THE GANTT REPORT, by Lucius Gantt
I’ve been looking here and there and searching everywhere for my good friend Matt Carter, a former Deputy Director of the Florida Democratic Party and also a former Florida Public Service Commissioner.
I’ve gotten more than a few calls from people asking me about Matt. I realize Matt is probably focusing on some personal and family issues but I pray I can reach him to tell him I love him, appreciate him and I want to reconnect.
When I met Matt Carter I was already a so-called “world-class journalist” but Matt taught me the important aspects of being a good political professional.
Matt told me the most important question that a candidate for political office can ask is, “Who can deliver?”
The only legal and honorable way to become victorious on election day is to generate more votes than all other contenders for the public office being sought.
Winning elections are not as easy as you may think. You have to have money and you have to have a campaign team and campaign staff that can generate votes.
Sucking up to one or two campaign contributors or bowing down to one or more political party bosses won’t always result in a political win.
Who can deliver is one question but it’s not the only question. Others include, who can put together a solid campaign plan, who can create an effective campaign calendar, who can quickly put together print, broadcast direct mail and social media messages and place those ads and messages in the most influential media outlets.
And, who can coordinate and manage a diverse group of supporters, volunteers and paid staff into a cohesive unit.
Most Black candidates seek campaign advice from relatives, coworkers, congregation members, frat brothers and sorority sisters, neighbors and so forth.
If people desired by candidates can generate votes, raise money, and prevent your campaign from violating campaign laws, it doesn’t matter who works for prospective candidates.
If you and your campaign staff do not have a clue about how to operate in today’s political world of political science and technology, doesn’t know how to put an absentee ballot plan together, doesn’t know what geo-demographic targeting is or can’t create an appropriate GOTV or voter delivery plan, your campaign effort might be dead in the political waters!
No matter what city or state you live in, if you’re a candidate, everywhere you go someone will tell you, “If you pay me, I’ll get votes for you”.
Well, history is the best teacher. If someone tells a candidate they can get votes, perhaps they have proof that they’ve helped other candidates win before.
Candidates pay people and businesses that they believe can make their election dreams come true. If you want a cake, you wouldn’t shop for a cake at an auto repair shop. Most people desiring a cake would go to a baker or bakery.
I want all Black candidates to be successful if they are seeking office in this election cycle. If you have ten brothers and sisters running for the same political seat, even Boo Boo the Fool can tell you at the end of the election day, there will be one winner and nine losers.
Any rudimentary political research can reveal books, magazines and web information that can point you toward experienced political advisors.
I suggest that all candidates should look at the campaign reports of winning candidates in their communities. The reports can tell you some of the experts that the winning candidates have used.
The reports won’t tell you everything because so much “dark money” is used to finance campaigns. In other words, some candidates like to hide their campaign expenditures by spending money via PACs (Political Action Committees), political lawyers and special interest groups and associations.
If you plan to run for office, run to win!
You can’t win the Kentucky Derby if your jockey is riding a jackass.
Political candidates that truly want to win must work with people that can deliver votes!
Lucius is a contributing columnist to NNPA newspapers around the nation, and the author of “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” available on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere.