When I ran for office, a consultant that worked with several winning campaigns gave me this advice on campaign speeches.
1. Never use notes (teleprompters). If you don’t know what you want to say by heart, why should anybody care.
2. Be prepared for every contentious issue in your race. If there’s an issue facing 5% of voters (annexation, power plant vote, etc) and you don’t know about it, there goes 5% of your vote and the margin of victory in half of all elections.
3. Memorize an opening and an ending. Pick 5 issues, memorize talking points about them. Use 3 in random order at each speech. Pick the three you think most appeals to that audience.
Your stump speech goes like this: opening, 3 things (or 2 plus that 5% voter issue if that’s who you’re talking to), ending. Stay on script, but be able to ad lib if a particular issue is brought up.
The above gives you an outline but creates enough flexibility that you aren’t stuck in having to say what’s next to stay on script.
4. Always be ready with a 20 sec answer for why you’re running and why you’re qualified, etc.
Stump speeches are just that. They’re suppose to provide the campaign meme without getting the candidate off message.
In one race, an opponent would talk about being “on the pointed tip of the spear” at the same point in every speech. It got so that the usual campaign staff for several campaigns would all mouth in unison, “pointed tip of the spear” at the right moment.
There’s nothing wrong with memorized campaign memes.
Rubio’s problem was an inability to think on his feet when called out on it. He was so locked in to his meme, he couldn’t move.
It was really quite clever to take Rubio’s strength and twist it on him. That’s why Presidential campaigns ain’t little league.
Thanks for posting that ziravan.
Rubio’s tactic of jabbing when jabbed and pivoting to conservative red meat schtick to parry scrutiny of his record needed calling out.
The D’s millions will shine brilliant lights on Rubio’s record making conservatives stay home.
Better to shine the light brightly now.
Go Christie!