Last weekend

It's down to the wire. Robo calls are flooding the phones. Texts are clogging the cells. Hit pieces jumping out of mailboxes. Letters getting down and dirty and nitty and gritty. It's the last weekend of the campaign.

Nerve are frayed. Candidates' fingernails are torn. Managers are pulling out their hair. Volunteers pounding harder on doors, saying "Open up; we know you're in there." They think they are the Election Police.

This year is the worst I've seen in a while. Nationally and locally, tempers flare, and hopes rise and fall with the tide of public opinion and punditry.

Of course, we all know why. There's an orange scourge in the White House, TV's pulse with blood red news and snap with changing memes of the day.

Now its guns for rocks,

Now of course the election has come and gone, but isn't over as we watch a slow blue wave roll across the land. Happy for that; anxious waiting for my own races to be called here in California, the down ballot ones I worked on this cycle. A couple are clear winners, a couple probably winners, a couple nail bitingly close.

Waiting waiting.

Eating chocolate, drinking wine. Plus keep out of the smoke of the fires raging not that far away, and this is the middle of November. It's supposed to be raining. Can you say Climate Change?

Off to Cal. Dem. party Exec. Bd. meeting in Long Beach tomorrow.

More later.

Stay safe.

Perennial Sign Conundrum

To sign or not sign? Or How much to sign? How much to spend on signs?

And do they work? That is, do they persuade voters. I think the verdict is in on that one. No. They do not persuade the voters. They might, if you have done everything else right, walked precincts, phoned, and of course send three pieces of mail, the signs might help reinforce the name recognition as people go to the polls or think about filling in their absentee ballots.

But don't break the bank for signage. (And definitely leave swag, buttons, bumper stickers, cute pens and mugs alone!) Make sure your budget has enough for the all important getting out the message to voters components mentioned above, then think about signs.

If you do use signs, your name in your logo colors is all important, large enough to be seen. If you can, get a line of text big enough to read that conveys in shorthand something about you again as a reinforcer. Here is my favorite sign, double sided, big enough, contrasty enough, and with a double whammy endorsement message that matters.

Was this sign alone enough to get the candidate elected? No. But along with several pieces of mail, a strong phone bank and walk campaign and a heavy GOTV effort, the signs may have been that little bit of a reinforcer message to get some people to the polls who otherwise might have forgotten. They had to know the candidate first for that reinforcing message to mean anything at all.

That's the point. And it's the hardest one for candidates and their committees to take to heart. That and spending the requisite two hours a day on the phone raising money.

More abut that another time. And also in earlier posts. Check the index.

Candidate Training!

It's that time again. Final filing deadlines loom for local elections. Running for office this year? or thinking about the next cycle? Consider a brief candidate training with a local organization. Many groups offer these nuts and bolts crash courses in running a campaign. Even Counties and Cities often have one on the financial aspects of the camping, correct filing of papers and keeping track of your finances for reporting, so you don't get into trouble.

There are some longer training programs as well, but these are costly and time consuming. Not to say they are not well worth the price. For instance, the Emerge, Democratic women's training course is nine weekends in as many months, and is all inclusive, with intensive tutorials and practice sessions on everything from fundraising to mail and media programs,.

The Marin Women's Political Action Committee is offering a 2 hour program that will try to point you in the right direction in many of these same areas. No, you won't learn everything. but you will have an idea of where to go, who to look to for help, and with our helpful handouts, be somewhat more prepared to tackle your campaign.

You will also meet fellow local candidates and elected officials, the editorial page writers of the local newspapers, who do endorse, and some campaign pros. All will be available to talk to you about your particular needs.

This event takes place at the McInnis Golf Club restaurant, 350 Mcinnis, San Rafael, on Tuesday, August 14, from 5:30 to 8:30. Dinner is provided as well, and there is some time for mingling beforehand and asking questions afterward. For $35 it is well worth the cost. And it's fun too!

