Josh Bandoch, head of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute and author of the new book How to Get What You Want: Mastering the Art and Science of Persuasion, joins Eric Wilson on the Campaign Trend Podcast to challenge just about everything campaigns assume about how to move voters. His central argument: persuasion isn't about winning an argument or conquering someone's position – it's about creating shared action, something people do voluntarily together.
Bandoch starts by dismantling two common misconceptions. The first is that persuasion is about winning. If you "win" against someone, you've made them a loser – and losers become enemies who fight back with long memories. The second is that persuasion means convincing someone to think like you. The Latin root of "convince" literally means to conquer, and conquest isn't persuasive. Real persuasion, he argues, starts with putting your audience first – a "them first" mindset that candidates know they should adopt but rarely do, because our brains are wired to talk about ourselves.
The conversation moves through four key insights from Bandoch's research. First, human beings feel first and reason second – which means the logic-first approach of white papers and PowerPoints actually works against how the brain processes information. Second, candidates need to be for something, not just against the other side. The most persuasive political figures of the last century – Reagan, JFK, Obama, King – were all happy warriors with a positive vision. Third, voters have distinct "moral tastes" rooted in moral psychology, and the left and right literally speak different moral languages. Effective persuasion requires appealing to your audience's moral foundations, not just your own. Fourth, stories beat logic every time – but the best stories are morally motivating and emotionally intelligent, tailored to the values of the people you're trying to reach.
Bandoch closes with practical advice for 2026 candidates: start with a positive vision, build stories around heroes other than yourself, and never underestimate the power of likability, tone, and body language – which research suggests account for up to 93% of how people experience you.