candidate to say, "I've always been concerned about the high cost of health care," and leave it at that. Beware of the candidate who claims to have a secret, easy plan to solve a tough problem. Watch out for candidates who talk about benefits and never mention costs or how the nuts and bolts of a program will work.

STEP 4: Evaluate the Candidates

Evaluate the Candidates' Stand on Issues

As you read materials you collect, record the candidates' stands on your priority issues. Do the materials give you an overall impression of the candidates? What specific conclusions can you draw about their stands on issues?

Examine the Candidates' Leadership Abilities

• Deciding if a candidate will be a good leader is difficult. How can you know if someone will be honest, open, and able to act under pressure if elected to office? Here are some ways to read between the lines:
• Look at the candidates' background and experience. How well prepared are they for the job?
• Watch the candidates in action. Do they answer questions or change the subject? Do they explain their programs in a way that makes sense?
• Read the campaign material carefully to find any insights into the candidates' personalities. Do they emphasize issues or just image? Are they accurate?

Learn How Other People View the Candidates

The opinions of others can help clarify your own views, but remember you may be the most careful observer of all.

• Seek the opinions of others in your community who keep track of political campaigns. Interview three people (not family members) to find out whom they support and why. Learn what has shaped their opinions. Was it an idea or program proposed by the candidate? A particular issue or party about which they feel strongly?
• Find out who else supports the candidates.

STEP 5: Rate the Debate

Debates stimulate interest in the election and highlight the issues, as well as the candidates' positions on those issues. They put candidates on the record, so they can be held accountable once in office. They help rally a candidate's supporters to get involved in the campaign and to vote. And finally, they provide information about the character and personalities of the candidates.
It is up to the debate audience to evaluate the candidates-to differentiate between style and substance-and to make informed choices at the polls.

Rate the Candidates

As you watch, be aware of your reactions both to the substance of the candidates' remarks and to the visual images that are conveyed. They can be powerful. Clearly, the power of images can cause voters to overlook what is being said.

Your reactions to the images:

• Are you influenced by the age, gender, clothes, or physical characteristics of the candidates?
• Who appears more relaxed, more sincere, more confident?
• Who uses television better by looking directly at you, for example?

Judge the substance:

• Decide who answers or evades the questions.
• Do the candidates tell you their stands on the issues, or do they respond with emotional appeals or slogans?
• If anyone attacks his or her opponent, is it personal or directed at the other candidate's policies?
• Are the candidates respectful of one another?
• Do the candidates seem well informed and give answers consistent with previous positions?
• Are the answers realistic or are they just campaign promises?

STEP 6: Sort It All Out

Pick a Candidate

Review the information you have collected and ask yourself these final questions:

• Which candidate's views on the issues do I agree with most?
• Who ran the fairest campaign?
• Which candidate demonstrated the most knowledge of the issues?
• Which candidate has the leadership qualities I am looking for?
• Is the choice clear?

Adapted with permission from 8 Steps on How to Pick a Candidate and Vote! Published by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Citizen Education Fund. To learn more about the League in Massachusetts visit www.ma.lwv.org. To find a League near you visit www.lwv.org. 

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