Make Good Use of Your Signs - Burma Shave!

You know the adage - Sign don't vote. It's true, so true, but one year, when I was the candidate and my good friend and co-conspirator in all things campaign (and so much more), Ginny decided Burma Shave signs would be fun and informative at the same time.  They would be sure to attract attention.

Burma Shave for those of you not in the know was a brand of brushless shaving cream started in the 20's, which came up with a clever ploy for advertising their product, roadside signs in rhyme, ending with Buy Burma Shave! The ads ran until the 60's.

Ginny said, "I know what let's do let's get some of my rancher friends to let us use their fences to put signs on." So we did. Ginny was active in saving West Marin County (California) ranchland, so knew all the old timers, who were happy to oblige such an engaging proposition.

The signs said "Someone to Listen" "Someone to Hear" "A new Supervisor" "Is needed this year" "Vote for Dotty!"

 This was not only great fun, but it got attention. Did it get votes? Not sure, as I did not win the election (although I did reasonably well).  But I got the bug from those signs and that campaign, and voila, my campaign consulting firm was launched.

So far, I have not made use of the Burma Shave idea in any of the campaigns I've run. But who knows, I might do it again. You can too.

Signs with a message. And some humor.  That's better. Than any rumor. Vote!

What's on the back of YOUR Campaign Mailer?

 Don't waste your back page

You work like a beaver, whittling down your message to three or four short, cogent bullet points for the inside of your mailer.  You hone the front cover with precision to make it clever, graphically interesting, arresting, mysterious even, to make sure the voter opens to see the message inside.  Then you turn to the back cover. Well, you have to stick the label on her somewhere, the right size and shape the Post Office dictates. You have all this left over space you need to fill up somehow. I know, let's put the long list of endorsers here, in small type just in case anyone really wants to see if their friends and relations are supporting you.  Or maybe a throwaway line we couldn't fit on the inside.

A picture of the candidate and her family on that camping trip last summer? Maybe even a couple of endorser organization logos or a testimonial or two.

Take a tip from junk mail

But wait! Are we forgetting something?  Look at your mail, I mean the every day mail that arrives in your mailbox. Unless you have a mail slot and the mail lands in a pile all willy nilly, it's probably in there label side up, right? The mailman has to sort the mail by address. So he's going to be carrying it with the label up.  On most first class mail, that's the front.  On most second class (junk) mail and political mail, that's the back.

Look at your junk mail. Hmm. Big sale at Macy's! announced on the back of their catalog.  Save 20% on front end alignment!, in bold on the back of the Big O Tires postcard.  Retailers have learned the art of the back page.

Many candidates and their mail consultants have not. How many mailers have you received from candidates with columns of names or boring pictures, with not even the campaign logo or an intriguing quip to whet your interest in what's inside? Yes, I know if you are reading this you won't let a little thing like the way the mail lands in the box keep you from a juicy campaign mailer. But most voters are not like you.  Many will go ho hum, here's another piece of junk mail, and toss it without even turning it over. Some will turn it over to see the front, and hopefully, they are hooked enough to at least register the name.  Others will open it and read. But that's a three step process. Why count on the voters to do all that work, when you could save them at least one step by using the back page to graphically pitch at least part of your message?  An intriguing photo, a pithy quote, a question? 

Jazz it up! 

For your next campaign, don't think, "Oh, it's just the back page;" instead think "Hmm, this may be my first chance to engage the voter."  Then do it with pizzazz!

What all Voters Want to Know

The number one question all candidates must be able to answer is: "What will you do for me?"

This not likely to be the question the candidate is asked. And not the one most consultants tell you to be prepared for. You will hear "why are you running?" And you will be told not to say "Because it's a good time for me" or "because I want to move on to a new level of participation" or even (and most common), "because I want to give back to the community."

No, anyone who asks why you are running wants to know what your election is going to mean for him, that particular voter, how will voting for you make her life better, her taxes lower, her job prospects improved, her safety enhanced. 

And that's what you should be able to answer in thirty second or less.  

Some call it an "elevator speech" - how you can explain your campaign in the time you would spend riding in an elevator with a complete stranger.

So, why are you running?  And how will your election improve the lives of your constituents? Get ready with those elevator speeches early, practice them often, and make them sound, and be, sincere. The voters can spot a phony, and these days, they are ever more vigilant.

