Doing Politics

I wonder sometimes about the mechanics of being a politician. Do you create maps -- literally, maps -- of the issues, and chart out where you and your opponent(s) stand? Do you highlight where they're strong (here be draygons) or where they're weak? Do you make concise summaries of each point that you or they have as part their positions, and note where you're the same, different, or some blend? How do you keep track?

Just wondering. In my minimal exposure thus far, no one seems interested in that kind of thing, so I wondered if anyone was, up the political food chain.