Join us won't you, by rsvping at bmatas8139@aol.com  or online at www.mwpac.org  

Vote Dems Vote!

Time to talk about the Supreme Court. With Anthony Kennedy retiring the tRump slavering over his new pick, we could be looking down the barrel of a loaded rifle that will be firing away at civil rights, women's rights, gay rights,workers rights, not to mention the environment, immigration and whatever else you hold dear, for forty years or so. If we don't do something about it.

Now.

Elect Democrats in November. Wherever you are, stop what you're doing and get to a phone bank or fly to a District with a potentially winnable Congressional race. This is our task. No whining!

Of course, we'd love it if they were young, progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat old-timer Joe Crowley, considered a favorite to be the next leader of the House Dems. Not so fast, Joe. He did graciously endorse her and even played a song for her on a guitar.

So, the old timers (and I are one) are moving aside to let the youngsters take over. Some of us old-timers are progressives don't forger. (Think Bernie). So i really don't see it as a generational thing, but more of it's time to be feisty, resist, fight back, solve problems and move forward with programs that actually help people.

Getting that message to voting public is the rub. All good ideas welcomed at this blog!

It's almost the Fourth of July! No firecrackers please; fire danger and you'll scare the dogs. But do indulge in some all American Strawberry Shortcake. Home made, with organic berries and cream of course. Put a few blueberries in there for a red, white and blue effect, if you wish.

 From Fine Cooking. Very yum!

Classic Strawberry Shortcake

By Karen Barker Fine Cooking Issue 111

Servings: 6

These biscuits get their light, tender texture from buttermilk and baking powder, and their rich flavor from an egg, cream, and lots of butter. This simple dessert is best made at the height of strawberry season, using the juiciest, sweetest strawberries you can find. Looking for more shortcake inspiration? See a slideshow of twists on this classic version, from chocolate biscuits to roasted berries.
Watch a video of Fine Cooking‘s Homegrown/Homemade team making this strawberry shortcake recipe.

Ingredients

For the strawberries

• 1 lb. ripe strawberries, hulled (about 4 cups)
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar; more to taste

For the biscuits

• 9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup heavy cream; more for brushing
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

For the whipped cream

• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar

 Preparation

Prepare the strawberries

• Put one-third of the berries in a medium bowl and, using a potato masher, crush them into a chunky purée. Slice the remaining berries 1/4 inch thick and stir them into the mashed berries along with the sugar. Taste the berries, adding more sugar if necessary. Let the berries sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Make the biscuits

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large heavy-duty baking sheet with parchment.Sift the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the salt. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.In a small bowl, beat the egg and heavy cream with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cream mixture. Mix with the fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just comes together; it will still look a little shaggy. Gather the dough and gently knead it three or four times. If the dough seems dry and doesn’t form a cohesive mass, work in more cream, 1 tsp. at a time. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 3/4 -inch-thick disk. With a sharp 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, press straight down to cut the dough into rounds and lift straight up to remove (don’t twist the cutter or it will seal the sides of the biscuits and interfere with rising). Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough scraps, gently knead them together, re-roll, and cut out more biscuits until you have a total of 6.
  Lightly brush the biscuit tops with cream (about 1 Tbs.) and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once, until the biscuit tops are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the biscuits cool slightly while you whip the cream.

Whip the cream

• In a large, chilled metal bowl, whip the heavy cream and sugar to soft peaks with an electric hand mixer. (Use immediately or refrigerate, covered until ready to serve).

Assemble the shortcakes

• Using a serrated knife, split the warm biscuits in half horizontally and transfer the bottoms to 6 dessert plates. Spoon about three-quarters of the macerated berries and their juice evenly over the biscuit bottoms. It’s OK if some of the berries spill out onto the plate. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and cover each with a biscuit top. Spoon more berries and cream over each shortcake and serve immediately.

