I Will Show Racan is Not SDP’s Burden

Racan has great quality and exceptional strength, and one cannot win by changing leaders, says spin doctor.

David Evans, the founder and director of a renowned British public relations agency, “The Campaign Company”, is arriving in Zagreb to save Croatia’s largest opposition party in elections. 

No multi-party democracy

Evans is adamant that he not be called a spin doctor. He says that successful campaign are not founded on “spin”, but clear communication, authenticity. Spin doctors behave as if the most important communication is that between politicians and themselves, or themselves and the media. We are trying to change this simplified approach and attract as many voters as possible to the polls, Evans told the Slobodna Dalmacija daily.

He appeared at a Christmas gathering of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to get a sense of the terrain, and was surprised to see members of opposing parties at the gathering.

Such a multi-party democracy does not exist even in Great Britain, he stressed

He applauded the SDP’s telephone system, which the party uses to send text messages to its members. They did so during a television broadcast when Prime Minister Ivo Sanader was guest of a show, texting their members to vote.

Racan’s exceptional strength

Evans met a young blogger at the gathering, Marko Rakar, who impressed him with his innovations in the “virtual electoral campaign”.

The spin doctor adamantly denounced statements by political opponents that Racan had become a burden to the SDP, since he had been present in politics for more than 30 years.

Ivica Racan has a great quality and exceptional strength. It is superficial to think that a party can win by changing its leaders, voters are wiser than that. When people vote, they think about who they trust to lead the country, that is, who they can trust with the futures of their families. Being suave or able on television is much less important than being capable of gathering a first-rate team and having the strength and experience to manage such a team. You will not see any lack of energy in the SDP leader and his team during the campaign, Evans stressed.

He announced a series of political campaigns this year, with which he will try to convince the Croatian public that the SDP can be trusted and that sticking with the ruling Croatian Democratic Union party is risky.

Although it is foolish to predict the outcome of the elections, he believes that the SDP could win by convincing indecisive individuals in each electoral unit.

Voters can recognise a politician who is not credible from miles away. Our job is to present ourselves clearly and singularly and be open as much as possible, Evans said.