Kate Stewart: With this vote, I thee disappoint (again)

WE DO: The courtship has begun in the romance of candidates and voters in this year's local body elections.

THE WHANGANUI District Council elections may still be a few months away but now is the time to start giving serious thought to not only who we vote for but why.

Decisions that partner us with people for years are not be taken lightly and although the analogy may seem a strange one, the campaign process has much in common with the dating ritual, especially when there is so much new blood.

For some potential candidates the new blood may come with a high alcohol content but let's be reassured by the knowledge that they are not just your average alcoholic but a functioning one, no less. I can think of many a politician who fit that description.

We also have a mayoral candidate that is so sure of the win he's not even bothering to run for council. Confident or arrogant? Then there's the cursed crustaceans, those who have become so comfortable and complacent they should be carbon-dated before being cut loose from the dating pool.

Prepare now to dive into an ocean filled with sharks, angelfish and bottom feeders.

First, we have the all- important introductions. These can come in many forms: personal invite to a meet 'n' greet, a newspaper ad, via social media or an awkward encounter with a billboard. We all know the importance of first impressions.

Next is the courting phase. It's OK to juggle several possibilities at once. Our votes are precious, so candidates should be made to work for them. If that means duelling pistols at dawn, so be it.

Often this is when we are at our most vulnerable, that honeymoon phase when we are promised the earth and want to believe everything we're promised. However, beware the candidate who pitches us the wedding of our dreams rather than focusing on a long-term marriage. Now is not the time to be contemplating a quickie. We want long-term on our terms.

Perhaps in the past we have supported a candidate out of loyalty. Opted to settle for the devil we know rather than risk it all on the new and unfamiliar. Maybe we have even tolerated indiscretions and believed lies, convinced we can do no better.

We need to do our homework, ask the hard questions, stay true to ourselves and always remember that, ultimately, they work for us.

Look for red flags and old baggage. Past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. Require more and don't settle for less.

Put them to the test. Here's one that will stump them every time. Ask them a question that only requires a simple yes or no answer and see how long they prattle on without actually managing to answer the original question.

If we choose carefully and for the right reasons, the honeymoon can last and we can bring about change for the better. We don't have to go from the dizzying heights of hype, hope and wine and cheese evenings to the disappointment of our candiDATE and chosen bedfellow spending our ratepayer money on things we never agreed upon and openly farting under the covers.

-Kate Stewart is an unemployed, reluctant mother of three, currently running amok in the city ... approach with caution or cheesecake.

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