Make Ahead Tips
The biscuits can be baked 10 to 12 hours ahead and reheated in a 350°F oven before serving. The strawberries can be macerated up to 2 hours ahead. The cream can be whipped up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. If necessary, lightly rewhip before using.

Yard Signs, Again, Ad Nauseum

Here we go again. More information we already knew about yard signs. But go ahead, waste your campaign dollars. But try keeping it to under 2 percent of the budget please:

(From the Washington Post - The Fix) 

Sorry campaign managers: Lawn signs are only 98.3 percent useless.

By Philip Bump December 29, 2015 Email the author

Volunteer Corey Essler holds a sign for Rick Santorum, Monday, in Menasha, Wis. in 2012. (AP)

 

No one loves lawn signs more than political candidates. Political candidates love lawn signs because 1. They love seeing their name around, 2. They assume that the number of lawn signs they see somehow correlates to the level of support they enjoy and 3. They know that campaigns have lawn signs, and candidates are biased toward mimicking what winning candidates have done. Between 1984 and 2012, according to one study, use of lawn signs in campaigns quadrupled.

The problem with lawn signs, as any campaign manager would probably tell you, is that they are expensive, annoying, logistically tricky to distribute and — most importantly — don’t seem to do much of anything. Candidates like to feel as if they’re winning. Campaign managers like to know that they’re winning or at least making progress. So campaign managers like things that have either measurable effects on voters (like identifying targeted supporters) or demonstrated past effects (like advertising). Lawn signs don’t fit into either category. To a campaign manager, lawn signs are similar to randomly handing out fliers at a grocery store: a waste of time, money and energy.

Now there’s data out that, in the main, proves campaign managers right. Last October, we spoke with Donald Green, a professor at Columbia University who has done decades of work assessing the utility of various methods of voter outreach. He's also the lead author of a study released this month that evaluates the efficacy of lawn signs. Green partnered with researchers at universities in Upstate New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia to test signs in four races at the federal, state and local level.

Cutting to the chase: “[I]t appears that signs typically have a modest effect on advertising candidates’ vote shares — an effect that is probably greater than zero but unlikely to be large enough to alter the outcome of a contest that would otherwise be decided by more than a few percentage points.” The effect of such signs, the study suggests, is about the same as direct mail.

Of the researchers’ four experiments, only one involved what you might generally think of as yard signs. In three of the experiments, signs were placed in public places within randomly assigned precincts. In the fourth, signs were placed in supporters’ yards — the thing that campaigns often spend a lot of time coordinating. In that case, interestingly, the effects were essentially zero. Aggregated, the four experiments suggested that there was a 1.7 percentage-point boost to the candidate from the signs -- with a standard error of 0.7 percentage points. (In precincts adjacent to the targeted ones, there was a slightly smaller benefit.)

(Green, et. al.)

(The study included a sign, at right, paid for by FreedomWorks and used in the most recent Virginia gubernatorial election, which unfortunately misspelled the name of the state.)

In how many races would that sort of lawn-sign bump make a difference? Of 6,000-plus general and primary elections in House and Senate races between 2006 and 2012, only 2.2 percent of races were within 1.7 percentage points, according to our analysis of initial results. In other words, this could matter in 1-in-50 races.

The study also offers a result that candidates will love and campaign managers will hate. The effect is very small, but it would be hard for a campaign manager who's arguing for robust get-out-the-vote efforts to say no to a candidate who demands lawn signs in order to boost his margins. The silver lining is that the study suggests that the much-easier distribution of lawn signs in random public places is more effective than finding supporters and plunking signs in their yards.

But when have candidates ever sat down and considered the political science before making judgment calls in close races? Superstition dictates lawn signs, and candidates are the ones raising the money and putting their name on the ballot. The study would essentially have had to demonstrate that candidates who used them lost before a candidate would have second thoughts about the efficacy of lawn signs. And even then, he'd probably still buy them.

It's that time again!

