The reality is that politics is not a public policy seminar. All people have their identities, including political candidates, and they are politically organized and mobilized around their identities. Therefore, there is no shortcut to politics other than the use of identity politics. Therefore, beyond having the best manifesto for a country or a group of people, one has to have an identity that can allow him/her to secure a significant number of votes from the people. Most citizens do not vote because of a candidate’s campaign policies and proposals; instead, they do vote for a candidate who mobilizes them around noticeable aspects of a group identity. They vote for candidates who deal with issues affecting the marginalized groups (Knauer
The reality is that politics is not a public policy seminar. All people have their identities, including political candidates, and they are politically organized and mobilized around their identities. Therefore, there is no shortcut to politics other than the use of identity politics. Therefore, beyond having the best manifesto for a country or a group of people, one has to have an identity that can allow him/her to secure a significant number of votes from the people. Most citizens do not vote because of a candidate’s campaign policies and proposals; instead, they do vote for a candidate who mobilizes them around noticeable aspects of a group identity. They vote for candidates who deal with issues affecting the marginalized groups (Knauer