Guess what? The Republican candidates are blowing it again. How? They are slipping into viciousness vs. vision… and the real campaign hasn’t even begun.

The Alpha lesson in the last presidential election was that Obama won simply because he was the only candidate with a vision. Only insiders knew what it really was (and, as we have discovered, most people would not have liked it if they did understand it), but that didn’t matter, because his competitor had none.

So, here we go again.

Look… in case any candidates are reading this, here’s what an Alpha really looks like:

An Alpha has a positive vision that redefines what things can look like in the future. That’s true in business AND in politics. It is a vision that people want to follow, because it encapsulates what people aspire to be or to be part of. And the Alpha is confidently willing to share that vision. He doesn’t have to tear down anyone else, because his vision carries him.

Question: How did Ronald Reagan, an actor then governor of California, become the president who turned around a dying America in the midst of a double-digit inflation recession where gasoline was being rationed and you bought something the moment you decided you might need it, because you probably could not afford it a year from then?

Answer: He had a vision for what America could be that was both inspiring and empowering, and he shared that unashamedly with America.

He wasn’t vicious in his campaign. He did call out liars, but he generated his following by leading with a vision, not by attacking.

Right now, only Ron Paul consistently returns to his vision and confidently states it no matter what animosity he faces. That is undoubtedly his greatest strength and the source of his popularity. He can’t win, because his foreign policy stance will undoubtedly derail his chances for president. But until there is another candidate willing to stand upon a truly conservative vision, he will continue to pull significant numbers.

So what would an Alpha candidate do right now? Alpha rule #2: Stop “competing.” Competition is not leading. People want to follow someone who knows the path to where they want to go. Stop slamming each other and start defining a path to prosperity and success. Then state it with confidence. Details are not all that important, as Obama proved resoundingly. People want to know that the destination is a place they want to arrive. Describe that destination with clarity, and, if it is the place they want to be, people will want to go along.

There has never been an opportunity like this to clearly define the difference between a path of socialism and real capitalism (not the socialistic version of capitalism that we have seen over the past four decades where a select few - including our elected officials - take what they can get and leave behind the people who actually created that wealth).

Now is the time. Both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck have repeatedly noted that all it takes is clarity and confidence.

So, is there a real Alpha out there?

Reagan did it. Can any of these candidates? Please?

Wes Ball is author of The Alpha Factor. He is also president and founder of The Ball Group, a strategic innovation and new market development company who works with large and mid-sized companies to create self-sustaining growth. You can reach Wes at w.ball@ballgroup.com.