How did Jimmy Carter win the White House? He cultivated losers. From 1974 well into the 1976 Presidential campaign every time a Democratic candidate for statewide, county or city office lost, Jimmy Carter wrote to thank him or her for hard work and courage and to invite them to work with his party. Later also with Carter for President.

In the 2000 Buncombe County primary and general elections good Republicans failed to win County Commissioner seats. Should they now be written off as “just losers” in some hopeless, demeaning sense? Jimmy Carter would think not. What of  two other  local Republicans who ran for the NC State Senate and lost?

Each of those six “losing” men received votes from hundreds of people. Each had a half dozen or more core supporters pouring their hearts into  their candidate’s campaign. That is too much talent and savvy simply to write off.

Suppose those six losers run again. Who are the first people they will turn to if not their loyal, experienced supporters the last time around?

If a winner like Nathan Ramsey runs again for Chairman of County Commissioners and Mark Crawford tries again for Raleigh, will they seek support only from backers of the local winners in 2000, e.g., from the base of  Wilma Sherrill and Lanier Cansler? If any candidate for any office ignores the people behind Mike Morgan, Jess Ledbetter and the others who waged a gallant fight but then lost, they will make a big mistake.

Buncombe County voters are apathetic. Therefore, an extra twenty activists behind a candidate can sweep him into office. Those twenty activists can bring in three hundred additional voters in primaries and general elections. That mass can tip the scales.

Always congratulate your party’s losers shortly after election. Remind them afterwards how much you appreciate their energy behind a losing but valued cause.

Your words will encourage one time “losers” to try again for the same of different offices in the next party primaries. If they choose not to run, they can encourage the base to throw their smarts and doggedness behind newcomers.

Winning by giving losers their dues is an idea I stumbled across only recently. My source was Christopher Matthews and his 1988 book HARDBALL: How Politics is Played--Told by One Who Knows the Game, New York, Summit Books, 1988. Matthews’ HARDBALL now lives on in his weekly TV “talking heads” program.

In 1974’s Democratic Party primary in Philadelphia Chris Matthews ran a distant second for Congress. Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia was Chairman of the Democratic Campaign Committee. Days later came a letter of sympathy from Chairman Carter. The Governor also asked Matthews for advice on how to help Democratic party efforts in Pennsylvania and other States. Matthews was to contact Carter personally. (p.59)

Every candidate must build a campaign organization. Sure enough, therefore, running not long after for President as an “outsider,” what did Jimmy Carter do?  Almost uniquely in American political history Carter built an organization around Chris Matthews and other “outsiders” and “losers.” Before later inviting them to sign on to his campaign, Jimmy Carter had first sent a personal letter to all Democratic Party primary losers. They had been shut out politically. Carter personally re-opened the door to their becoming the winners they knew they deserved to be. (p. 60) 

Jody Powell added, 

The bottom line: good people lose. But they display what the political marketplace needs: loyalty, grit, campaign skills. With help from losers, smart candidates know how to win.

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for INDEPENDENT  TORCH