Welcome back to another edition of Nuts & Bolts Guide. Every week, over the last year, we’ve covered some of the elements of a successful campaign. This week, I’m talking about something pretty special in every campaign: you. That’s right, if you are reading this, I’m pointing out that you have a chance to change races, not just in your city, county, state, but also nationally. And I don't mean with just money or giving to a candidate.
This week, we’re going to talk about the commitment to crowdsourcing campaigns, from fundraising to swapping skill sets, and how we can work together to give more Democratic candidates the kind of opportunities they need in order to succeed.
Last year, along with others, we helped form another group on Daily Kos: Crowdsourcing the 50 state strategy. Over the last few weeks you’ve heard a lot about DNC chair candidates discussing their plans to take back the 50 state strategy. Most of those plans involve money, resources, or paid staffers. The reality is, to make a 50 state strategy truly work we have to do more than that, we also have to share our knowledge base and skill sets where they can be used effectively.
Finances
Facing superior financial firepower, it is often tempting to turn all of our resolve into raising more and more money at the state and federal level. Don’t get me wrong, I think that is also important. If you are involved in your county party or state party, strongly encourage people to make a repeat donation with perks. In many states, the idea of an ongoing commitment can gain the donor one huge benefit: a promise they will not be contacted via email for any more money from the state party. An example: “Give the George State Democratic Party just $10 a month, and we promise, we won’t call you or email you to donate again, and you’ll be helping us succeed.” These plans work out for both the donor and the organization. For many people, giving a small amount repeatedly is preferable to giving a large amount all at once. For state organizations, it helps make sure that their monthly cash flow is positive and that basic required expenses are stable and covered.
This practice is good for other organizations too, including county and local civic groups. If your state and others aren’t offering a similar plan, talk to them about it.
Bernie Sanders talked about a party built by small donors. If you believe in that message, then now is the time to work to help make that happen by becoming one of the small stake holders in your state or county organization.
Building the Braintrust
One of the real problems we have nationally is simple: we have a lot of Democratic candidates who run races, state and local, who feel as though there are no real resources available to them. They don’t know who to contact, how to get things done, or how to pay for them if they find what they need. And this is where you come in.
Through Crowdsourcing the 50 State Strategy, we’ve worked to help identify people who can provide volunteer skills to candidates anywhere in the country. But we need more, a lot more, individuals willing to give some of their sweat equity to help Democratic candidates who otherwise couldn’t afford the services they need. In states all over the country, there is a real need for:
- People who know WordPress
- Graphic Design talent
- Audio design talent
- Video production skills (especially animation, etc.)
- Mail layout and design
In many cases, candidates find that they have to start all over from scratch on almost all of these items, year after year after year. In order to fix this, we have to change the way we help our candidates. It is important for us to build our own braintrust, a list of individuals who have these kind of skills who are willing to work cheaply or for “in kind” or partial “in kind” donations to small campaigns. Even more than money, YOU could be a big part in helping a candidate succeed if you can help them, even out of state candidates, with the kind of assist that saves them time and resources.
If you have those skills and are willing to donate some time to the cause, let me know and several of us in almost all states can help find you somewhere you can put your talents to work in helping to elect a Democratic candidate to an office.
Ready to work locally?
Crowdsourcing a fifty state strategy also means that now is the time we need your eyes and ears more than ever. Over the last 8 years, local print and television media have largely abandoned traditional beat reporting. What is happening on your local city council? Your local school board? Your county commission, even state house? Most individuals don't have any idea. The reason is because since beat reporting went away, these meetings, while held in public are poorly attended with no reporters present.
Because of this, incumbents are rarely held up to any criticism in many states especially in lower positions. Do you have any idea what goes on in your local utilities board? Probably not. This is where something like Daily Kos or your personal blog comes in. It is easy to write about national issues on Daily Kos. It is pretty hard to write about local ones, especially knowing that not as many people will read them.
But if you put aside “how many RECs will this get?” and you focus on: “will this show up in a google search later” you can quickly recognize the importance of following up on these meetings. When you write about local issues, you may find you are the only person at all who does so, and those reports from those meetings can be the difference in people discovering what happened and staying in the dark.
Over the last four years, I’ve sat in legislative session in five different state houses. While several have good reporters on hand, there simply aren’t enough to effectively cover the committee meetings being held or the proposals being put forward. And in those cases, I’m talking state government. Imagine how much information comes out of your local city council!
Dr. William Barber III challenged us in North Carolina: be the messenger. He wasn’t wrong. If we want to build a more informed electorate, it is on us to inform them, and not with assertions, but with hard facts that establish the journalistic questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How.
If you have an hour or two once a month, go to your local city or county government meeting. Post your thoughts on what happened. Even if nothing major is discussed or decided, you may be the only person who creates a real record that can be seen by constituents. And we all deserve to know more about our local government.
Final Thoughts
The next two months you will hear a lot of talk about how a DNC Chair, Vice Chair, or elected official will reshape the party or offer you a plan that accomplishes something. All of that is well and good. In order for any plan to succeed, though, the most important part boils down to the same end point: you.
High-placed officials and party mechanisms can do a lot to encourage, promote and offer leadership, but a person offering leadership to no followers is generally just walking alone in circles.
So, this year, make a commitment. Financially invest locally. If you can’t, offer your skills into our, or any other, co-op that is aimed at assisting Democratic candidates. Finally, help other people in your community know what is going on at the local level.
The Democratic party is built, at the heart, on the idea that individuals just like you are more than the brick and mortar that holds us together, you are also the herald who calls attention when you need it, and the backbone to candidates who need your help.
In the end, all Nuts & Bolts come down to one crucial role: the person who can put them in, and if that isn’t you, who will it be?
Next Week: Your questions, answered.
Nuts & Bolts: Building Democratic Campaigns
Contact the Daily Kos group Nuts and Bolts by kosmail (members of Daily Kos only).
Every Saturday this group will chronicle the ins and outs of campaigns, small and large. Issues to be covered: Campaign Staffing, Fundraising, Canvass, Field Work, Data Services, Earned Media, Spending and Budget Practices, How to Keep Your Mental Health, and on the last Saturday of the month: “Don’t Do This!” a diary on how you can learn from the mistakes of campaigns in the past.
You can follow prior installments in this series HERE.