Yes, they are still counting votes from the primary election, but if you are planning to run in the fall for a non-partisan seat on a local board or Council, now's the time to start. Gathering endorsements, making phone calls for fundraising. Hiring a consultant and getting your website up. Don't wait until July. In fact, snag a slot in the July 4th parade with your group of friends and a few signs even if they're homemade. Let people know you are running.

Start thinking about your issues, your bio, and planning that 200 word campaign statement. Assemble a small "Kitchen cabinet" to help you with issues and tasks that need to get done, like setting up houseparties, ordering walk and phone lists, interviewing consultants, a treasurer and maybe a fundraiser. You want to be organized, have a short timely message and enough funds to send out some mail, buy a few house signs and have a good handout to take with you to events and hand out at voters' homes once you hit the campaign trail in earnest.

Eat light but do go for the brain food.Here's a quick and tasty recipe:

Yummy salmon tostada

8 6-inch corn tortillas Canola oil cooking spray 1 6- to 7-ounce can boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained 1 avocado, diced 2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeños, plus 2 tablespoons pickling juice from the jar, divided 2 cups coleslaw mix (see Tip) or shredded cabbage 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream 2 tablespoons prepared salsa 2 scallions, chopped Lime wedges (optional)

 Preparation

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375°F.
2. Coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until light brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
3. Combine salmon, avocado and jalapenos in a bowl. Combine cabbage, cilantro and the pickling juice in another bowl. Process black beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on High until hot, about 2 minutes.
4. To assemble tostadas, spread each tortilla with some bean mixture and some salmon mixture and top with the cabbage salad. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Yes, Virginia, your Vote DOES Count!

It's Election night. I'm signing people in at our County Dem headquarters, where people have gathered to watch election results and share wine and snacks. A woman who has been volunteering to make out of district calls to help Democrats in red districts comes over to chat. "I live in [large town in our County]," she says, a town which has had a very contentious race between a long time County Supervisor and someone trying to unseat her. "But I didn't vote," she goes on. "I voted in all the other races, but I could not decide who to believe when it came to the Supervisor race."

This race has been in the paper for weeks, months. The candidates have been walking precincts, sending brochures, attending debates and forums all winter and spring. The Democrats endorsed the incumbent. How could she not know who she wanted to vote for?

It turns out she was what's known as a "confidential voter," who doesn't show up on the voter roles because of some issue of safety, say a stalker, or a bad domestic violence situation you are escaping from. So she received none of the usual materials from candidates.

However, she is on our Democratic email list. She can read the local press. She can attend candidate events, and she could have asked friends, neighbors, or others she trusted. Instead she saw only TV ads, and decided she trusted neither candidate. My mind was exploding. This promises to be a close race. How could an otherwise educated, seemingly informed and involved person, be so unconcerned about the one race that will actually affect her life?

Votes are still being counted all over California which allows vote by mail ballots to be postmarked on Election Day so long as they arrive within three days. But it looks to be a low turn-out election, even with all the hype about the possibility of "a big blue wave." We are heartened that in some red districts, Democrats are in second place in some contests for Congress, but that will mean we have to get out our voters in November in big numbers to have a chance.

This woman will help out with that effort. She is very concerned that we take back the house. Why oh why then, I  think, does she not even bother to learn about what's happening in her own back yard? elections have been won and lost by a single vote. Your vote does count. When will people get it?

Your last few days

Sounds ominous, doesn't? Your last few days. Not on this earth, but on the campaign trail. The election is in one week. You know a lot, maybe most, of the electorate has voted. At least those of them that  will vote that is. Turn out is presumed to be low in these off-year, down ballot primary elections. But if the race is hotly contested, if there are many candidates, and if you are not leading in the polls by double digits (and frankly, even if you are -  anything can happen now!), this is no time to slack off.

Keep phone banking and walking those last precincts, or return to the ones you might have missed, or where no one was home. Plan your GOTV activities carefully. Know where all the polling places are located, and which precincts vote where. Make sure you get the list of consolidated precincts from your County Registrar of Voters, or City Clerk. Numbers do change, many precincts vote in the same location, and you want to be in the right place at the right time on election Day.

