Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [84]
If, on the other hand, the press and members of the public and strangers have always referred to you as “William” or “Patricia” but all along your family and friends have called you “Billy” or “Patty,” then you have no problem; people can continue to call you whatever they called you before your candidacy.
It is also important that you adopt the stance and body language befitting the office for which you are running. Let us assume that you are running for governor of your state. During your campaign, you obviously should not run around acting like the dog catcher; instead, you want to act like the governor. Your posture, statements, body language, clothes—all contribute to the image of a person who will make an excellent governor.
In your speeches, assume you are the future governor. Say such things as:
“As your governor, I will support ...”
“When I am elected governor, I will listen to ...”
“We can work together to achieve sound government policies for ...”
As mentioned above, you should remember that everything you say goes on the record and can be brought back to haunt you. This is especially important for the political candidate to realize. If you don’t say it, you will never have to deny or explain it. Remember: You can never truly retrieve a misstatement. Your correction or qualifying statement may never catch up with the original news story.
As a candidate, you should seek to exude the confidence, authority, control, and ability to handle the office that you seek.
Your Campaign Wardrobe
The previous sections on clothing in the chapter “Your Personal Appearance” give thorough advice on clothing choices for the political candidate. A few more tips are included here.
During an active campaign, you are constantly on the go. For both men and women, a few good basic suits will serve you well and emerge from the dry cleaner’s in good shape. Well-chosen accessories will enable you to travel light and at the same time be ready for any occasion.
Let us assume you will travel in one day to five different locations in your state or district, attending a variety of functions and rallies. You may travel by private plane on a tight schedule, with crowds at each airport. A car should be waiting to whisk you to the next function.
For men, the basic good-quality navy or gray suit described in the clothing chapter will carry you through the day. If you want to appear more informal, you can wear a navy blazer, gray pants, gray shirt, and a quiet tie from breakfast through dinner. If one of the stops is a barbecue in a rural setting, carry along a gray tweed jacket and perhaps an extra pair of shined shoes if it’s raining or muddy. If there is an opportunity to change clothes before the evening function, wear the navy blazer with matching navy pants, a fresh gray shirt, and a dressier silk, foulard tie. Be sure to wear long, black socks to cover the shins when sitting on a platform.
One candidate for public office whom I had coached for several months on his appearance and voice was about to give one of the most important public appearances of his life. I had helped him learn how to feel comfortable giving a speech. I had helped him purchase a new campaign wardrobe. I had forgotten to tell him that he should always wear long, black socks when sitting on a platform.
I will never forget that night, sitting in the first row of the auditorium, staring at six inches of bare white shins as he crossed and recrossed his legs for several hours.
Carefully consider your audience at each stop, and, as mentioned in the chapter on clothing, adapt your wardrobe accordingly. If you are speaking to factory workers, don’t wear your three-piece suit with your Phi Beta Kappa key hanging from a chain on your vest. Wear the same suit but take the vest off.