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A handful of new democracies are struggling to build
a foundation for the future. They have held elections
and written constitutions and seem to be attempting
to create stability and government legitimacy as
dictatorships are replaced. Individuals running
for office and new to the electoral process will
quickly learn to use the tools of politicians in
other countries.

One of the most important techniques for political
success is to convince voters that what one says is
true no matter what the claim or promise. It's all
about perceptions. Voters have to be moved onto a
positive path regarding the candidate and onto a
negative path regarding an opponent.

A successful politician never admits to making a
mistake. If there is a problem or many problems,
the blame must fall on political opponents.

Successful politicians in new or old democracies
don't have to win voters' minds and hearts or long
term loyalties. What they want and must have is
more immediate and more transitory and is the only
thing a voter has of value. That is one vote.

Maybe new democracies will recognize the flaws inherent
in traditional techniques of voter manipulation and
bypass them in favor of a new and open approach
toward connecting with voters. Rather than the reverse,
perhaps these new democracies can, in the end, influence
older ones. Ways of the past can possibly be replaced by
creatively fair approaches to democracratic elections
which serve the population and are based on clarity
and integrity. If that were to happen, it would be a breakthough.