The Use of People as Political Tools
Politicians are notorious for using—and abusing—people on multiple levels to advance themselves. When running for office, you will often hear self-advancing politicians—especially the very wealthy ones—use people’s stories, whether they are true or not, to push their campaigns forward.
Pay attention to their speeches and interviews. They weave in stories about being out on the campaign trail, meeting “everyday people,” and how they “just last week” met an elderly woman. Notice the pattern—elderly, often female—used deliberately to establish sympathy, compassion, and credibility as a way to gain voters.
This woman, we are told, has worked all her life and now, because of current leadership—or the opponent being targeted—she is forced to borrow money to pay her bills at the age of 86.
Psychological Campaign Tactics
This is psychological, tactical campaigning.
It is abusive. It is often fabricated—or at the very least strategically framed—to win voters. It is commonly used by politicians with narcissistic tendencies who have no hesitation in using or even inventing stories to appeal to emotion.
It is no different from certain emotionally driven commercials, especially around Christmas, that are designed to pull at heartstrings. The same method is being used here—just repurposed to win votes.
In Reality…
In reality, this kind of politician—the career user and abuser—does not genuinely care about the people they claim to sympathize with. In fact, many of these self-advancing politicians look down upon those in the low- to middle-income brackets.
They do not help them. They do not pay their bills. They do not care if they are evicted tomorrow.
What they care about is the story—something to grab onto and use to their advantage.
A Local Example
We have these types of career politicians in Charlotte County.
One is currently running for Commissioner in District 4 after effectively dropping her responsibilities in District 2, where she still holds a school board seat.
Her name is Kim Amontree.
Kim Amontree frequently creates narratives like the one described above. She presents herself as someone who is out every day—while not fulfilling her school board duties—talking to people. She often claims that “just last week” she met someone—typically an older woman—who could not pay her property taxes and had to borrow money.
She then ties that story into criticisms of her opponent. It is slick. It is dirty. It is unethical. And it is fake.
The Problem with These Narratives
The issue is simple: there is no way to verify these stories.
They may be true. They may not be. But they are used in a way that conveniently supports a political narrative and casts blame.
At the same time, Kim Amontree has aligned herself with a campaign consultant known for creating division and controversy, someone who is widely known to be a troublemaker, which inadvertently makes Kim Amontree a troublemaker. That association raises serious questions about the intent behind these tactics.
Real Struggles, Misused
The reality is that these struggles do exist.
People are taking on extra jobs—even after retirement—to survive. Some work part-time at hardware stores. Others return to waiting tables in their late 60s. Many deliver groceries or drive for Lyft and Uber just to cover rising costs like property taxes and utility bills.
The problems are real, but Amontree’s concerns with anyone in that situation is not real. It’s a façade to pave the way for her own self-advancement.
But to this kind of politician, these people are not seen as equals. They are seen as opportunities—stories to be used. One may wonder if Amontree studied the campaign methods of Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris because it is the exact same method all three of them use in politics. It is called the Game of Politics.
Note that Kim Amontree has not always been a Republican. She just registered as one before she ran for school board in Charlotte County.
At the end of the day, an abusive, ego-driven politician does not truly care what happens to them once the story has served its purpose.
The Question
Ask yourself:
Is that who you want running your community?
Do you want a with a proven track record of genuinely caring about the community, one who goes the extra mile for the people he has been elected to serve?
Or do you want a people-abuser who jumps ship just a few months after she was reelected to the school board, bought a house in a neighborhood she does not serve in under the guise of downsizing with her husband?
Do you want a commissioner who could have retired but sees that this community still needs improvement?
Or do you want an opportunist who just wants to climb the ladder, while she steps on low to middle income people all the way every day?
Do you want someone who is truly out in the community listening to people, while other commissioners turn their back on the community and focus more on how to cover up dirty mingling of their private businesses found on government computers?
Or do you want someone who factually took campaign donations (several thousand dollars) from people who factually cover up dirty deeds in government affairs?
Yes, they say that money talks and b[…] walks, but when the bull[….]er talks nothing but b[…], she has to walk. She does not serve those who need good community leadership the most.
The references in this article is based on pure facts and observations from interviews the candidate challenger in District 4 has given in recent months. It’s based on review of campaign donations made, as can be found on the Supervisor of Elections’ website. It’s based on speeches the candidate has given at republican clubs, and questions she has refused to answer to this day, while claiming the questions are personal attacks. It’s based on the fact that she at the Charlotte County Republican Club recently slammed Uber drivers and similar service and delivery workers and beneath her.
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by Karina Schmitt