In a front page story, The ugliness of the Republican death spiral, the author writes...
But Democrats still need to work as hard as if they were behind, right up through election day...
As a psychologist, I cannot recommend
against this attitude strongly enough. Losing, or pretending one is losing, is not a formula for success. It might motivate some to put in extra effort, but that effort might not be optimally effective because it's wrought of desperation. Winning elections is not just a matter of putting in raw labor---it requires confidence, an easy humor, clear thinking, and enthusiasm, all of which are hindered by the panicky energy that losing can generate. To the contrary, losing has a demotivating tendency and can inspire emotions like irritation, frustration, and anxiety...none of which are particularly useful for winning in politics. If you really want to know what it looks like to be battling from behind, just look at the pathetic efforts from the Romney camp for the last few days!
I think part of the reason this meme exists is the assumption that winning leads to complacency. This is not actually the case. Complacency comes about when people believe (rightly or wrongly) that there is no more competition, that the contest is already won. So, until this is actually the case, we should indeed continue to remind ourselves that it isn't over until it's over. But, we need to say this with a positive, winning attitude!
This is why we should instead be saying, "We're winning this contest, so let's run up the score!" Anything along these lines are going to be more motivating and effective than thinking we are losing. Some alternatives:
"We're winning! Now let's crush them!"
"We're winning! Let's make the final push and victory is ours!"
"We're winning! Time to set a new record!"
"We're winning! Let's double our determination!"
There's a reason we have the saying "Nothing wins like winning." Not only should we stop saying "Work like we're 10 points down", we should be saying "Let's run up the score!" even when we are, in fact, behind! Just like tennis legend Arthur Ashe said, “Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.”
We're winning. Let's act like it! Tell yourself that we're winning because our vision is right for America. We're winning because Democrats are inspiring people with our values and policies. We're winning because we are hardworking, honest, creative, and compassionate. We're winning because we have a way forward to a brighter future for everyone, and our competition doesn't. We are winning because we deserve to be winning. We are now down to the final push...let's fight like the winners we are and CRUSH THEM! CRUSH THEM! CRUSH THEM!