A Machiavellian Perspective on Political Super PAC's

Since the election is now over, and the candidates spent over $6 Billion for a job paying $600 thousand a year, we should examine the behind-the-scene tactics as viewed through Machiavelli.

From a Machiavellian perspective political Super PAC's are great. The politician knows who his Super PAC supporters are, and they do the dirty work. They are not constrained by federal limits on donations, or how they use the money. The PAC's seize the moment and attack potential rivals like a virus. Meanwhile, the political candidate, stands in front of the voters and  says, “I am powerless to stop the Super Packs and what they are saying about my competition”. Invariably, an arms race develops when the other side creates their own super pack to retaliate. Eventually, you see mutual destruction rain down on both sides. The winner use to be the candidate who has the most affluent friends who are engaged in his / her candidacy and are willing to invest early in development of the Super PAC.  The Super Pac's must now think more strategically. Chose a side to early and they may get wiped out by investigators who find dirty secrets hidden in the candidates past and have time to further develop the story. Get in to late and the voters may have already made up their minds.  The Super Pac must find new, and previously untapped, pathways to get the message out while containing their opponents message.  The Super Pac must infiltrate the media. It is imperative to have someone willing to run the news stories you want, with the angle you need to get into a favorable light. The media can spin a tail to the public that sounds exciting and realistic.

Social media provides a plethora of communication pathways to beat your opponent into submission. Websites are nice, but anyone with a twitter account can blast messages out 140 characters at a time extolling the virtues, or vicees, of a candidate. A good social media manager, supported by the Super Pac, can use multiple portals to deliver a tidal wave of information that can not be surmounted.   

Today's candidates must utilize a combined arms strategy to not only beat but concur their adversary. It requires the combination of early arrival, combined with the financial firepower, a media elite to carry your message  and a willingness to eviscerate the competition; simply stated, fire early and often with the intent of ruthless destruction.