Imagine that you have been hired to assess the electability of a gubernatorial candidate by comparing the candidate to an incumbent who shares characteristics of past governors. This candidate was first elected as sheriff at the age of 54; she has no religious affiliation, is unmarried, is relatively unknown to party activists, is a lesbian, and has no wealth. Identify the historical demographics of past governors and compare them to this candidate. Then provide a conclusion as to whether or not this candidate has a chance of winning the election.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1. Most Texas governors were married; the current candidate is not married and is not heterosexual.
2. Most previous governors were Protestant; the current candidate does not participate in religious practices.
3. Most governors were first elected to an office between the ages of late 40s and early 60s. The candidate was first elected to an office at the age of 54.
4. Most governors were financially well off; the current candidate does not have substantial wealth.
5. Most governors had name recognition within their parties. The current candidate has no name recognition.
6. Based on the historical demographic characteristics, a reasonable conclusion would be that the candidate does not have a chance of winning the election against the incumbent because she has only one of the historical characteristics of past Texas governors.