My Advice To The Juan Garica Camp: Stop Crying And Beat Todd Hunter On The Scoreboard
I have never experienced it, but I imagine there is no feeling better than listening to an opposing coach, player or sportswriter bring your capabilities into question, quietly biding your time, and then hitting a couple of homers the next time you are in their house. Beating your nay-sayers on the scoreboard, it has to be not only the sweetest revenge, but probably the only admirable form of revenge as well.
So much like a struggling slugger blasted all over the front page of the sports section, the Juan Garcia camp doesn’t like the noise coming out of (or on behalf of) team Todd Hunter in reference to the Mark Littlefield’s poll. So go beat Todd Hunter on the scoreboard, or in this case in the ballot box, right? Sadly for Juan Garcia, that answer is no.
Instead of pinning the poll results up on the bulliten board, using it as motivation every time they got ready to go knock on doors or prepare for a debate, Juan Garcia’s camp has done the most self-destructive thing they can do…let it get under their skin. Whoever Christian Archer is, Juan Garcia needs to seriously consider if he is the right spokesperson for his campaign. Because as I see it, the right response to what you think is a bogus poll is no response, not a 2 page memo that only does more harm than good. How, you ask? Well, let me list the ways.
First, it makes you look scared. A no response or a shrug off by Juan Garcia as he proclaimed that the only poll that matters to him is the one that is conducted on November 4 would have made him look confident, unshaken, and able to handle adversity. Instead Christian Archer has his candidate appearing as though he is scrambling, worried, and desperate.
Second, you keep the poll in the news. Case in point, this blog. When Mr. Littlefield’s poll first came out, Sam and I passed on it because, like Garica, we were skeptic. Only when Garcia’s camp decided to respond did we in turn write on the poll that shows him trailing his opponent. And let us not forget the old saying that all a response really does is validate what it is you are responding to.
There are many more downfalls that I will not go into detail on, such as: coming off as a crybaby and a bully, playing defense instead of offense, and running the appearance that your time and resources are not being put to effective use (writing memos for the press doesn’t = votes, knocking on doors and raising money does). So the real question is why, why submit the response?
I can’t get my head around on it but I will tell you this much. This memo from Mr. Archer does not have me thinking that the Garcia campaign is under control, focused, and ready to go out and win their race. Not that I am bothered by that, mind you. I would love to see Juan Garcia join the likes of Boris Miles as a one-and-done.