Failing forward in politics: tips on handling political losses

Today, the stakes in political campaigns are high. It is no surprise then that Election Day defeat can sometimes cause depression and a loss of self-esteem.

Serious political candidates make major sacrifices involving family time and income just to take a chance of being a public servant. It is easy to see how devastating a loss can be for anyone willing to be, as Theodore Roosevelt said, "the man in the arena."

But candidates are not the only ones who sacrifice. The candidate's spouse, children and staffers also must endure the ups and downs of victory and defeat, Campaign managers invest two years of their lives in a gamble that ends on Election Day.

Even the winners have trouble adjusting to the normal pace of post-campaign life. And the losers feel as though they have lost a member of the family.

Few campaigners are prepared for this roller-coaster ride. That is why I have created this list to help prepare you for the realities of political life before you run.

People in politics see failure as a stigma. It is not.

James Baker ran for attorney general of Texas in 1978 and lost. He managed George H.W. Bush's presidential campaign in 1980, and his candidate lost. Instead of giving up, though, he went on to become what many consider to be a top-notch chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan and secretary of state under the first President Bush.

More recently, Bob Shrum has been behind almost every Democrat presidential defeat for the last 20 years. Yet, in early 2004 Shrum was a Democratic political consultant so much in demand that, before he signed on to John Kerry's campaign, Washington journalists speculated in print about which candidate would win "the Shrum primary."

And do not forget that Howard Dean would not be Democratic National Committee chairman if it were not for his failed presidential campaign.

Take comfort that you are in the arena.

By getting involved in campaign politics, you have already proven to be an exceptional person. Average people rarely take chances, and thus they have few failures and successes. The fact that you failed at something means you were being aggressive. To use a sports analogy, the best hitters in baseball still get out seven out of 10 times. Sure, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but you are still better than, as Theodore Roosevelt described them, "those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Realize everybody loses.

In their book, "Buck Up, Suck Up ... And Come Back When You Foul Up," James Carville and Paul Begala write, "Perseverance. Toughness. Tenacity. Those are the qualities that make the difference. Real winners know they've got to lose a lot."

Carville and Begala ought to know. They lost a lot of races in the old days, including Democrat Lloyd Doggett's 1984 Senate bid in Texas against Republican Phil Gramm. Ironically, Bob Casey, a man who was then thought of as one of the greatest failures in Pennsylvania political history because he lost two races for governor, resurrected their careers.

In truth, every single successful person is someone who failed, but never considered him or herself a failure. Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime. Albert Einstein was told by a teacher he would never amount to much. You should view this setback as a stepping-stone on your way to the next victory.

Your campaign inspired future leaders.

According to conservative icon Morton Blackwell, "Don't fully trust anyone until he has stuck with a good cause which he saw was losing." It says something about your character. Many of today's best political leaders got their start working for losing campaigns. Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley started out working for Gary Hart (who was the manager for George McGovern's failed presidential bid).

So that 17-year-old kid who volunteered for your campaign could be governor some day. Think of it this way: would Ronald Reagan have been elected president if Barry Goldwater hadn't run in 1964? Or consider Pat Robertson's failed presidential bid in 1988. Although he lost that election, his supporters (who were calling themselves the Christian Coalition by 1994) helped bring about the Republican Revolution.

Not bad for a failed campaign. That's what I call "failing forward."

Your campaign brought issues to the forefront.

In 2000 John McCain lost the Republican presidential primary to George W. Bush. But during the first congressional legislative session to follow the election his pet project of campaign finance changes became law. Had McCain not run for office and made that his signature issue, it is doubtful that the campaign finance overhaul would have been passed--and signed--by President Bush.

You learned lessons that will help you win next time.

Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln all lost political campaigns before achieving their destiny. Reagan lost in 1976, but won in 1980. Churchill (who was turned out as prime minister after defeating the Nazis) persevered and became prime minister again. And every schoolchild knows the story of all the losses and hardships endured by Abraham Lincoln. These men became great because they had to endure what Churchill vividly referred to as his "wilderness years."

On a lighter note, basketball coach Rick Pitino puts it his way: "Everything I've learned about coaching I've learned from making mistakes."

By understanding these six principles, you will be on your way to realizing that failure is temporary. What makes the person is not whether or not you fail, but rather how you handle adversity and what you learn from it that counts.

Matt Lewis is president of the Campaign Leadership Company, LLC, in Alexandria, Va., which specializes in public relations and communications strategies for Republican candidates and political campaigns.

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