Friday, March 11, 2011

Let Us March

When Cicero speaks, they say, "How well he speaks".
When Demosthenes speaks, they say, "Let us march".
--Adlai Stevenson, David Ogilvy, et al.

Which prospective candidates would you liken more to Cicero and which would you liken more to Demosthenes?

What factors in a candidate would cause you to "march"?

What fires up one supporter may be entirely different from what motivates another and will depend on factors and diverse as a person's desire to be led and their views on what the country's needs are.

Some are moved by a candidate's background and ability to connect with them. Others consider intellect and competence to be key. Yet others may be more influenced by specific policy stances.

Once campaign season is here, the answers may become clearer as candidates declare, as they engage in debates, make speeches, work the crowds and otherwise put themselves out there for all to see and compare.

Who will influence the undecideds? Who will pull supporters from other camps? Whose supporters will be the most effective in convincing others?

The dynamics of this election cycle will be fascinating to observe.

8 comments:

Socrates said...

Some are influenced by the times they're in rather than a particular liking for a candidate.

Some may not like Romney, but because the economy is bad, may choose him out of necessity rather than desire.

ConMan said...

I prefer Romney because I'd like a CEO perspective, bottom line approach during these hard times when difficult decisions need to be made.

Noelle said...

I like Romney for several reasons. One of those reasons is that I hope that his background is one where results matter. Generally speaking, in government what you say matters more than what you do. In business you are judged by your results.

Anonymous said...

Daniels and Christie would get me to march. Newt makes a pretty good speech.

Good article Hamaca, it got me to thinking and I bet that I will still be thinking about this idea for the rest of the day.

ellie said...

good one Hamaca. Romney has me on my feet. Daniels OK, Christie, not time worn enough. Newt? If his former wives (yes, plural) can't trust him, why should I? If power made him cheat on his wives, imagine how he'd cheat in the White House. Move over Bill Clinton.

Pablo said...

Somebody once said that the Republican Party is the party of effect. Christie is popular with the base, not because the base agrees with his right-of-center and sometimes very moderate policies, but because he is a fighter. It seems to matter more to the base how a candidate reacts to the other side than the substance of what is coming out of that candidate's mouth.

Dave said...

Marching is for Leftists or soldiers. Oratory is an overrated concept.

What we need is someone who can do the job. In descending order of competence, I have them rated:

1. Mitt Romney
2. Tim Pawlenty
3. Jon Huntsman
4. Mitch Daniels

You may have a different order, competence is what we need.

Revolution 2012 said...

I like Romney because he is a CONSERVATIVE who isn't shy about rolling up his sleeves and tackling issues. He did it as a Governor and did it as a CEO.