Respect the voters on the other side

In the upcoming campaign supporters of the two major groups will be tempted to demonize the other side.  It is important to respect the choice of the other group. In many countries there are major parties with a base of supporters who find it hard to change.

In Guyana, we tend to label the core supporters on the other side as racists. I think it would be a good idea to stop this labeling. Let us call it party voting. So each party is like a brand. Let us view this voting behavior as similar the people who constantly prefer Pepsi to Coke.

So we have hard-core supporters of the PPP brand. On the other side we have people who have traditionally supported the PNC brand, now rebranded as APNU. There is also a new brand–the.AFC

It takes a lot of energy and work to convert a hard-core supporter to other side. There is, however, a significant percentage of people who might consider supporting the other side. I think it is best to pay attention to the 10 to 15% who might shift.

In the present scenario,I believe parties must concentrate first on the youth vote and second the female vote. I would further categorize the youth vote as the 18 to 30 vote. This group is unlikely to be married or to have started a family. They would be idealistic. They would place a high premium on the leadership qualities of candidates. Their concerns will likely be jobs, education opportunities, and a vision for society that focuses on safety and security for the family which they are planning to set up in the next stage of their lives.

The female vote across age ranges see the world as one that must put emphasis on feelings as well as ideas. The female point of view tends to zero in on how things are done rather than only what is done. For women the lack of security and the high rate of violence against women are major issues. They are looking for the party that convinces them that they’ are going to work harder to make women equals in society.

So in my view effective campaigning must accept that they are two major points of view. It is a good idea to resist the urge to yell or ‘cuss out’ each other as if they were not fellow human beings and Guyanese. Instead, concentrate on respectfully presenting reasons why the other person should shift to their side. One person who admires President Obama says that he is unfailingly courteous to his opponents. We can be tough and critical but respectful in attitude.