Line up your "yes" voters for last weekend calls, and to check the polling place on election Day. If they haven't voted, you'll need to call and remind them, gently, to cote. Even if they are absentee voters, they can walk their ballot in to any polling place (at least in California, if you are in another state,check your jurisdiction's rules), and they can mail their ballot right up to election day so long as they arrive in three days. Best to get those ballots in early, just in case.

Watch what the competition is doing. Any last minute attack ads that need to be addressed? Be prepared. If you have a few signs left over, plan to have some eager volunteers to "honk and wave" on election morning and commute time, to remind people "oh yeah, today's the day."

Plan a modest party on Election Night to watch the returns come in (most will be posted on line as they are counted) and thank your volunteers. If you make into the General election in the fall, you want these volunteers to be with you all the way. Make them feel special and appreciated.

Election Night Cookies - Yum!

Win or lose, if you've given it your all, you will feel rewarded for a job well done, new friends made, and groundwork laid for whatever you choose to do next.

Candidates Who aren't Really Running

Why, you might ask, do people throw their hat in the ring, when they plan to spend no money on an actual campaign. They might buy a few signs, maybe print off their policy points on a sheet of paper from their home computer and attend a couple of debates. But that does not make a serious candidate. Without any effort to raise money, not a lot, but just a enough to get one or two mailers out to voters and have a walk piece to carry around to people in the precinct. Never mind a consultant to help you craft and effectively market your message, what's the point?

Is it just to see your name on the ballot? Just to make sure the incumbent has some competition, even if it's a token race? Or is it some kind of misplaced ego thing. Do these people really believe that even with no effort on their part, somehow, voters will decide they are the best person for the job?

In a recent race for Supervisor in a southern California county, of the eight people who filed, only four raised any money at all, with only two of those hiring a campaign consultant and sending mail into voters' homes.

The other four filed form 470, the form that you file with the County and State, that says you plan to raise and spend no more than $2000. For a Supervisor race, even in a small county, you need to spend several thousand more than that just to reach any voters at all. Most people never get to candidate debates. A few more, but still a low percentage of the total, read the local newspapers. And guess what: Signs don't get you votes. That's generally where the $2000 is spent.

I guess the reasoning is, "If I spend a lot of snazzy red, white and blue signs and plaster them all over the place, in the road medians and freeway exits, everyone will see my name and be sure to vote for me."

So not true. The rule of thumb is the voter has to be "touched" by the candidate at least 7 times, and more than one of those ought to be in a mail. Other ways to reach out to voters are walking precincts, for which you need a good catchy piece to hand out, along with several volunteers to help you deliver materials, phone calls to the voters' homes, preferably by a live person and not a robo call (although there are times and circumstances when these can be very effective, if done correctly), letters to the editor, opeds in the local papers, ads online and in print, and signs. In that order of effectiveness. Notice what's last on that list. If you're in a large County, you might consider TV and radio, plus a savvy internet campaign that is carefully targeted to reach your voters with the best message that will resonate with them.

Polling at the outset to get the lay of the land and help craft your message effectively, is always a good idea, but not necessary. In any event, even in the smallest of communities, $2000 does not get you very far. 

You might just throw a big party with that money instead for the candidate that comes closest to your values and invite all your friends. You can have a caterer come and maybe even a small chamber orchestra. Or donate it outright. That way, you can feel your money is being put to good use, and not just adding to highway clutter with more signs.

Millennials Rock the Vote

It's great to see the number of 16 and 17 year olds who are pre-registering to vote. See this LA Times story of April 6.

After the Parkland shootings, the #metoo movement and an accumulation of startling evnts in the recent past, teens and other millennials are coming out in record numbers to protest, speak out and register to vote.This is all great. It reminds me of my own youth when we stood up against the Vietnam War and for civil rights.  Many of us did not vote however, not only because we had to be 21 to even register in that time, but because we didn't think it would make a difference.

