Last Night by Al Sikes

It is too early to assess the way forward after last night’s assassination attempt. But explosive events have the potential to blow up all the plans.

Going back, way back to the 1970s and 80s and my time as a campaign manager/consultant. I still recall vividly efforts to help candidates gain attention so their message could be heard. It was much easier than it is today. There were few channels of television and while more, there were not that many radio stations. And Internet based media—well it didn’t exist.

Money, as I recall, was more limited. Most candidates could not raise enough money to sustain an advertising campaign more than a few weeks. Political operatives tore into polling results to find themes that would be impactful and then filmmakers crafted 30 and 60 second commercials hoping to cut through the noise. Importantly, except for absentee ballots, we all voted on the same day.

Noise? Today the noise is deafening; to cut through it politicians take hyperbole to new levels. What, they ask, will awaken the public to my appeal? How can I get my arguments across?

How, an operative might ask, can I make President Biden or Former President Trump near-Satanic? Toxic? And, of course, the other side faces the same obstacles and proceeds in kind. Political fever swells and the weakest get caught up in a feverish response.

Biden, Trump and the other candidate of note, Robert F Kennedy Jr., are simply human beings. For sure they are not saints, but then who is? They want to do good, leave a mark, but the path often eludes them. We are left to parse speeches, platforms and declarations of all sorts but few do.

Candidates search for the weaknesses and load them with explosives. Mostly voters respond along a spectrum but then a very few turn to violence. In the meantime the political operatives keep searching the polls for what messages are working. The polls have become elections within an election. Which messages are breaking through? How, they ask, can we cut through the campaign noise? Harsh words and images to follow. The musical background dark. Vociferous allies even more vociferous. And because many States encourage early voting the drum beat starts early.

The assassination attempt on the former President failed. It’s now the new clay for campaign operatives and ultimately their candidates. It will have a profound impact on the political narrative.  I suspect it will help the assassins target. How, many will ask, can an elite protective organization fail to protect? Does memory fail; this is certainly not the first time a shooter turned on a candidate. Yet, not a good look for the Biden administration. But honesty requires a simple answer: clean hands do not exist. It can be said that Trump is a victim of his more explosive campaign tactics.

Is there anything we can do—the voters? Sure, but will we? Doubtful. Because what we can do is turn to content. What are the policies of the candidates? What combination appeals to me? Beyond the campaign rhetoric, who are the candidates? What character or temperament can I trust? For example, can I trust somebody who demonizes his opponents? The answer is no.

Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.