Campaigns have all sorts of systems, from index cards to computer databases, with names and personal nuggets of people like you, perhaps with dough to donate. For a candidate, there's a script, talking points and the "ask." Dialing for Dollars is how we elect our leaders.
This is no time to elect the next President. Summer is blooming, vacations are kicking in and our President is barely holding on as his Administration falls further apart.
The best and the brightest of those running treat each day, each photo-op and each Iowa visit like we're all paying attention. Truth be told, this summer dance isn't for us. If you have a bubble, sorry to burst it. The summer lovin' campaign is for money. Raise the most and voters believe you can win. Being seen as a winner elevates your poll numbers. And the higher your polling the more money you raise. Around and around it goes. The Lion King showed us the Circle of Life. This is the "Circle of Life or Death" for every candidate.
So in between milking cows, meeting farmers in barns and having tea in living rooms, the candidates are on the phone using up all their minutes, blowing past friends and family plans, and looking for the most powerful networks. Campaigns have all sorts of systems, from index cards to computer databases, with names and personal nuggets of people like you, perhaps with dough to donate. For a candidate, there's a script, talking points and the "ask." Dialing for Dollars is how we elect our leaders. The Iowa photo-op is the foreground; raising more money is always the background. It lasts infinitely longer. Hours. Days. Everyday.
Somewhere in the middle (or at the end) are the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. They take their first-in-the-nation responsibilities pretty seriously. Big money doesn't always sway them. In fact it could hurt if the money drives a wedge between their lives and the lives of the candidates. Iowa and New Hampshire voters know they're being played but still show up every four years like it's the Olympics, only election style.
For the masses, we watch and wait like rubber-necking at a car wreck. History tells us some candidates will flame out. We want to be watching when they do. Some never gain traction in the polls. Some never get their message across. Some just can't get the warchest inflated. What the masses like to see is a self-winnowing process, where candidates fall apart, leaving just a few standing. This makes it easier for voters to pay attention to a few options rather than a stage full. Sometimes, a third party candidate can stand out.
Current events like the "American War in Iraq" and immigration reform will keep some candidates in the race longer than normal. The wide open field, without a President or Vice President running for re-election, will help spread money to lesser knowns. And the cluster of early primaries will help underdogs stretch their budgets, hoping for a miracle in February without having to worry about the long and expensive primary campaign into June.
So enjoy summer, whether you live in Iowa, New Hampshire or another 48. The field will still be there come Labor Day. This is the calm before the fall. And even in the fall, there will likely be a stageful of hopefuls, calling you, knowing something about you, and asking you for a check.
(Check out WagTheNews.com)