Five New Year’s Resolutions for Politicians

Digital Vision/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Though Jeb Bush is the only one of the most likely contenders to officially announce that he is going to “actively explore” a 2016 presidential run, he will not be alone for long.

In that spirit, there are a few tips -– or “campaign resolutions” -– that prospective candidates might want to take to heart when they’re coming up with their lists of dos and don’ts for 2015.

Here are some suggestions, based on the mistakes of other politicians over the past few years.

Assume There are Recording Devices Everywhere

Gaffes are one thing, but slips of the tongue turn into genuine political problems when they reiterate negative perceptions of candidates.

That was the case for Mitt Romney when a waiter at a private donor function took a cell phone recording where the Republican presidential candidate was heard saying that 47 percent of the country’s population will vote for President Obama “no matter what.” Romney went on to say that those are people “who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it.”

That wasn’t the only time that Romney’s words were replayed for millions a few more times than he may have hoped — Who built what? Corporations are what? Binders full of what? — so he may have learned his lesson.

Don’t Forget Your Own Talking Points

This rule should be easy to remember, especially if you saw Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s flub in 2011.

Perry didn’t do his campaign any favors when he infamously forgot one of his major talking points during a nationally-televised Republican primary debate, saying that there were three federal agencies that he would eliminate if he were elected president.

After listing off the Departments of Commerce and Education, he could not remember that he had also vowed to cut the Department of Energy.

And, if your memory does cut short, try coming up with a better substitution than Perry’s: “Oops.”

Just Say Who You Voted For

Maybe it was meant as a way to appeal to Republicans who wouldn’t want to vote for someone who voted for Obama? Maybe she thought it wouldn’t turn into a big deal? Neither of those things happened.

Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Democratic challenger opposing then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s re-election campaign, refused to say who she voted for in the last election and it ended up doing more harm than good.

She ended up losing her bid, and because Republicans made gains across the country, McConnell won both the election and a new title: Senate majority leader.

Ditch the Tan Suit

President Obama was talking about a very serious subject — the threat posed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria — but he walked onto the White House press room’s podium in a beige suit on August 29.

With just two days before Labor Day, perhaps the president was just making sure that his summer looks made it out of the closet in time? No matter. Social media erupted with one-liners and snark.

Avoid Dressing Up Like a Tiger

The real reason Rep. David Wu resigned stemmed from the fact that he was the subject of an investigation over claims by the daughter of a prominent donor that the Democrat had made unwanted sexual contact, ABC News reported.

But that was just the beginning, and included staffers’ complaints about erratic behavior during the 2010 campaign, which prompted seven staffers to resign shortly after he won re-election.

He then sent bizarre emails in February that included a picture of him in the tiger suit. Wu later admitted to sending the emails and said during a Good Morning America interview that he was undergoing mental health treatment and taking medication.

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