Politics = Psychology

This morning, I published a post stating that if politicians like Ohio Rep Gary Click actually cared about protecting kids, they would publicly denounce Donald Trump for his confirmed “socializing” with underage girls (read more here).

It only took a few hours for Gary Click to respond:

It would have been a perfect opportunity for Rep Click to denounce pedophilia and politicians like Trump who are now directly tied to it….but he did not.

Instead, he proved a key theory of effective political messaging.

In our “How Things Work at the Statehouse trainings, we teach Ohioans that politics = psychology

Politicians want to feel cool, popular, and powerful. That's why they limit public testimony, surround themselves with people who agree with them, and avoid town halls that force them to face reality.

It's also why direct confrontation and being “the squeaky wheel” are such effective strategies. Politicians are people, and they can be worn down.

I called out Gary Click on Twitter and tagged him, and it's clearly bothering him. That is a win.

Here’s the lesson — Find ways to publicly call out your elected officials.

Tag them on social media.

Write about them in news sources they will read.

Post photos of them around town.

Get their neighbors and community members involved.

Make them the most despised person at their local grocery store.

Don't let them ignore the consequences of their actions any longer.