Questions every candidate should have to answer

With the coming of a new filing period for election, candidates need to tell voters the following:

1. Why are you seeking to be elected or re-elected to this office? What do you believe are the primary goals and duties of the office?

2. What special training or experience do you have to conduct the duties of the office?

3. Identify any problems regarding how the office has been run in the past, and what specific steps you intend to apply to overcome the problems.

4. How will you provide oversight and accountability to assure the public the office is properly and fairly operated for the benefit of all citizens?

5. What in your background shows citizens you possess the judgment, character and motivational/leadership skills needed in the job?

6. How will your operation of the pubic office benefit citizens — our needs, wants, rights, privileges and desire for inspiring leadership?

Sometimes the styles adopted by candidates in the primaries will reflect how they will run in the fall and govern, if elected. These styles may be identified as courtly, republican, realistic or bureaucratic. Usually a combination is used, with one being dominant. Media should provide voters enough information about how the candidates conduct their campaigns so that voters may decide what style the candidate uses.

The courtly style resembles that used in the entertainment and advertising worlds, emphasizing the person of the candidate, as if royalty, and filled with ceremonies, rituals and spectacles.

The republican style takes an optimistic view of human nature, seeks consensus and emphasizes citizen participation and civic virtues.

The realistic style, sometimes called Machiavellian,

is often the hardest to discern. Its often‑unspoken single goal is to gain and/or hold the office no matter what means are necessary. It seeks to identify the vectors of power and what is possible rather than what ought to be. It seeks to monopolize the news media and to unjustly ridicule its opponents. Its adherents may intentionally use deception, dishonesty and even law enforcement and the courts. Electoral districts or reputations may be defended or attacked according to personal political advantage. All public goods become enticements or tools to use in its advocates’ pursuit of continued control and private personal or political gain. Deals regarding legislation are developed to solidify political support rather than being based on the public good for the most people. Experience in office, term limits and so forth may be attacked or praised according to the momentary advantage. States or regions, classes, races and interests may be intentionally pitted against each other for the realists’ benefit. Someone who seems to lack charisma, ideas, ability and goals can still win through realistic strategies.

The bureaucratic style emphasizes specialized training, following procedures (intended to bring fairness and equity), and attention to documentation and detail.

Voters can evaluate candidates according to the candidates’ styles as well as according to their substance, rhetoric and backgrounds. Voters may pay attention to the candidates’ willingness to take and explain stands on issues, and to seek consensus rather than to polarize voters. Those who actively discourage citizen participation, and use coercion against their perceived opponents, are most dangerous to our democracy.

The style of candidates can sometimes include negative tactics. If candidates, their campaigns or others acting on behalf of candidates are using negative tactics that go beyond drawing legitimate contrasts regarding issues, detailed questions about the validity of the underlying assumptions must be asked and evaluated. The negative tactics are as follows:

1. Name calling.

2. Guilt by association.

3. Testimonials for hatred.

4. Transfer of hatred of some one or group to make us disapprove of another.

5. The fear device — without sufficient evidence, attacking someone by claiming he or she will lead to dire calamity.

6. The double standard of morality device — claiming one side is noble and good, and the opponents morally corrupt.

7. Selective use of half‑truths.

8. The band wagon effect, claiming “everyone good is with us; anyone who disagrees is bad.”

9. Disguised self‑interest.

10. Control by one side of a monopoly of a media.

11. Attacks that come too late or by an avenue that the opponent does not have an opportunity to respond.

Citizens can be aware of and penetrate these dark clouds of negative campaigning in the sky of political discourse. Elections should be decided upon real issues, the experience and attributes of the candidates, and the past performance of the candidates, which includes their ability to work successfully with others.

The jobs of voters to pay attention and to participate through expressing their viewpoints, donating funds, working for the candidates of their choice and voting are very important. Our form of government requires hard work by voters.

* Robert Pate (Bob) Williams is a member of The Courier-Tribune’s 2014 panel of guest columnists. He is a native of Asheboro and an attorney. His wife, Marty, is retired from Asheboro City Schools. His son is an attorney in private practice in Washington, D.C. His oldest stepson is a fireman in High Point. His youngest stepson works for a multi-state bank headquartered in Winston-Salem.