Realwomen of BC - Archives - February2006 - How to help not hinder your candidate

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THE REAL NEWS The R.E.A.L WOMEN of BC Newsletter February 2006, P.O. Box 39068, Point Grey RPO, Vancouver, BC V6R 4P1, Tel/Fax: 604- 463-1611, website: http://www.realwomen.bc.ca
How to help not hinder your candidate British Columbians just went through several elections in a relatively short time. Many of us have tried to help our favourite candidates by becoming involved somehow. However, some things can actually harm the candidate and seriously jeopardize his or her chances of being elected. As social conservatives we have to be extremely careful about what we say, how we say it, where we say it, and what kind of action we take. Here are a few tips to help rather than hinder your candidate of choice: 1. Questionnaires on where the candidate stands can be dangerous when they are too one-sided. Don't force candidates to expose themselves as that makes them vulnerable to the media who are happy to take them apart. If a questionnaire is used, it should be broader. Include questions on health care, the environment, and other topics. It is better to get to know your candidate personally and then pass on what you have learned to others. 2. As sad as it is, but if there is a new candidate, it is not a good idea to invite that candidate to speak at a pro-life, pro traditional marriage rally as this again will be held against him or her. Allow the candidate to be elected first and establish a positive, solid reputation. 3. Watch what you put on the internet. Once the information is in cyberspace, you cannot get rid of it. Apparently, Google and others archive old websites and even if you delete material, it can still be found years later. Unfortunately, some of the conservative candidates were dragged through the mud because of their association with pro-life, pro-family organizations. It is sad but that is just the way it is today. We need to be wise. 4. We need to stay away from quoting the Bible as this does not mean anything to unbelievers and turns people off right away. They will simply no longer listen no matter how much sense the idea or argument makes. When we hold rallies, we need to stick to legal, scientific, social arguments rather than "the Bible says so." The religious argument simply only goes so far. Ultimately, our people have to be elected first so they have an opportunity to be invited to the table to discuss issues. Only then can they work for changes and make a difference. The best way to learn about a candidate's ideas is by getting to know him or her by asking direct questions. Be vocal but always be polite. Take out a membership in the party so you can attend nomination meetings and cast your vote for the candidate of your choice. Christians need to be careful with their demands. It happens regularly that a pro-life candidate is voted in and then some Christians think he or she can just go and change the abortion situation. It does not work that way. Think of it this way: the homosexual community did not wake up one morning thirty years ago and demanded that they can get married. They would have been driven out of town, so to speak. They achieved their goals gradually. This is not a Christian country no matter how much we wish it to be. We need to go carefully and one step at a time, no matter how small that step might be. First, we need to get our people into government and that takes commitment, wisdom, and patience. We need to be in for the long haul. Unfortunately, Christians have a tendency to hide away in the churches and come out only when some controversial issue comes up. The others just look at us bewildered and ask, "Where have you been the last ten years?" We need to be there when the boring stuff is discussed so we can build a reputation, only then will the other side listen to us.