Handling haters and critics: advice for elected officials

Read time: 2 minutes

Are “haters gonna hate” in the words of Taylor Swift or are “people caring loudly” in the words of Leslie Knope?

Whether it’s legit criticism, constructive feedback, or haters hating, the public is going to have–and share–opinions about what you say and do in your public role.

Why it matters

How you respond could make a negative situation better or it could make it worse. Successful electeds know how to analyze the criticism they receive and respond appropriately.

What not to do

  • Don’t respond in anger. Doing so is unlikely to end well. More often it will escalate the situation and make it worse. Rare is the circumstance that requires an immediate response on your part. So take a breath and assess the situation before responding.

First: analyze the criticism

  • Is the “hate” real hate or is it fair criticism? Does it appear to be shared in good faith or not?
  • If it is hate, is the hater in question a real person or are they hiding behind a pseudonym of some kind? If someone’s not willing to use their real name, they’re more likely to be a troll.
  • If they appear to be a real person, do you know who they are? Are they a constituent of yours? If not, do they at least live in your town?
  • What do you think the goal of the hate is? Is the person in question trying to sway your opinion? Do they want to call you out or “punish” you in some fashion? Do they seem to want to be provocative as a means of getting attention? 
  • Is the hate racist, sexist, or homophobic/transphobic in any way? If so, proceed with extreme caution, if you reply at all. And if anything comes with a threat, veiled or otherwise, share it with law enforcement ASAP.

Then: respond

  • Prioritize constituent responses. Never let someone you represent be able to say you ignored them.
  • Triage the rest. Form emails from people out of state? Feel free to ignore.
  • Don’t platform haters. Many trolls just want to pick a fight as means of getting attention. Don’t take the bait. If you do feel the need to respond online, do so briefly and respectfully. And remember: online debates are unlikely to change anyone’s mind.
  • Don’t become a hater yourself. Always assume your responses, even if shared privately, will be shared publicly. Respond accordingly.
  • Move on. Once you’ve decided how to best respond and have done so, don’t stress about it after the fact. Taylor Swift’s advice is spot on: just shake it off!