Political parties and independent candidates go a long mile to make their campaigns successful. Their motive and actions are parallel to please the mass and achieve victory. Many parties use various types of strategies to make their vision a reality. While it is undoubtedly true that not all strategies can come to a joyous conclusion. But a strategy that is internationally recognized and used by many people who have taken the office to serve the public is called “the nice guy strategy”.
The nature of this strategy is given away by the name itself. This strategy is perhaps the most effective when it comes to creating a positive mark on the public. Pleasing the public and making promises to them doesn’t do much and is old school. People want someone who is “good” and “nice”. A person who smiles, talks softly, and doesn’t create any type of tension is very attractive. A silent and humble politician is preferred over a loud and arrogant one. In times of election, it is crucial to give the public the impression that the following candidate is “nice” and willing to listen rather than talk long and vague. Talking a whole lot of nothing for a long time is defeated every time by a talk that is short and precise. In this strategy, it is also important to pick the right words.
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A politician should avoid using stern and hostile words. After all, the speeches and talk shows are for the general public to see and decide for themselves. While delivering the talk, soft and right words are preferred. For example, if a politician needs to talk about the possibility of war in the country, then he should stay a mile away from the words “war” and “attack”, and use substitute words like, “operation” and “action”. Words like “war” create a sense of fear and grave concern in the public. These are heavy words. A party ought to ensure the people that they are safe. Words like “security” and “peace” go a long way.
So, choosing the right words and presenting them with humbleness is preferred by the public. There’s a saying, “empty vessels make more noise.” People apply this saying in their lives all the time. A person who knows a lot speaks very less and is reserved. But a man with surface knowledge is out there screaming and trying to convince people that he knows a thing or two. This is the general belief of the people. And this plays a huge part in elections of any kind. People cannot know the motive of the politician. They can only judge by how the politicians present themselves. So based on that presentation, the vote is cast.
Someone who ran a successful campaign and became the president of the United States with the aid of this strategy is Barack Obama. He ran a global media campaign portraying himself as someone humble and friendly. Someone who is a ‘nice guy.’ People believe that someone who presents themselves as nice will solve their problems. A happy and friendly politician looks a lot more likely to listen to the woes of the public. The general public believes that a nice leader does nice things for the nation. And that is exactly the motive of this strategy. Creating an image among the public that appears non-hostile, friendly, calm, collected, and humble. When Obama was fighting for the presidency he used the right words to not appear as a hostile leader. He didn’t use the word “war” for the war going on in the Middle East where the US army was involved. The previous presidents constantly referred to them as “war on terror or “long war”. But Obama converted those words to make them sound less threatening. Instead, he said they were, “overseas contingency operations.” The latter words sound everything but non-hostile and non-aggressive. People were led to believe that this president does not support the war.
But, in reality, something else was true. Regardless of the motive and intention of the person running for the election, a smile and a bit of friendliness is what stick with the public. Even today, when asked about Obama to the general public who keeps a note on politics, they seldom talk about his policies or the work he did as president. Instead, they talk about his excellent public speaking, his big smile, taking long walks in the park and talking to people, going to stalls and eating burgers, his ability to handle hostile people, his strength to speak with dignity and grace, and just appearing as a nice person. There are a lot of clips on YouTube that show how friendly and humble he was throughout his presidency. So, he is a concrete example of someone who has correctly used this strategy.
There’s a saying that goes, “A smile goes a long way,” and that is undoubtedly true. In times of elections, the usage of this strategy makes the politician go a long way. Regardless of the result, the general public seldom forgets a smiling face. In this country which carries a lot of issues, general people are waiting for the hero to solve every one of those issues. Someone dedicated, serious, and calm. Someone who appears friendly and is most likely to address the issues. Someone who speaks softly and connects with people on many levels. Because people make decisions on emotions and then justify them with logic.
