Rule 2 ~ America is a big place but it's carved up into single member districts, so you must shoot for 50% + 1 vote or you will lose to the other party most of the time.
Rule 3 ~ coalition building politics in America takes place separate and apart from the legislative bodies ~ it occurs within the two major parties and is manifest by the various coalition partners.
Rule 4 ~ the two major parties are structured differently, but those structures have served to win elections. Beware of reformers who seek to restructure the proven basics. The risk of loss is very high.
Rule 5 ~ in a campaign you get out your own voters first ~ striving for non existent votes from non existent voters, e.g. undecided middle of the roaders, is a fool's errand if your coalition partners find something better to do, or if you actually told them to shut up and stay out of this!
Rule 6 ~ hardest one of all ~ don't insult and belittle people on the way up the ladder to nomination because you will need them in the election. Take care of your problem people in the years between elections ~ November is too late, so is September! And March? Even March is too late ~ ask Bill Bolling what happened to this rising moderate in Virginia!
Rule 7 ~ very basic and gets to a current issue ~ make sure the voter registration rolls are up to date and correct. There are many ways to accomplish this that are lawful and effective. This is the one place campaign consultants might be useful ~ they know stuff ~ much of it meaningless, but doing mailings and talking to the USPS are among the tricks they know how to do. Much grief will never occur if the voter rolls are clean ~
“Much grief will never occur if the voter rolls are clean ~”
you make a lot of sense in these 7 rules.