Robert Heinlein, speaking in “Take Back Your Government”, a handbook for neophytes in politics:
Your object… is to win elections, not arguments. If you will always remember that, you can’t go far wrong.
The second thing to remember is that elections are won with votes; those votes are out in the precincts, not down in the politico-financial district, not in political clubs, not at political rallies.
The third thing to remember is that a vote for your side never becomes a reality unless you see to it that the holder thereof gets down to the polls and casts it. This should be printed in red ink and set off with flashing lights.
The fourth thing to remember is not to waste time arguing with a hard case. In the years I have spent in politics I cannot honestly say that I recall ever having persuaded anyone to change his mind about how he was going to vote on an issue or for a candidate if he had already made up his mind when I approached him. Yet I know that I have influenced and sometimes changed the outcome of elections through my own efforts.
Now, go tattoo those on your forehead between now and next November…
Dated though it is, after 63 years of political degeneration, this book by Heinlein detailing what he had learned in his own political experiences is proving to be a very valuable investment of a (very) little money and my time to read. Dated? Well, yes. Heinlein goes on at length about “honest politicians” being the norm in his experience, but his definition of “honest politicians” doesn’t seem to fit many nowadays. *sigh*
Thanks to Instapundit for the mention.