Killer Campaigning » General Political Campaigning

Teaching Kids to Love Voting, Political Campaigns & Elections

killercampaigning — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:21:23 +0000

I just read a really delightful post by blogger Phil James in which he describes how, when he was a child, his father used to take him along to his polling place on election day and let him pull the lever in the voting booth. James says that this helped foster a lifetime love for political campaigns, voting and local elections:

“Not to step on too many clichés here, but I feel there was more than one life lesson learned that day. I asked dad all sorts of questions about the election. I brought my homemade sign to class to rally the support from my peers; got a beat down from my brother after admitting that I voted for Mondale in the mock school election. It led to a brief career in political campaign work after college and an obsession with social justice.”

James illustrates a family tradition that is still important to many parents: teaching children the importance of taking an active interest in politics and our civic duty to vote for the best campaign candidates. By making it a fun family event, James’ father helped ensure that his son would always love the act of voting and pass on the tradition to his own kids.

I’m not sure how many local Board of Elections poll supervisors would allow parents to take their kids into the voting booth, but are there any fun election day traditions that you do with your children?

Mine are great helpers on election day, and last year they helped me wave campaign signs at the polls. We had a blast, and I’m looking forward to involving them in future campaigns as they get older. Even if I weren’t an elected official, though, I would still try to instill the importance of being an educated voter and following through with your civic duty on election day.

American Majority Activist Training in Rocky River, Ohio

killercampaigning — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:31:49 +0000

For Killer Campaigning readers from Ohio (we have quite a few of them), there’s a great Activist Training Seminar being put on by American Majority this coming Saturday, June 12 in Rocky River. You can check out details on the venue location and schedule at this link.

This should be a great training session, regardless of what party you belong to. American Majority is national non-partisan political training group that has trained more than 4,000 individual candidates and activists in the United States this year alone. They have offices in six states and train in dozens of states annually.

Topics at the Rocky River training session will include Grassroots Action, Building Effective Campaign Plans, Utilizing New Media and much more. American Majority will provide full training materials, samples, supplements and other useful materials.

And hey, did I mention that the seminar is being held at Beachcliff Tavern?

Anyone in northeast Ohio who is gearing up to work on political campaigns this year or in coming election seasons should definitely make a point of attending American Majority’s Rocky River Activist Training this Saturday!

Anyone Can Run a Political Campaign for Elected Office

killercampaigning — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:23:01 +0000

One of my 2-year-old daughter Sophie’s favorite movies is Ratatouille, a really well-written cartoon about a rat named Remy who has an unusual gift for cooking fine cuisine. A character in the movie, Chef Gusteau, has a catch phrase that encapsulates his kitchen philosophy: “Anyone Can Cook.”

So, what does this have to do with political campaigns and local elections? Well, it just so happens that Chef Gusteau’s philosophy on cooking is very similar to my philosophy on political candidates.

In Ratatouille, the anti-Gasteau crowd is aghast at the idea that great cooks can come from anywhere, and think that worthy chefs can only come from the proper background and upbringing. Similarly, there are many people in politics who think the same thing about worthy political campaign candidates.

Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Just as anyone from any background can learn to be a great cook, anyone from any background can learn to run a great political campaign for local office.

I don’t care what your background is, where you come from, what your education is, or what your income level is. If you have the desire to win and the willingness to work hard, then you can run a political campaign for office and win your election.

That’s one of the great things about the United States of America: you are never limited to just being an observer of government. You have the ability to become government . . . to right the wrongs, reinforce the good, make the changes that are needed.

Anyone can run for office and win. All it takes is some smart planning and elbow grease.

Take a second to read the following snippet from Ratatouille, in which the food critic Anton Ego talks about how he realized that Chef Gusteau was right about anyone being able to cook . . . and remember that this philosophy can be applied to new political candidates, as well:

“The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.”

Record Number of Candidates Running Political Campaigns for Congress

killercampaigning — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:37:21 +0000

For a blog like Killer Campaigning that focuses on political campaign strategy, this is great news: the Associated Press reports today that a record number of candidates are running for congress this year. More than 2,300 people are running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, which is the most challengers that the Federal Elections Commission has recorded since 1975 when it started keeping track of this kind of thing. Here’s a snippet from their story:

“. . . Riggs is among the 2,341 people who have filed statements of candidacy with the FEC for the 2010 House and Senate elections, compared with 1,717 in 2008 and 1,588 in 2006.

