Only one would pass the test if each Colombian was a human resources officer and asked the presidential candidates to select the most qualified for the position. The reason will not be for his virtues but rejection. Also, find out here the communication strategy of each applicant. The result will give more arguments for selecting him.
In Colombia, as never before, 46 citizens have announced their candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic in 2022. According to many experts, a very high number that is explained by a perceived weakness of democracy originated in the poor performance of the current government. The facts have led many to think that it is possible to fish in a troubled river. The truth is that among the candidates, there are of all tendencies, ideologies, and origins. There are many more men than women. According to experts in electoral mechanics, of those 46 candidates, only 10% would arrive on election day. Let us take the latest poll published by Semana magazine and assume that the first five candidates preferred by voters would be the finalists. We will be able to do the exercise of seeing the pros and cons of the presidential candidates. We will use the questions hiring managers to ask today in a job interview for a position of leadership and confidence.
There is no doubt that among the 46 applicants, there are excellent candidates. Attention, we say candidates that are not synonymous with a good president. It cannot be said that a good candidate will be a good president. Leading a good government involves many political, personal, and circumstantial factors that are not determined by a good resume. The conditions to successfully overcome the harsh tests of governing a country as particular as Colombia are special. This judgment is perhaps the first reflection that voters should make. Good candidates are just that, and they are no guarantee of a good president until they successfully pass the job interview questions.
To carry out our exercise, we will consider the following questions. Have you been suspended or forced to resign from any position in the past? Have you been accused of mismanagement by any authority? If we asked someone who has worked with you about your communication skills, would he tell us he had problems? How would you explain that you are prepared for the position without being elected in one?
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That said, let us look at the five candidates from whom we will see the pros and cons of their resumes and the communication they use in their campaigns. In their order they would be Gustavo Petro, Sergio Fajardo, Rodolfo Hernández, Juan Manuel Galán and María Fernanda Cabal.
GUSTAVO PETRO
Curriculum, he is a leftist candidate, with a past of guerrilla militancy, former senator and former Mayor of Bogotá. He repeats his presidential candidacy after being defeated by a right-wing candidate in 2018.
Strategy and communication, he bases his strategy on addressing the dissatisfaction of all ages, especially young people. He makes populist proposals based on lies or misinformation. He knows that many are unworkable in a democratic system with three powers but still insists on the issues. He seeks with his proposals to increase nonconformity. Produce the phenomenon of contamination of the audience, that is to say, plant an unrealizable idea that sounds viable. Reinforce that message with the concept that those who oppose wanting to continue abusing the less favored. Every time another candidate wants to deny or clarify the proposal, he will fall into the trap. The polluted voters will see him as an enemy, not as a defender of the electorate. Finally, he preaches the idea that whoever is not with him is against him. It is is very warlordism but profitable when the first two actions have been carried out, cheating and polluting.
Key question, Would this candidate fail the interview when asked, Have you been suspended or forced to resign from any position in the past? (Yes, when he was Mayor). Have you been accused of mismanagement by any authority? (If for the garbage collection and the purchase of old trucks) If we asked someone who has worked with you about your communication, would they tell us they have problems? (If Antonio Navarro resigned from the cabinet for those reasons). This candidate would fail not only in one but at least three questions with which he would not be elected to the position.
SERGIO FAJARDO
Curriculum, Center candidate, mathematician, former Mayor of Medellín, former governor of Antioquia. Former vice-president candidate and former presidential candidate. He was ranked third in voting in 2018.
Strategy and communication, address citizens of all ages who want a new way of doing politics. Use his academic strength to promote his message. He proposes things but does not have a clear and identifying speech. His proposals are usually full of generalities. He survives in the imaginary due to the good remembrance of his constituents. However, He loses points for the lack of unique messages. He has been labeled lukewarm or indecisive because of the ambiguity of his pronouncements. He faces legal requirements that affect him to the extent that he does not actively campaign based on his defense or campaign on his proposals. He undertakes many tactical communication actions, but apparently, none of them fervently reconnect him with his constituents. Sometimes it is encoded with the handwritten explanations that he presents.
Key question, in the interview for the position, he would fail when asked, Has he been accused of mismanagement by any authority? (If the Hidroituango case). If we asked someone who has worked with you about your communication, would they tell us they have problems? (If he is perceived as lacking in taking positions when he must assume one).
RODOLFO HERNANDEZ
Curriculum, Engineer, businessman, and former Mayor of Bucaramanga. Sanctioned several times with suspensions and forced to resign as Mayor. The creator of the Lógica, Ética y Estética political movement, won his election and promised to fight politicking and corruption but were affected by these vices.
