Best Way to Contrast Candidates

Started by NpB • 10 replies • 296 views

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NpB (Arizona)
Posts: 605

Posted:

I posted a previous thread about conveying candidate personality, but I I would like to refine it and make my question more clear.

So here I go again. Apparently, the consensus is not to directly express anything negative about a candidate whether or not they are a current Board member and irregardless if you have been bullied by them. I assume that most of you believe that HOA members are not receptive to negative campaigning.

1) If you are not up for re-election, but would like a new candidate who has shown an interest in the community by volunteering and attending Board meetings to win and replace a current Board member who is neutral and non-controversial, but doesn't volunteer for any projects, do you basically praise the new candidate while not mentioning anything about the current Board member?

2) If you are up for re-election for two seats with a candidate who you happen to agree with ideologically about 95% of the time, but who gets upset by the other 5% time you disagree with that person, often over minor preference issues. This person's personality expects you to agree 100% of the time and will run a friend who never attends Board meetings so the person can have someone who votes alike 100%. How do you convey members to vote for you and the incumbent's' friend?

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Man, NbB #2 seems kind of murky. Would you try again on that one?

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

As I said in the last conversation, I think it's better to focus on what you bring to the board and let people decide for themselves who theyd like to see on the board. If there's someone who's running and you feel he or she will be a good board member, there's nothing wrong with endorsing that person. Simply state how long you've known him or her, their willingness to help the board in previous projects, etc. If people are impressed they will vote accordingly.

That takes care of both questions in my opinion. If the person in #2 has said crazy things about you, you can and should address that. Tell people what actually happened- if they reply "well why did so and so say X?", you reply they'll have to ask her,, but you refuse to waste time on gossip.

I get the feeling you'd like to turn this into a mud wrestling, but those can backfire, especially if you don't have experience. If you're unwilling to stand behind what you say about any candidate or don't know how to knock them out the first time,, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you should read The Art of War and note what Sun Tzu says about knowing your enemy.

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

NpB (Arizona)
Posts: 605

Posted:

SheilaH: I understand your perspective. It's just frustrating that negative political ads seem to be effective in the outside world, but internally in an HOA, one can only tout themselves.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

In my opinion, negative political ads have a negative effect.
They tend to divide vs. unite.
They often are a message of vote for me because I'm not that person vs. what one brings to the table.

In the "outside world" one doesn't always see those who made the ads.

In an HOA, one could be dividing the membership - your neighbors.
Not a great thing to come home to everyday.

Note: One can be critical without being negative.

For example:

According to the minutes, the board chose to not fund the reserves.
Reserves set aside money so when maintenance, repair or replacement is needed the money is available.
If funds are not saved in the reserves, then when a failure occurs, a special assessment will be required or the repairs postponed.
I think this is a bad idea and will support fully funding the reserves if I am elected to the board.

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By NpB on 10/24/2022 11:30 PM
SheilaH: I understand your perspective. It's just frustrating that negative political ads seem to be effective in the outside world, but internally in an HOA, one can only tout themselves.

One could go negative in an HOA election. Not saying one should, but they could. My advice if going negative is do it on a one to one personal level. Publish nothing.

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By JohnC46 on 10/25/2022 8:42 AM

One could go negative in an HOA election. Not saying one should, but they could. My advice if going negative is do it on a one to one personal level. Publish nothing.

ADD ON

I am against negative ads as they polarize people and do more harm then good.

AugustinD
Posts: 1,027

Posted:

Aug's little case study concerning negative campaigning, in state and national campaign and election season, with IMO very real implications for HOA/COA elections:

Ranked Choice Voting is now employed in a few states and a number of cities and counties.

Negative campaigning, like attacking one's opponent, arguably often distinguish candidate Garcia from candidate Chen from candidate McNeill and so on. One effect of ranked choice voting is that it reduces this negative campaigning. Why? When voters rank their candidates at the polls, and after picking their first choice, they tend to want to pick the candidate that is most like their first choice. Any candidate who has attacked the voter's first choice is likely going to be perceived as too different from one's first choice, and so ranked low.

Since second, third, and fourth place votes can affect the outcome of an RCV election, the candidates tend to do far less negative campaigning.

Alaska has adopted RCV. Many do not understand the math of RCV (or let's say RCV is a bit much to absorb in one sitting and then be understood as "fair.") The first state-wide RCV election, just a couple months ago, had a lot of negative campaigning. Some candidates, still using the "plurality wins" mentality, got creamed. For the November Alaska races, the campaigning is way more cordial and friendly. Why? The candidates have figured out that they need voters from all parties to win election.

Board elections often involve filling a few board seats. Owners vote for more than one person. Those people (candidates) who get the most votes win. I contend that such board elections are very much like Ranked Choice Voting. If one wants a seat on a board, one improves one's chances, and arguably by a lot, by not going negative.

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By AugustinD on 10/25/2022 9:04 AM
Aug's little case study concerning negative campaigning, in state and national campaign and election season, with IMO very real implications for HOA/COA elections:

Ranked Choice Voting is now employed in a few states and a number of cities and counties.

Negative campaigning, like attacking one's opponent, arguably often distinguish candidate Garcia from candidate Chen from candidate McNeill and so on. One effect of ranked choice voting is that it reduces this negative campaigning. Why? When voters rank their candidates at the polls, and after picking their first choice, they tend to want to pick the candidate that is most like their first choice. Any candidate who has attacked the voter's first choice is likely going to be perceived as too different from one's first choice, and so ranked low.

Since second, third, and fourth place votes can affect the outcome of an RCV election, the candidates tend to do far less negative campaigning.

Alaska has adopted RCV. Many do not understand the math of RCV (or let's say RCV is a bit much to absorb in one sitting and then be understood as "fair.") The first state-wide RCV election, just a couple months ago, had a lot of negative campaigning. Some candidates, still using the "plurality wins" mentality, got creamed. For the November Alaska races, the campaigning is way more cordial and friendly. Why? The candidates have figured out that they need voters from all parties to win election.

Board elections often involve filling a few board seats. Owners vote for more than one person. Those people (candidates) who get the most votes win. I contend that such board elections are very much like Ranked Choice Voting. If one wants a seat on a board, one improves one's chances, and arguably by a lot, by not going negative.

Interesting perspective on Ranked Choice Voting RCV is new and will take sometime top get use to but the more I see it, The more I like it especially as it does eliminate run offs, I think.....LOL

AugustinD
Posts: 1,027

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By JohnC46 on 10/25/2022 9:10 AM
Interesting perspective on Ranked Choice Voting RCV is new and will take sometime top get use to but the more I see it, The more I like it especially as it does eliminate run offs, I think.....LOL

I am finding it pretty cool to see the theory-to-practice of RCV, as reported by the national newspapers in Alaska in particular. A city where I lived adopted it. I saw people's reaction up close and personal. Mostly I have supported RCV because yes, it eliminates the cost of run-offs (which are not cheap) and a majority victory is more appealing than a plurality victory. Historically plurality victories worldwide have led to far more dictatorships than otherwise.

I am still pondering whether RCV voting is similar enough to HOA/COA board election voting (or multi-seat voting in general?) to argue against negative campaigning.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

I ran for the Board 7 times and won each time. Several years ago, an opponent seeking reelection wrote a very negative letter about me and distributed it under 200+ condo doors. There were some really stupid errors in it about our budget.

I wrote a brief rejoinder that I emailed to many owners correcting her $$ errors. I ended by writing that anyone who's served on the Board for 4 years must have a firm grasp of our budget. She lost the election. I felt her negative letter caused her to lose vs. my correction.

Unlike the kinds of elections, in HOA, we are neighbors.

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