Nobody knows how to win

Posted 10/18/19

I used to think that politics was maybe 50/50 art and science. It turns out it’s more like 95 / 5.

Reading about politics in mass media, one finds many articles giving advice on how to win, i.e. which policy positions, messages, or candidates will win over more voters.

These articles always left me confused; if there are so many people with thoughtful ideas about how to win, why is winning so hard?

Because in fact nobody really knows with any degree of certainty. The real experts disagree, and the people writing the articles generally aren’t even the best experts.

So if you find yourself agonizing about which primary candidates are most “electable,” give yourself a break. Instead, just focus on which candidates most excite you.