Welcome back, Saturday Campaign D-I-Yers! For those who tune in, welcome to the Nuts & Bolts of a Democratic campaign. Each week, we discuss issues that help drive successful campaigns. If you’ve missed prior diaries, please visit our group or follow Nuts & Bolts Guide.
When we talk about Democratic campaigns, we often talk about our values and a commitment to policies designed to help more Americans have an opportunity that will improve their lives. All of the policy statements you can make, nice speeches and editorials mean very little, however, if your campaign itself fails to respect the values you are advocating.
This week, we’re going to talk a bit about respect for Democratic values—why our campaigns support unions, embrace persons of color, and do more than talk the talk, we have to walk the walk to earn the votes we need to win.
Unions matter to our party. And it should matter for your campaign.
I admit I have been an advocate of unionizing more federal and large-scale campaigns. While this may not be viable in small campaigns, one thing that is viable for all campaigns, at all levels, is support for our unions through the work product of a campaign.
Even the smallest Democratic campaign will spend money to help it win. They buy printed material, buttons, shirts, trinkets or anything else designed to help the candidate win. Part of respect within a campaign is that we understand unions support our candidates—and they deserve our support. When I see Democratic campaigns putting out material without the union bug on it, or putting main events in non-union facilities if they have options, I wonder if they understand that respect is a critical element in our efforts.
I understand very small campaigns doing things in-house. But larger campaigns? You really don’t have an excuse. As a candidate running under the Democratic platform, you have to be aware of the importance of our unions in working to improve the lives of your constituents.
Unions are significant Democratic donors because at heart, we agree on the major issues impacting American workers. If you plan to run a campaign for a major office as a Democratic candidate, think about how you utilize your resources, and if it is possible to show your support for unions through ACTS more than WORDS, it will help you in the long run.
Be willing to own your mistakes
No campaign is flawless. Every campaign will have a misstep, some internally, some externally. The easiest way to compound a mistake is by either lying about it or refusing to acknowledge it as a mistake and move on.
When campaigns fail to acknowledge problems, it doesn’t get any better, and if you decide to lie or sidestep the problem, what you are really doing is sending a message to the voter that you don’t respect them. Fifteen years ago, many campaigns believed if you made a mistake, move on, pretend it didn’t happen, and it will disappear. Well, welcome to the internet era.
Voters are not fools. And people around you will judge your behavior in a campaign as likely behavior if you are elected. If you avoid problems, refuse to address them, or cover it says bad things about the kind of elected you will be in the state house or US Congress. Meanwhile, quickly addressing an issue and moving on can show leadership.
Commitments to diversity is a sign of respect.
Last year at this time, I talked about campaign diversity being important in how your campaign is seen by voters. If you are building up a campaign or a group devoted to activism, respecting the diversity in your community is an important way to build the relationships you need to succeed. I repeat this point frequently, coming back to it this April.
I try to make an effort to insert something about campaign diversity as a strength as often as possible because campaigns that offer no diversity are plagued with problematic decisions, misguided notions of their own community, and problems understanding the issues that motivate voters.
I cannot say it often enough: your campaign MUST look like your district, or you must work to have voices that reflect your district represented if you hope to succeed. Treat your district with respect, and make sure your campaign and volunteers look representative of that district.
Next week on Nuts & Bolts: Your own health matters!