The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in the United States of America.
Since 2010, over 100 million people have tuned in to watch “the big game.”
Does this affect political campaigns?
Of course it does.
If you’re thinking of actively campaigning on Super Bowl Sunday I only have one thing to say to you:
Don’t!
Super Bowl Sunday is a de facto holiday observed and celebrated by roughly one third of the American population.
It is a day for high caloric food, cold beer, sometimes entertaining commercials, a dazzling musical halftime number, and yes even a football game.
You as a candidate must respect this unofficial holiday, even if you are not a football fan yourself.
The Super Bowl always tends to be somewhat of a big deal, if purely for social reasons.
Political candidates and elected officials need to understand this.
Campaigning before the Super Bowl – or during the game itself (egads!) – will send a horrible subliminal message to the voters.
You wouldn’t crash anyone’s party any other day of the week, so don’t crash a Super Bowl party by actively campaigning on Super Bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl Sunday is their day, not yours, so leave them alone. Don’t actively campaign on it.
Don’t make phone calls to voters, knock on their doors, send text message, or emails.
Let the voters have the day off and enjoy it free of politics.
Now that I believe I’ve made that perfectly clear I will also say that while you should not actively campaign on Super Bowl Sunday, you can and should passively campaign.
What exactly does that mean?
If your campaign has radio. televisions, or digital ads running for your campaign, keep them going.
You can also engage the voters on your social media channels — but not about your campaign — about the game.
Put a post on Facebook or Instagram about which team you’re pulling for. Maybe even talk a fun amount of trash if your favorite team is competing for the Lombardi Trophy.
If you’re having a party for the game or attend one, share pictures on social media of the food spread laid out before you.
Those things will make you appear like a nice, regular, normal person with a life outside of politics.
Nice, regular, normal people are the ones voters feel they can talk to about the issues important to them.
And if you happen to have a good plan to address those issues, you’ll find yourself picking up supporters and votes.
Just don’t think about doing it on Super Bowl Sunday.
Because if you’re out campaigning and not watching the Super Bowl yourself, that won’t make you appear as a nice, regular, and normal person.
Nope. Instead it’ll make you look un-American and weird.
And Un-American and weird candidates don’t usually win elections.