How Can You Clean Up the Mess You Made at the Candidates' Forum?

You're a candidate for the Greensboro City Council.

You've been invited to a candidates' forum.

It's the perfect opportunity for you to make yourself and your views better known.

It's your chance to impress the people whose vote you so desperately need.

You're a smart candidate, so as you're preparing for this big event, you get out your purple tie.

Or your purple dress suit.

(Remember: Fashion matters when you're campaigning.)

You practice speaking in front of your husband.

Or your wife.

Or your children.

If he's in a patient enough mood, you even get the dog to listen to you for a few minutes. (The cat's never in the mood.)

You study a little bit, and brainstorm the questions and topics that might come up.

Maybe you enlist a friend or two to generate some challenging questions.

If you're lucky, they might even take the time to drill you some.

Now, it's the big event.

You're ready!

The event begins.

Later, it ends.

In some areas, you did an amazing job.

You've even managed to impress yourself.

But you also messed up a good bit.

And you know it.

You forgot to say a few things you had every good intention of saying.

Your tongue got tied once or twice.

You stumbled to articulate a great point you were trying to make.

One or two questions really caught you completely off guard, and you were totally unprepared.

And you know it showed.

Your friends failed to prepare you for those slap-you-upside-the-face questions they were supposed to get you ready to handle.

Your opponents also did a better job of expressing themselves on a few subjects.

Even you could tell, and if that's the case, audience members probably noticed too.

You're worried now.

The media was there.

Will they mainly focus on your mistakes?

Will they provide better converage to your opponent?

Will they only print part of what you said?

And will they quote you out of context?

Have the bloggers and editorial writers already decided to support your opponent?

Is it really that easy to slip and fall and have no way of pulling yourself up again?

Is there no way to fix the damage?

My friend.

All is not lost.

You have the ability to redeem yourself.

Don't you already have a blog set up?

(If not, can't you set one up? Or can't you at least visit some blogs and post a few comments?)

Can't you set the record straight?

Can't you elaborate on the points you didn't get a chance to finish making?

Can't you clarify yourself a bit?

Can't you take the time to explain yourself and your views in a little more detail?

Can't you control your own message?

The tools you need to help you win are out there.

So what's you gonna do?