Today's youth seem to understand tat it will, but only if large numbers of them follow through and actually vote when they turn 18. It will be interesting to see if they follow through, especially as so many will be off at college when election day rolls around, and either have to vote by mail at the address they registered at, usually their parents, or re-register and vote at the address they are currently at.

The best way to make sure this follow-though happens is, in my opinion, a peer system. Young people encouraging and reminding others to vote. To keep their registration current and to keep up with the elections they can vote in.

Do it in groups. Make it a social event. Have debate watching parties in the dorms or local hang outs. Go to the polls together. Car pool. Volunteer to work for a candidate of your choice (and maybe even get credit for it), or help on election day.

Registering is one thing, staying involved is another, and actually casting that all-important ballot is what really matters the most in the end. Every vote counts. Make sure yours is among them.

What to eat when getting ready to register your friends to vote: from the Millennial Cookbook.

Cheesy chicken. You take a chicken breast, saute in some olive oil, maybe with some onion bits and garlic, turn it over, add a can of mushroom soup, or if you are feeling industrious, make some white sauce and then put in sliced mushrooms, then add a bunch of the cheese of your choice and don't let that sucker burn. turn frequently, make some rice, I like white basmati, it's tasty and fast, steam some veggies if you like, and dinner is served.

Blast from the Past - Good Advice from Past Blog Post

How to Keep Your Campaign on Track

This post first appeared in 2014. Anyone running today needs to read and heed it. No, I didn't write it (Darn, I wish I had, but I say similar things to my clients all the time so I know it's good advice). It is from Campaign in a Box. All these pointers are right on, and good to hear to keep sane during these last two weeks of campaign season. Thanks for reading.

By Jason Chambers

Campaigning Isn't As Intuitive As You Think

October 22, 2014

Every campaign season - often in October - I get an "aha!" question from a candidate that goes something like this: "I was talking to Dave the other day and he said that if we add QR codes to our mail pieces, everyone will scan them and visit our website. Maybe we should call all of our volunteers and have them put QR codes on our doorbell pieces this weekend?"

Rarely is a last minute deviation from the campaign plan a good idea. Throughout your campaign, you'll begin to better understand how campaigning works, but be careful about some of the less intuitive aspects of a political campaign. Your campaign strategy is developed in April (not October) for a reason - repetition and following a well thought out plan is the key to winning elections.
Here are a few examples of some of the ideas I've run into that you should be wary of:

More Targeted Voters, Not More Voters

Often candidates will get concerned late in the campaign season that the targeted lists we use to knock on doors are ignoring too many important voters, and they'll ask if we can hit every door while we're out.

Let's say you're running in Lexington, Kentucky for Mayor. Lexington has about 308,000 citizens. Of those 308,000 citizens, about 209,000 are registered to vote. In an off year election like 2014, about 42% will turn out to vote. That's around 87,500 voters.

Of those 87,500 voters, approximately 30% vote Republican exclusively. Another 30% vote Democrat exclusively. The remaining 40% leaves about 35,000 voters who can be persuaded to vote for you. That's 11% of the total number of people living in houses in Lexington. So about 1 in every 9 homes you doorbell - assuming you choose to doorbell every home - is worth your time.

Repeat the same message, over and over

Another thing and understandably frustrates candidates is staying on message. By the end of the campaign you've heard yourself say the same thing over and over and over. Your friends and your spouse are telling you they're bored of the same thing, and you probably need to mix it up because the voters are going to get bored of hearing the same thing.

The problem here is that your friends and family are paying close attention to your election. Nobody else is. Between work, church, the kids soccer game, budgeting for next month and the football game this weekend, most voters have 1,000 things on their minds, and elections are low on the priority list. That's why repetition of your message is a must - by election day, if a voter knows one thing about you, you're on the right track. So repeat that one message over and over and over, until it makes you sick. Then repeat it again.

