If you won’t face voters, don’t ask for their vote

Published August 12, 2026 11:00am ET



There is a simple test for whether a candidate respects the people they are asking to lead: Do they show up?

Not to fundraisers. Not to friendly rallies where every face in the crowd already agrees with them. Do they show up to forums where they might hear something they did not expect, face a question they were not prepared for, or have to defend a position in front of voters who have not already decided to support them?

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