The Election Playbook
In the last few election cycles, I’ve observed a coordinated campaign spin machine and political playbook that is shaping what you see, hear, and ultimately believe before you ever step into a voting booth.
That’s because you are not just a voter.
You are the target audience.
As always, my goal is to watch what’s happening and inform our voters of fact or fiction. We all need to be vigilant as we gear up for the May election, so let’s walk through what I’ve observed and identify the tactics.
Because if you understand the tactics, you’re less likely to be manipulated by them.
1️⃣ Villian Story First. Governance Later.
What we are seeing now is that campaigns and candidates are no longer centered around Governance and Policy; the playbook is manufacturing a Villian, then pushing out a Story. The elements of the Villian Story are clear:
- Identify the hero.
- Identify the evil villain.
- Build contrast, even if it’s lies.
- Repeat lies till they become the truth.
Once a candidate is branded with a negative label as the “Villian”, their actual track record, policies, or experience becomes secondary. Campaign operatives know most voters will process emotion or follow a story faster than facts.
Don’t believe me?
The recent special election for Place 1 was rife with lies from one campaign attempting to make what’s untrue seem true by sheer force and repetition. The losing candidate manufactured a Villian Story and perpetuated it through mailers, multiple publications, and social media keyboard warriors. Thankfully, Frisco voters rejected the lies and didn’t buy the Villian Story, for the 3rd time.
For this upcoming May, ALL of us need to become Frisco Watchdogs and call out any lies publicly and privately. Don’t let 1,000 lies become truth or the next Villian Story. Let’s enter this election cycle with our eyes wide open and ready to defend the truth. People can have differing opinions, but facts are facts. Research and make sure you are relying on TRUE facts. Not falsehoods or someone’s skewed interpretation of facts.
2️⃣ Fake Accounts and Anonymous Echo Chamber
In the last few years, we’ve seen a surge of obviously fake social media accounts having very passionate “conversations” with literally other fake accounts, trolling candidates with negative rhetoric, and planting false accusations without consequences. . . because they are cowardly hiding behind fake accounts and blogs.
This is getting beyond annoying; it’s honestly dangerous for Frisco.
If you don’t have the courage to put your real name and real face behind your words, you don’t get to steer the narrative and make baseless accusations. Civil discourse requires actual humans.
I’ve called out a few of these accounts publicly as I see them, and I’ll keep doing it. But this can’t be a one-person job. If you see profiles like “DE Lost Fan”, Joe Davis,” “Sai Madan,” or “Dave Sitizen” popping up, just click their profile. If you see zero history, a handful of followers, but always the same political outrage, just call them out.
Here are two actual examples I’ve seen.
And it should tell you something about the character of the candidate these fake accounts consistently support. It begs the question- can’t the candidate find real supporters? Why allow this to continue? Fake accounts can’t vote!
So here’s a simple rule we should all follow: No name? No credibility.
Let’s stop legitimizing fake accounts and anonymous groups who have no leaders, no accountability, and no transparency. They should be given NO platform. Frisco deserves better.
3️⃣ Rage Bait
This goes hand-in-hand with fake accounts, but it deserves its own spotlight: Rage Bait.
This election playbook strategy is simple:
- Find the Rage Bait: Get two seconds of a dramatic soundbite or issue to hyperfocus on
- Trigger an emotional reaction first: Make the voter angry before they’ve had time to think.
- Force opponents to defend constantly: Because if they’re always reacting and putting out fires, they’re not leading.
The truth is, Anger is a powerful tool, and angry people vote. Anger spreads fast, it’s shareable, it’s addictive. It makes people feel like they’re “in the know” or “on the right side.”
This is strategic- once you’re angry, even if what they’re telling you isn’t true, your critical thinking drops and context doesn’t matter. Suddenly you’re all fired up and ready to join the “cause” without research or facts.
But more often than not, there isn’t actually a crisis. Rage Bait is a manufactured war, designed to control the narrative for the election cycle and draw battle lines for “us” against “them”. The winner is whoever can deliver the cleanest 15-second outrage monologue.
So instead of asking: “Who sounds the angriest?”
We need to ask:
- Who has actually managed something?
- Who understands how policy becomes practice?
- Who builds coalitions instead of building fake followings?
- Who can disagree without detonating the room?
Elections are hiring decisions.
And right now, too many voters are hiring based on rage bait and audition clips instead of real leadership skills.
The result? We’ve seen how City Council meetings have declined and city business has slowed down significantly. We can’t afford to let this continue.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Campaigning is not the same as Governing.
Campaigning is flashy, but Governance is unglamorous, painstaking work. A Council member’s actual volunteer job is Governance: to shape policy, which affects property taxes, infrastructure, public safety, economic development, and more. These important decisions are not always exciting, but they significantly impact your daily life. It takes work. It takes time. It takes meeting with Staff and educating oneself on the details of subjects that come before council. If they aren’t willing to meet with staff or “don’t have the time” then they shouldn’t be in the role.
Hold your candidates to the standard of the best leadership to govern, not the best Villian Story, number of fake followers, or latest Rage Bait. Don’t vote based on the angriest campaign and fall for the same playbook. The stakes are simply too high for anything less.