Strategy and communication, he does not have a clear strategy as a candidate for the presidency. He mainly addresses his regional supporters and some sectors of opinion sympathetic to the controversial pronouncements. That has shown him as a follower of Hitler, threatening to kill politicians and contractors or saying that he would finance his campaign with his own money. He does not make serious proposals but somewhat folklore trying to encourage his followers. He is the antithesis of a candidate. He fights publicly with voters, insults and assaults them verbally and physically. His favoritism percentage is the third among the candidates, but it is deficient compared to the first two.
Key question, in the eventual interview, this candidate would fall when asked, Have you been suspended or forced to resign from any position in the past? (Yes, from the Mayor’s office) Have you been accused of mismanagement by any authority? (Yes of improper intervention of contracts) If we asked someone who has worked with you about your communication, would they tell us that you have problems? (Yes, with councilors, contractors, firefighters, students, and journalists). The seriousness of cases he has been affected by his character flaws preclude possibilities of being considered for the position.
JUAN MANUEL GALAN
Curriculum, who graduated in political science and international relations, has been a senator for three consecutive terms as a member of the Liberal Party to which he no longer belongs. He defines himself as a center candidate; without a doubt, he has a rich resume as the author of innovative and inclusive bills.
Strategy and communication, his campaign aim to captivate citizens of all ages with innovative proposals with a liberal sense. Although his preference numbers are growing and he is now fourth in most polls, his strategy and communication are weak. He runs a campaign like the 90s, beginning the third decade of the 21st century. If he redefined it, his impact would be much more significant. His flagship proposals are powerful but poorly communicated. They attract but do not convince. He is the candidate with the best resume to be president even though he has no experience as Mayor or Governor like his rivals. How he handles timing and impulses in the coming months will depend on whether he becomes president or a former candidate.
Key question, when answering the questions, he would win and lose. He will win because he is the only one of the candidates who has not been forced to resign. He has not been accused by any authority and does not have character problems as his rivals have. That is a great point. He will lose because he would have to answer the question. How would you explain that you are prepared for the position without being elected in a similar one? His response could either eliminate him or strengthen him. Only if the Colombians want to give him a chance despite his weakness would he be chosen.
MARIA FERNANDA CABAL
Curriculum, she is a political scientist, businesswoman, and mother. She represents the Colombian political right with a career in various positions in the government that led her to be a senator for the current president’s party. She is not shown as a brilliant legislator but very vociferous.
Strategy and communication, her campaign is aimed at captivating her co-supporters and Uribismo. She is not known for innovative proposals but statements of great emotional content for her followers. She disqualifies people or organizations contrary to her thinking or her party. The basis of her political life is sensationalism. She does not speak about change because she belongs to the government’s party, but she neither mentions errors to correct. Her inability to make statements makes her more vociferous on issues that inflame her followers. Her announcements have captivated the opinion and, therefore, the fifth place in the polls. She does not gather followers of other trends. Her campaign will undoubtedly disappear to make way for another candidate with more force and a more proactive speech from the political right. She also professes that whoever is not with her is against her, as the left candidate.
Key question, in the interview, she would fail in the question. If we asked someone who has worked with you about her communication, would she tell us she has problems? (if the scandals in each declaration and systematic disqualification of the others) like another candidate would fail in the question, how would you explain that she is prepared for the position without being elected in a similar one? Having closed her ideological circle will be tough to convince the interviewer that she has the character and personality to achieve consensus. She has based her performance on disqualifying and segregating citizens according to the ideas they profess.
With these candidates, Colombia is at a critical moment in its history not only because it must enter into the post-pandemic recovery, which weakened society and killed 127 thousand people. Colombia also must enter into the consolidation of the peace process that ended the internal conflict. According to the Victims Unit, it produced 262 thousand deaths according to Historical Memory and about 700 one thousand victims. Colombians expect a lot from the governments to come, especially from the next one that guides the country towards a better condition. The problem is that the candidates would be the most unprepared in history in the most challenging and decisive moment. The election comes when there is a desperate and confused country looking for a better future.
Citizens should do their best to choose well. It is impossible to know if a suitable candidate will be a good head of state or a weak candidate will be a good president. It is the dilemma of democracies. The candidate who believes that they can be the president the country needs must reach their audiences, convincing and committing them to vote. The most significant task is for the candidates and their communication teams to gain the trust and support of undecided voters, who are the majority. Those who lead the polls are wrong in the CIM, Integrated Communication of the Message. They could be leaving the door open for a spontaneous to arrive and convince in a couple of months those whom they could not in several years of work. To learn more about strategy and communication, write to ottogutierrez@ymail.com, tell me about your project or need, and I can surely help you.
Otto Gutierrez 