“The tally is still climbing, with more than a dozen states still allowing candidates to file, and the true number of candidates is probably higher, since some ignore requirements to file with the FEC. Close to 40 states still haven’t held their primaries, including nine with primaries in September. The general election is Nov. 2.

“The field is significantly larger than in 1976, two years after the Watergate scandal took down President Richard Nixon, and 1994, the year the GOP took control of Congress for the first time in four decades.

“The next-largest field – of 2,159 candidates – was in 1992, when Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot battled for the White House.”

That’s great news for politics, for our future, and for the people of the United States of America. More political campaign candidates mean more choices for people in every congressional district. It also means that lots of first-time candidates are tossing their hats into the political ring. Killer Campaigning believes that running for office isn’t just for an elite group, and that anyone can put together an effective political campaign if they have passion and are willing to work hard.

Many of these first-time candidates will be successful on election day . . . and many will not. But regardless of who wins, who loses, and what parties you all belong to, we salute everyone who is part of the record-breaking crop of congressional challengers in 2010. Remember: the harder it is to do, the more effective it is on the campaign trail!

Two Guys Named Joe: a Great Political Podcast

killercampaigning — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:32:23 +0000

I had the pleasure of listening to a podcast tonight by a pair of Michigan political pundits who call themselves “Two Guys Named Joe” (Joe DiSano and Joe Munem). I had never heard of them before, but I’m definitely bookmarking their site to go back and listen to their future podcasts–there’s a lot of talent there, and I’m sure their audience is going to grow rapidly.

You can download and listen to their most recent podcast at this link. They definitely get brownie points for giving a shout-out to Killer Campaigning and mentioning an article we posted recently about the uselessness of election endorsements.

Trust us, though: Two Guys Named Joe would be a good listen even if they hadn’t given props to our blog. Go check them out when you get a chance.

Democrats & Republicans Need Political Campaign Language Tips?

killercampaigning — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:28:07 +0000

Hat tip to Badlands Blue for pointing out an article in The Washington Post today about Drew Westen, a psychologist and neuroscientist who is advising Democrats to replace politically poisonous phrases with descriptions that have “more appeal to voters.” Here’s a snippet from the story:

Democrats should not talk about “the environment,” “the unemployed” or “the uninsured.” Instead, they should replace those phrases with ones that have more appeal to voters, such as “the air we breathe and the water we drink,” “people who’ve lost their jobs” and “people who used to have insurance.”

That’s the advice of one of the party’s newest and more unusual gurus, Drew Westen. Westen is a psychologist and neuroscientist at Emory University in Atlanta who, unlike most political advisers, has never worked full time on Capitol Hill or for a political campaign.

Democratic leaders in the House and Senate brought Westen in to talk to them about the psychology of words, and he advised them to change the way they describe their positions to voters in order to do better in the midterm elections.

Both Democrats and Republican political candidates often use creative thinking when it comes to what words they use to refer to issues that are important to voters. People aren’t very fond of being reminded that politicians are shaping their words to appeal to the electorate and get votes, though, so I doubt that this is a story the the DNC wants distributed to the masses.

The language that we use as candidates in political campaigns doesn’t just beg attention in federal races, but also in smaller local elections. There are plenty of examples of local politicians and candidates who have doomed their chances at the polls by describing something in a way that turns off the voters.

Thinking about how you are going to describe the issues before opening your mouth is a good tip for anyone who plans on running for office, whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, Independent or Martian.

Political Campaign & Election Strategy for Philippines Candidates

killercampaigning — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:55:13 +0000

I have a question for Killer Campaigning readers: who can tell me more about political campaigns, elections and candidates in the Philippines?

In tracking our daily traffic, we’ve noticed that many of our visitors are people in the Philippines looking for political campaign strategies to use in local elections. All of our writers are from the United States, and as such we don’t have much experience with Filipino politics, parties, candidates and how the electoral system works there.

I’ve done some online research on political blogs and news websites that cover campaigning and elections in the Philippines. It seems that the country has a pretty broad and complex system of elections, political parties and candidates, much like the United States.

I’m sure that at least some of the political campaign tips and advice we offer here on Killer Campaigning is applicable to Filipino candidates, but I’m not sure how much. Are there any readers out there who can fill us in a bit more about how the political system works in the Philippines, and what differences there are from campaigns in the United States and Great Britain?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, since we want to make Killer Campaigning as useful as possible to every one of our readers. You can leave comments on this post, in our campaign forum, on our Facebook page, or contact us via email.

Additionally, if there are any bloggers out there who cover political campaigns in the Philippines and would like to write a guest post or two for Killer Campaigning about how elections and campaigning work in the country, let us know.

