The Biggest Mistake Politicians Make: Trusting the Playbook Over the Moment

Most politicians trust the playbook more than they trust the people in front of them.

 

They cling to scripts, talking points, “approved language,” and decision trees drawn up by consultants who’ve never knocked a door in 95-degree heat or stood on someone’s porch while their dog barked incessantly.

 

The playbook says:

• stay on message

• avoid conflict

• talk about “your story”

• pivot back to the issue of the day

• keep it safe

• poll everything

• never say anything unexpected

 

The problem? Real life doesn’t follow a playbook.

 

Real people don’t speak in bullet points. Real moments don’t fit into a consultant’s tested framework. Real crises don’t wait for pollsters to sign off.

 

Politics is supposed to be a human endeavor. But when elected officials outsource their instincts to paper and polling, they stop being leaders and start being performers.

 

What I’ve learned knocking thousands of doors is simple. The moment tells you what to do, if you’re actually present enough to hear it.

 

When a voter opens the door and tells you they’re terrified about losing their housing, you don’t pivot to inflation talking points. You talk about their fear and what’s real behind it.

 

When someone tells you they don’t trust Democrats or Republicans, you don’t give them your résumé. You ask questions until you understand why.

 

When a neighborhood is falling apart from infrastructure neglect, you don’t lecture them about federalism. You talk about how to fix the damn roads.

 

The biggest mistake politicians make is believing leadership is something you carry into a room instead of something you discover inside it.

 

Leadership is not a preloaded script. It’s the courage to respond to reality in real time.

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