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by Gregory Hogan

Misconceptions seem to abound in people seeking political office.

Recently, I was talking with a man running for city council in a neighboring city. I wanted to encourage him because I knew that the councilman currently in that seat was a worthless individual. When I asked him about the issues that he would be running on, he began a long dissertation on NAFTA and GAT. I tried to bring the issues a little closer to his city, but he continued to fume about the trade agreements. He was a manufacturer and saw where these treaties threatened his business. He is a single-issue candidate, and rarely does a single-issue win an election.

This misconception, that you can attract people with a single issue, dooms so many campaigns. Single-issue candidates do not attract the attention of enough people to win the election. Standing right on abortion, or personal freedom, or tax issues will not cost you an election, but if you stand only on one of these, you cannot win the election. To win an election, a candidate has to pay the "brain-bill." To be successful in politics you must spend time thinking about your election. You must think about the message you want to communicate to the people, the way you want to get that message across, and the way the people you want to vote for you will hear that message.

Yes, it is true in politics that there are people who lose by sticking to their morals and convictions. But most losses can be attributed to poor planning, poor campaigning, or poor communication. If we are going to enter the world of politics in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must commit ourselves to success, long-term success.

I heard the former Democratic National Committee Chairman say that the purpose of political parties is to win elections and maintain power. She was right. The purpose for us getting into politics is to win elections so we may use the power that brings.

Our Lord told us that "he who is faithful in little things, I will make him ruler over many things." That is true in politics. Rarely does someone win a big seat in his first try at political office. President George W. Bush is an exception; he won the Governor's chair in Texas in his first political run. Although it did help that his father had been President of the United States. Go a step further and study Bush's gubernatorial campaign. He did pay the "brain-bill" in that election. He knew the weaknesses of Ann Richards and the feelings of the Texas voters. His father's name got him noticed; his ideas and personality got him elected.

Most of us that want to exercise Christian influence in the field of politics will only succeed if we pay our dues and build our political careers from lower to higher positions. In the current world of term-limits, higher offices are opening up with greater frequency. When those in political life want to find a candidate for a higher political office, the first qualification they seek is "A Winner." By winning smaller offices you learn the ropes of campaigning, meeting with people, and getting a message out. By serving in lower political offices, you learn what governing is all about.

Governing is something political hopefuls think very little about. When you seek a political office, you commit yourself to several things so you can deliver good governance. First of all you commit yourself to an understanding of the working of the government in which you hold office. I don't get excited about sewers, but a large part of my time as a city councilman is devoted to sewers. I have had to learn a lot about sewers. Last month a large sinkhole opened up in my ward. It turned out that a seven-foot drainage pipe was collapsing. A man's home was in danger of shifting because of this failure. It was an emergency situation. Because I knew about the sewer system, I was able to help the residents understand the situation and prepare for the long and messy repairs. I was also able to work with other members of council to find the necessary funds to repair this and still keep other projects on track. This project will consume about one third of the city funds available for capital projects this year.

One of my jobs as councilman is to make sure that the people are protected, informed, and experience as little inconvenience as possible with this project. If I fail in this, my political future is very dim. People can understand the scope of this project, but they also want to be reassured that someone is speaking for them within the government when decisions are being made to dig twenty-two foot deep trenches in their front yards. As city councilman I have committed myself to understanding sewers, garbage disposal, paving projects, zoning laws, labor contracts, and operating the departments of the city. If I do not learn how to make the city services to work for my ward, my political career will be a short one.

The second thing you commit yourself to when you seek political office is networking. Lately, I have become sick of the word "bipartisanship" because of the way it is being used in Washington. Yet, political life is about building consensus. On Council I am only one vote in seven. Four votes are needed to pass anything, and five votes are needed to be "veto-proof." I cannot even propose a measure without having a second. Politics is no place for "Lone Ranger" types, especially in a legislative office. I must make friends with my fellow councilmen, even those not within my own party. Even though we are spending over $600,000 on a project in my ward, my reelection this fall will be a lot easier if I get $15,000 spent on improvements to our local park. I have been assured of this money because I have made friends that "owe" me their support on this project.

Our congressman is a socialist-liberal and our county commissioners are all Pro-abortion Democrats, still I have to work with these people to secure good government for my constituents. If I secure good government for those I serve now; I might have the opportunity to be the county commissioner in the future.

Your commitment in politics will also include a commitment to listen to your constituents about their needs. My voice-mail always contains calls about rocks in the lawns from the snowplow, neighbor problems, dog droppings on the sidewalk, and utility deregulation. I must hear what these people are saying, and make sure they are getting the proper service from their government. I take each call seriously. Voters are won over when they realize that the office-holder is carefully listening to them and trying to understand their problem. The solution to their problem sometimes is just to listen. Often I have to call someone else or write a letter, but Christian compassion goes a long way in working with the voters.

Commit yourself to these things so you may achieve good governance. Elections can be won and lost on some very fickle things, but good governance gains the respect of the voters. That is why incumbency is such a powerful tool in reelections. If you are serving the people well, they will keep you in office. Good governance over a period of time gains authority. That is our objective.

I have met people that think the way to gain authority is to shout and throw things around when they want something. The first time they do that, they might get what they want. Everyone around them is so shocked at seeing this childish behavior that they give in. Soon they become tired of it, and this method just irritates them. To gain acceptance, the out-of-control man allows his opposition to manipulate him. A self-controlled man governed by the law of Christ will lead and set the agenda.

Winning an election is only the first hurdle. The biggest challenge will be how well you govern. Governance is what you will be judged by ultimately. Good governance is the main reason you get reelected. Good governance is not strictly policy. If you have a fully articulated Christian view of government, you know what is needed in the area of policy. But, why then aren't we being voted into office? Because we cannot take that policy and put in a message that people can hear. Even in a big union town, most people cannot identify with what my new friend was saying about NAFTA and GAT. People do not have a solid understanding of what it means to be a responsible citizen in our democratic republic. Good governance gives you an opportunity to teach them.

Too often Christian candidates, especially those seeking higher office, come across with a very high idealism. What people hear them saying are very simplistic answers to complicated problems. Other understanding Christians may relate to their statements, but the general public is unimpressed. Governance is having a realistic view of where we are, and where we want to go, and then leading and moving toward the desired result. That is how a politician earns people's confidence.

I am trying to gain the confidence of my constituents and my colleagues in government. I must deliver good service on streets, sewers, parks, fire, and police. One day Planned Parenthood may want to build a pregnancy services center in our town, or the school district seeks a permit for a school-based health clinic in the Junior High school, I will be there to oppose them. I will be able to stand with the authority, the respect, and the confidence of my colleagues that comes from good governance. Some of them might not have the fortitude to withstand these powerful forces, but I can shore them up the same way I have when they needed it for the massive sewer project.

I am not advocating you become a party hack. I am advocating that you network and govern well so you can influence other decision-makers in other levels of government. The last two State Senators from my district have started their terms in the Senate by appointments. Each man was a councilman before his appointment to the Assembly. Each man had learned to work with others and govern well, so he was ready for a higher seat. Serving in government requires a serious commitment from you. You must pay the "brain-bill," you must be ready to learn, and you must be ready to work with others for the general welfare of your constituents. You must learn how to be faithful in the little things so you may be worthy of greater things in your service to our King.

Rev. Gregory Hogan is a Councilman in Seven Hills, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland.) He serves as Chaplain of the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County and a member of its Executive Board. He can be reached at biblecf@biblecf.org.

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