What Every Voter Needs To Know
A distillation after a fairly extended period of general eavesdropping:
"Forget about describing your grand, lofty and generic visions. Spare me your theories and philosophies. Forget what the other guy's visions, theories, or philosophies are, or what you think they are. In fact, forget talking in terms of comparing yourself to anyone else, period.
If I vote for you and you win, tell me what I'll have to do differently, what I'll have to do less of, what I'll have to do more of, what I'll gain, what I'll lose, and how much more money you'll want from me and to benefit whom (or, how much less you'll take and who gives up a benefit as a consequence). Answer those questions as specifically, briefly and--above all--as directly as possible, without digression or retreat to generalities, given the profile you've assigned to me.
I'll be able to tell for myself what you stand for, what you want to accomplish, and how you compare to other candidates. Don't shape the debate for me, show me the goods."
"Forget about describing your grand, lofty and generic visions. Spare me your theories and philosophies. Forget what the other guy's visions, theories, or philosophies are, or what you think they are. In fact, forget talking in terms of comparing yourself to anyone else, period.
If I vote for you and you win, tell me what I'll have to do differently, what I'll have to do less of, what I'll have to do more of, what I'll gain, what I'll lose, and how much more money you'll want from me and to benefit whom (or, how much less you'll take and who gives up a benefit as a consequence). Answer those questions as specifically, briefly and--above all--as directly as possible, without digression or retreat to generalities, given the profile you've assigned to me.
I'll be able to tell for myself what you stand for, what you want to accomplish, and how you compare to other candidates. Don't shape the debate for me, show me the goods."
