What it takes to win elections: Lessons from Obama’s victory

Editor

The US electoral system has evolved since the Palm Beach  Bay controversy in the 2000 election.  I wish to congratulate the Democratic Party and their dynamic leader, President Barack Obama, on his election victory.

The appointments of retired senator George Mitchell and Richard Holbrough (Troubleshooter) to the Middle East respectively, are indeed welcomed move. What has changed, of course, is Obama’s message of change and hope. The party’s election campaign since 2004, including their massive grassroots and door-to-door voters’ registration and education exercise has indeed paid dividend.

Well informed voters are able to produce acceptable, free and fair results.  The question is can the press help a candidate to win votes?  Yes and no.  Yes, in USA, from the onset, it was clear that Barack Obama emerged as the candidate of the major media networks; no, in Ghana even though the media talked about the ruling party candidate Mr Addo more frequently than the opposition’s John Atta Mills, Addo did not win.  

In elections, who are the kingmakers?  It is the swing voters, undecided and newly registered voters. Arguably in the above-mentioned elections, it was the combination of these factors that played decisive roles in the outcome of the November and December elections in the US and Ghana respectively.  

The lessons to be learnt are that elections are not won today but yesterday, which involves long time planning, care and perfect homework.