More Wendy Davis less Google Glass

Wendy Davis put on her running shoes and took to the floor of the Texas legislature to stop the Senate from passing tough new restrictions on abortion. This gutsy woman stood on her feet for 11 hours until it was too late to vote. The vote failed that night, but sneaky snarky Rick Perry called a special session just to get his way, thwart women's rights and (quite possibly) launch his Presidential bid as an uber conservative.

Wendy is making the circuit, a national heroine to women throughout the country.  Naturally her YouTube portrayal went viral and fundraising picked up for women's rights groups. That's the right kind of social media.

Immersing yourself in the inter-webs and hoping for the best is not. Why would anyone watch your screed on YouTube if they can see tangoing dogs and Anthony Weiner's weiner ? (you didn't seriously think I was going to show it here did you?

Publicity has to come to you because you stand for something and do something about it.  Wendy Davis for Governor of Texas, then who knows. Texas hasn't had a Democratic Governor in umpty years, and if memory serves, the last one was a feisty broad named Ann Richards, whose daughter Cecile is now the national head of Planned Parenthood, another target for mean Republicans everywhere.

When Progressive Women Run, We all Win

Do you vote for the woman no matter what? No, says the Campaign Slut.  But given all druthers, we'll take woman. Our druthers are that they be pro-choice (a no-brainer), progressive in other ways, pro-woman, pro-Universal health care, anti-big bank, pro-credit union, pro-organic food, anti-fracking, nukes and big oil. Say no to big pharma, agribiz, believe believe believe in global warming and do something about it; education not warfare.

Oh, your typical liberal, one with guts, spine or whatever you want to call it so long as it's not "balls."


So, let's all be looking for some progressive female candidates when there is an opening in a State or local office, or even when there isn't.  A strong progressive woman can take out some wussy conservative dude any time, if she's got her slut on and her team behind her!

This is what we talk about when we talk about Anthony Weiner

Oh, dear, it's come to this.  Talking about Anthony Weiner is everyone's guilty pleasure and chance to relive their junior high years, when we were all obsessed with making stupid sex jokes.

The latest in the saga is the tale of a former intern's Daily News post about why people signed with Weiner in the first place.  Apparently at least some of them told her it so they could be clsoe to his wife, Huma Abedin. No, get your mind out of the gutter, Sir. They really wanted to be close to Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (with a lot of steps and assumptions in between), and since Abedin resides in Clinton's inner circle, they saw an internship with hubby Weiner as the route. 

That was Tuesday morning. Tuesday afternoon, Weiner's (sadly female) Communications Director went off the rails, and called the former intern a "slutbag" and other anti-woman names, to a reporter, who did what reporter's do - reported the tirade.

The former intern took it all in stride, amending her own Twitter account accordingly, no doubt looking forward to more press and hopefully more lucrative jobs. (She also revealed that the pay wasn't that great either.) Poor Anthony. He can now say "I ran for Mayor of New York and all I got was this lousy name calling."

The Communicator in Chief apologized for her poor choice of words, as all Weiner Watchers wait to see if she is spurned by the never to be Mayor of New York for her less than helpful actions. Now that Weiner's manager and several interns have flown the coop, will Abedin be far behind? She could always write a guest post for the Campaign Slut.

Instead she's taking an "extended leave" from her post with Hillary. Don't do it Huma. Take a leave from that lousy weinerizing husband of yours.

Seriously, speaking of Abedin, have you any doubt that had any woman (let alone a Congresswoman) got outed even once flashing her privates across the Twittersphere, she would have been laughed out of any race she even considered entering, not to mention divorced, disgraced and totally humiliated? She'd probably have to become a nun and moved to a remote undisclosed location to ever live down the shame.

Rocking the Slut Vote in Orange County

Campaign Slut met up with some of her sassy friends, male and female, at the California Democratic Party Executive Board meeting this weekend in Orange County.

Besides eating great Cuban food, being evacuated for still mysterious reasons, having great conversations in the hotel bar and meeting exceptional candidates and their supporters, I attended my first meeting this year for the 2014 Platform Committee, where I was appointed to head the Preamble Committee (Is it a preamble, an executive summary, both? Breath mint, candy mint?).  Also a shout out to the strong and persistent women of the Department of Peacemaking for getting the Leg. Committee and whole body to pass (finally) support for HR 808, Barbara Lee, calling for a Federal Department of Peacemaking!

A stirring tribute for Trayvon Martin and support for strong immigration reform were part of the program.

Sadly the Republicans picked up one more seat in the special Central Valley election yesterday.  Let's turn around the turn out for the next one, fellow Dems.