Noteworthy

2012: Six Traits Voters Look for in a Candidate

My op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle

Compared with President Obama, the Republican candidates for President are substantially similar on most of the major issues.  What will determine victory?  History shows us voters look for six key characteristics when choosing a candidate.  I reviewed these in an op-ed published in the San Francisco Chronicle on June 15.

Six Traits Voters Seek in a GOP Nominee

by Ron Nehring, published June 15, 2011 in the San Francisco Chronicle

Republicans are just beginning the process of selecting its leader for 2012. So what are we looking for in a standard-bearer?

Conventional wisdom suggests that money and name recognition are the keys to success in politics, while others assert that ideological commitment alone can determine victory. Compared with President Obama, Republican contenders are substantially similar on the majority of key issues. What will determine victory? Voters show us six traits are particularly important.

Vision. Americans hire drivers, not mechanics. "I know how to run government" is not a winning message because voters expect leaders to have a clear, compelling vision for where they would lead the country. Republicans are today especially concerned about America's perceived diminishing role in the world and continued economic weakness. The Republican nominee will need to describe in convincing terms what America will look like in the years ahead if the country is set on the path he or she would choose.

Read the complete article
 

 

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