Campaigns pt 2 and Policy cont.

11/13/2006

You got the info – let’s campaign!

• Your running for the Presidency – what's the number one issue you should address?

(psst.. If you didn’t say War in Iraq, cancel that fundraiser)

Reality of campaigns…

• The greater the race – the greater the ‘back time’ experience.

Back Time = Activities, Offices, Networking, etc. done for the party or related to; prior to ‘running’

Not always the case…

• The general exception to this – is family ties. They’ve put in the back time for you.

• I wouldn’t mind being born a Bush or a Clinton

George H.W. Bush

• Father was Senator Prescott Bush• Served 2 terms as a House

Representative from Texas• Ambassador to the United Nations• Chairman of the Republican National

Committee

More Poppa Bush’s resume

• Chief of the U.S. liaison's office to China

• Director of CIA• Vice President• Finally – U.S. President!

Your President… George W. Bush

• Followed in Father’s footsteps and went to Yaleo BA in History

• Worked on Father’s 1964 & 1970 campaigns

• Joined the Air National Guard – critics say he got ‘preferable’ treatment

George W. Bush

• 1978 ran for House – lost by 6,000 votes

• W. Bush was Father’s ‘religious liaison’ to tap the far conservative right

• 1994 elected Governor of Texaso Won again in 1998

In 2000…

• George W. Bush elected U.S. President!

It’s a long road…

• I (personally) have yet to find a President within the last 100 years who hasn’t ran for some sort of Office prior.

• So start running – City Council? Township Board? School Board? Get your name on the ballot!

‘Realistic’ credentials of Presidency

• Wealthy• Influential Family• Christian (not Catholic though - 1/43?)• Caucasian• Put in time, build that resume• Did I mention wealthy?

Campaigns in general…

• Joe Hoosier decides he wants to run for Governor.

• Let’s develop his political strategy!

Pictured: Joe Hoosier and son, Joseph Hoosier II

Before you begin…

• Decide the following – Do you have a base, or access to a base that will generate revenue?

• Fundraising is everything!

o This is where ‘back time’ pays off

Put Together your Team

• Depending on the scale of the race – you will need an executive staff.

• For a Governor’s race, these are full time paid positions.

• For a smaller race, close friends who volunteer generous amounts of time.

The Team

• Campaign Manager – ‘overseas’ all aspects of campaign and develops strategy

• Fundraising Director – Responsible for the logistics behind hosting Fundraisers, collecting cash, invites, etc.

The Team

• Scheduler – Keeps the candidates calendar, books events, etc.

• Treasurer – Responsible for Campaign Finance Reports, & actual ‘Bookkeeping’

• Volunteer Director

Step 1… Declare candidacy

• Friends – Today I have decided to run for…

Step 2…

• You have to file candidacy with either the County Clerk’s Office or the Secretary of State

Step 3 – Show me the Money!

• Pick a venue – ideally ‘free’ to have. You may find owners that ‘sympathize’ with your cause

• Set tiers of sponsorship o Hosts pay the mosto Very rarely will they have dinner… why?

Keys to successful fundraising

• Consider your ‘target market’o You can have many, and you need to.o Volunteer/Friends – Cheap tickets, average

venue, come on come all.o Middle of the Road Fundraiser (most common) o Could be in a well Known person’s home

Fundraising

• Elite Fundraiser – Nice place, Keynote Speaker, or ‘Celebrity’ present

• Ticket prices$100 toa lot… I meanWow… a lot!$$$$

4 Types of People (roughly speaking)

• Your core – These people are going to vote for you no matter what. o Party Die Harders, Friends, etc.

• Your opponent’s base – Your not winning them over unless

you carry them out of a burning building

The Two That Matter The Most…

• Swing Voters – Believe it or not, a lot of us fall into this category. o Candidate based or ‘issue’ driven voters. o Very rarely vote straight ticket.o Feels as if they ‘like’ their Candidates

The Apathetic

• You don’t vote. Why?o “My vote doesn’t matter?”

Good thing everyone doesn’t feel that way!

• Why do they matter? If you can inspire them… you can ‘tap’ into their votes!

How do you run your campaign?

• Your facing an incumbent… ask these questions…o Are they popular? If so – what for?

o Are they unpopular? Why? What decisions have they made?

o Can you associate them with a negative?

Campaign Strategy

• The Good – Hi I’m Joe Hoosier, I’m qualified to be your Governor because of X, Y, Z.o Tell them Why you want to Governoro Tell them why you deserve to be Governoro Tell them HOW you will help them when

you are Governor.

Campaign Strategy

• The Bad – Smear!

• Why your Opponent DOESN’T deserve it! What he did Wrong! How he RUINED You! SEND HIM TO JAIL! HANG HIM! HANG HIM

IN THE STREETS!

Why and When?

• The Good – If you’re the favored. You’re the underdog. You seem to be ‘pure’. o Everyone knows your opponent in a bad

way. Your taking the high road.o When you have more ‘skeletons’.

Let’s Fight Dirty

• When? If they are popular under ‘false pretense’o Example: Evan Bayh, “I’m a fiscal

conservative Democrat” – Indiana perspective.

o Opponent’s Campaign Strategy = “DON’T BAYH THE LIE. EVAN BAYH VOTES WITH HILARY CLINTON 90% OF THE TIME”

When?

• If your opponent goes dirty first you have a ‘free ticket.

• If it does little damage, take the high road. Your now the man of integrity.

• If it does severe damage or it’s a close race… call the army…it’s WAR!

In the beginning…

• Always come off as the Noble (Good) one. o Negative campaigns early associate you with the

sleazy effect.o Be innocent, pure, untainted. o Wait until that EVIL opponent attacks you… and unload an arsenal dating back since birth!

Get those Swing/Apathetic Voters

• Parades don’t win elections

• Going Door-To-Door Wins Elections

Do your Research!

• Find out ‘Public Opinion’ on what they want. What they do/don’t like about your opponent.

• Find ways to target the ApatheticExample: Marvin Scott at Rock the Vote at IUPUI discussed raising student loan maximums and lowering interest

Food for thought?

• Whose your city councilman?o No idea? Your not alone.

o What if a candidate came to your door, club event, church, etc. and talked with you. Would you vote for them even if you traditionally voted with the ‘other’ party?

The MOST IMPORTANT Day

• Election Day!o Have volunteers at every polling location.

“Joe Hoosier would appreciate your vote” Make phone calls – “Hi, Becky Sue – I’m just

reminding you that Joe Hoosier would really appreciate your vote.”

Get on TV (for good reasons) if possible.

Election Night

• Party – you worked your tail off.o Thank your volunteers/staff either way,

they believed in this campaign.o Thank those who gave $$$.

o If you win – CELEBRATE!

CONGRATULATIONS

• YOUR NOW GOVERNOR JOE HOOSIER… DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR CAMPAIGN PROMISES.

• CAMPAIGN PROMISE = POLICY o Honesty is always the best road!