All things considered, aligning with the public's sentiments isn’t quite enough to make a lobbyist a success in the long term. Nor is being correct. In the 1970s, when corporate America was beginning to play a more active role in governmental affairs, DuPont Chairman Irving Shapiro directed his staff to develop a comprehensive plan for effective lobbying. They gave him the following five-step plan for lobbying, which covers the entire playing field:
• On-the-spot lobbying — have a presence at the Capitol
• Field support — get the folks in the legislators’ districts involved
• Political participation — help elect candidates who share your values
• Political research — develop information to shape the argument
• Public support — educate the public
Of the five areas, public support is the area of least effectiveness and generally of most importance. ...
Think of lawmaking as a game that’s played with ideas and opinions. Ideas and opinions are like stars. You will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like “the seafaring man on the desert of waters,” you choose them as guides and follow them.
Ideas and opinions morph into values. And you’ll want to endeavor at least to have your ideas and opinions, your values, your bills match the sentiments of the general public, which is what most members of the General Assembly try to do. ...
Educating the public should be a major component of any serious lobbying program — especially, if the effort involves a significant issue.
That choice is yours. Each lobbyist must decide whether to appeal to the public for support or to work his bill on the spot, quietly.
[More in the book.]