What Your Opponent Puts on Facebook Doesn't Matter

My name has never been on the ballot, so it's hard for me to completely understand how difficult it is to hear negative things about yourself and not want to react. But you have to learn not to react. If your opponent writes "John voted to increase taxes last month" on his Facebook page and it's not true, remember two things:

1. The people following his Facebook page are already voting for him, so don't worry about whether they think you voted to increase taxes last month.
2. When you respond, you potentially turn a quiet attack into a public debate - and you don't want to debate whether you raised taxes or not if the attack will quietly go away by ignoring it. Half the voters will believe it, half won't. That's much worse than 95% of the voters not even knowing the attack happened. 

Commenters on News Websites Aren't Objective

It's helpful to get your supporters to comment on relevant stories on the newspapers website, but don't mistake the comments that disparage you as objective. Undecided voters don't jump on websites to blast you. Supporters of your opponent do. So don't freak out that some random voter doesn't like you - he's probably not random. Those comments are nearly always organized by the campaign of your opponent. Feel free to ask a few of your supporters to write positive comments about you, but don't assume that because there are 4 negative comments for every positive comment you're losing the race 4:1. Those comments are not representative of the general electorate.

Your Opponent Probably Isn't An Evil Genius

If you pick up a weekly neighborhood newspaper and see an ad for your opponent in it, don't worry. He doesn't have some mysterious insight about the effectiveness of weekly newspapers. He probably got a sales call from that weekly and got talked into putting an ad in it. You don't have to match him everywhere he's advertising - stick to the campaign plan and advertise where you planned to advertise.

That One Big Idea Probably Isn't A Gamechanger

A couple of years back I was helping out a campaign for Congress and we got so many random ideas from volunteers and donors that we started our own inside joke, "GAMECHANGER!"
It's tempting to adopt every idea you hear from people, and often they'll expect you to and gripe when you don't. But you sit down and write a campaign months before Election Day for a reason - and you need to stick to that plan.

A few years ago, the wife of my candidate's biggest donor ask for a meeting with the campaign a week before Election Day. Because she was married to our biggest donor, we agreed to meet. She had developed an interest in new technology, and had an idea for our campaign. She wanted us to halt the campaign and put QR codes on every piece of campaign literature we had. She was convinced that QR codes would drive thousands of voters to our website and would be the key to victory on Election Day. GAMECHANGER!

But it wasn't a gamechanger, and we thanked her for her suggestion then went back to doorbelling. Most ideas you get from volunteers and supporters aren't worth changing your strategy for. Thank them for their time, and continue doing what you're doing. 

 

Swag or Not?

Swag? Not until your basics are met: website, handout, mail, signs, all budgeted for and assured of being fully funded.

Campaign Committees - What are they Good for?

No, I won't say, like the song  - "Absolutely nothing!" because they are good for a lot. They can help keep you focused. Help you find elements of your message, inform you of ongoing or new developments you might have missed and of course, volunteering for all those pesky little campaign tasks no one should have to do alone.

But they also can be distracting, discouraging and, sometimes, downright dangerous.

Often, when candidates tell me they don't need my services, or they "are going in a different direction," that's code for "I have a campaign committee. why should I spend money on a paid consultant?" 

Let's go over some of the dos and don't of the Campaign Committee.

Campaign committees are good for: 

1. Providing local on-the-ground insight. Members of your committee, if chosen wisely, can keep you apprised of what's going on in various parts of your district, or with various constituencies. They can keep you up to date on issues, breaking and otherwise, that are on people's minds. All this helps you craft a message for the voters.

2. Cheering you up when times get tough. They'll stand by you through thick and thin. They'll give you good news from farflung parts of the district. If they're true friends and advisors, they'll bring you the bad news too, like when the local grocery clerks are extolling the virtues of your opponent.