For anyone who is interested, here is a list of some of the most popular political campaign and election blogs in the Philippines. Give them a visit if you get a chance:

Manuel L. Quezon III

Lucid Interval

The Daily PCIJ

Ricky Carandang Reporting

Ellen Tordesillas

The Citizen on Mars

Primary & Special Election Day: Don’t Forget to Vote!

killercampaigning — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:57:59 +0000

There are some very important primaries and special elections being held tomorrow (Tuesday, May 4, 2010) in three states: Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina. If you live in one of these states, don’t forget to get out and vote! Politics Nation has the lowdown on just how important the next 35-day stretch of election contest are going to be for shaping the landscape of the November mid-term elections. It’s going to be an exciting year for political campaign junkies!

I live in Ohio, and you can bet that I’ll be heading for my polling place to cast my ballot. In addition to primaries on the statewide ballot, there are also some interesting local and county primary races that I’m excited to vote in. Election day is like the Superbowl for those of us who follow politics closely, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results.

American Association of Political Consultants Pollie Award Winners

killercampaigning — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:15:27 +0000

The Pollie Awards, which are handed out each year by the American Association of Political Consultants, are like the Oscars for political consultants, candidates, campaign managers, pollsters and public affairs professionals. The AAPC recently announced the 2010 Pollie Award winners at their annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona, and you can check out all of the winners on their site.

There are tons of political campaign categories and winners chosen by a board of judges in the Pollie Awards, but here’s a quick list of the special award winners:

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Campaign Strategist of the Year

Ed Gillespie
McDonnell For Governor

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Campaign Manager of the Year

Tharon Johnson
Mayor, City of Atlanta

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Pollster Team of the Year

Neil Newhouse
Scott Brown for Senate (MA Special Election)

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Pollster Team of the Year

Glen Bolger
Bob McDonnell for VA Governor

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Public Affairs Team of the Year

ACCCE/R&R Partners
Clean Coal

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Best Pro Bono Campaign of the Year

The Bivings Group
TB Gives

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Best Use of New Technology

Kansas Grassroots Consulting, Domain 51, Grassroots Solutions, Stones Phones
Clean Air Kansas

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Internet Fundraiser of the Year

Steven A. Castleton
Multiple projects including: Sarah Palin’s SarahPAC, Maine’s Yes on Prop.1/Stand for Marriage Maine, Americans for Prosperity’s “Patients First”Campaign

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Campaign Fundraiser of the Year

Brooke Bodney

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Best Local Campaign Team of the Year

Matthew Drane & Joseph Haas
David Tidd for District Judge

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Democratic Rookie of the Year

Ben Tulchin

2010 Campaign excellence Award for Democratic Rookie of the Year

Elmer J. George Jr.

Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award – Republican

Charlie Black

Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award – Democrat

Stanley B. Greenberg

Political Campaigning for Dummies: Ideas to Win Local Elections

killercampaigning — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:21:22 +0000

As far as I know, there isn’t a book out there called “Political Campaigning for Dummies,” although I suspect it would sell moderately well if there were. People seem to love How-To-For-Dummies themed books, because they’re written for the layperson; simple, straightforward, not intimidating. I’ve bought a few of them myself over the last dozen years.

The best ideas for winning a local election really are simple and straightforward–and there are a lot of sources, both online and offline, where you can discover the strategies that win political campaigns. Local campaigning isn’t for dummies, but you don’t have to be a genius to run an effective, impressive and successful election effort.

Here’s the caveat, though: while the best strategies for winning political campaign are simple to understand, the actual task of implementing them effectively is anything but easy. The harder you work, the more votes you’ll get. You might have the perfect blueprint for winning your local election, but it isn’t worth anything without the addition of elbow grease and shoe leather.

There might not be a “How to Win Political Campaigns for Dummies” book on the market, but there are plenty of other election publications, kits and systems out there that promise a similar education. Some of them are very good investments; others aren’t.

Before you spend you money buying any kind of “How to Win a Local Election” type book, though, you need to keep in mind that it’s only going to be worth as much as you’re willing to put into your own campaign. Experienced campaigners can give you the roadmap to success, but you’re the one who’s going to have to hike there.

Here’s the best political campaign advice for dummies that I could possibly give you: start early and work hard. The rest is just details, and you can find them in a thousand places–both here on Killer Campaigning and on other websites across the Internet.

If you’re willing to work your heart out and give an ear to pragmatism, you can light the fuse on political campaign strategies that most candidates never even try to detonate.