3. Grunt work. These are your volunteer leaders. They can be the backbone of your field campaign. Willing to walk precincts in the rain; to encourage others to join in; they'll sit with cell phones glued to their ears for hours making those calls to undecided voters. They'll hold house parties for you and get their friends and neighbors to attend, to donate and even to hold their own events.

They will lick stamps and stuff envelopes, when a quick fundraising letter needs to go out. They'll forward emails and get all their friends to "like" your Facebook page.

3. The cream of the crop will become field coordinators, phone bank operators, finance committee chairs. Every member of the committee should donate whatever they can to the campaign war chest.

Now for what they are not good for, in fact, may be toxic for:

1. Writing the campaign plan. Yes, everyone has good ideas, and no one's ideas should be completely ignored out of hand, but this is not where your plan is created or your strategy worked out. This is a leaderless group who needs to take direction, not try to give it.

2. Crafting the campaign message, or worse, the actual campaign materials you will leave at voters' doors and mail to their homes. Your committee is likely to have English majors, maybe even ad execs. You'll have artists and everyone will have a cousin, sister, uncle or good friend, who's a brilliant designer. While all that may be true, and sometimes good ideas arise from brainstorming sessions around the coffee table, those are the jobs of your consultant and the professionals they hire who understand campaigns and the special way messages must be crafted and targeted to get the most bang for your precious campaign buck.

3. Second guessing. Don't let the committee second guess your consultant. Pick one or two trusted sets of eyes to review the pieces for spelling errors or factual inaccuracies. But if you let 12 people have a say in everything, you'll  have twelve opinions. Let them know you value their input, but make sure the lines of authority are clear. And remember, you are the boss. You can fire volunteers, even though you don't pay them and they have the best intentions. Some people are natural downers and must be gently sent on their way or channeled into a more productive role.

I've see all of these and more pitfalls on campaigns. If candidates whom I interview go "in a different direction," I wish them well. Occasionally, they win their race in spite of it all. More often though, I hear from them months or years later (often when they've decided to take another crack at running) "Well, you were right. My committee really didn't know what they were doing. Are you available to help me this time around?"

I never gloat.

Candidates that want to Pick your Brain for Free

Campaign managers and consultants will know what I mean In fact, anyone in any sort of profession must get this all the time. "Can I just ask you a few questions?" Then they proceed to try to get you to tell them the secret of success over the phone or in your first short initial "get to know you" meeting.

Watch out. These people are likely fishing for free help, whether it's with how to find endorsements, raise money, hold an event, or just finding out how far they can go on their own.

Now, if you've been reading this blog, you know I give free advice. I give campaign tips; the dos and don'ts of a successful campaign. But I like to think I give just enough advice that the savvy campaigner realizes they can't do it alone. Campaigning is, for the most part, not a DIY activity.

Some small campaigns do make it on their own with the help of a great group of volunteers, but chances are there are some seasoned veterans in the group, who've been down this road before and know the pitfalls. Those cases are rare. Even most small campaigns hire a consultant to guide them these days.

But I found myself in that situation recently. A lovely young man new to political life with just enough knowledge of website development and social media under his belt, to realize he needed something more. So he reached out. We talked extensively. He sounded promising. He sounded like he was on the verge of hiring my team to guide him and his band of volunteers on the path to victory. It wasn't a small race, County Supervisor in a mid-sized county. He knew what he didn't know. And I was (foolishly) flattered that he looked to me to provide it.

It was in our second meeting, when he said "I have talked to a few others (that's ok, that's due diligence), and I have a good feeling about you," that I realized his good feeling was that I could be counted on to talk passionately about campaigning just long enough to make hm feel educated, and no longer in need of paying for my services.

Of course he didn't say that at the time. It was the next day that he sent an email. It read, "Thanks so much for your time. I learned a lot, but I have decided to go in a different direction."

When I asked if he'd mind letting me know just what it was that determined his "different direction," he went silent.

Another one bites the dust. Well, you can't win them all. I will watch his race with interest, to see how it turns out. Anyone want to take bets?