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. It’s the end of the year, and I have a few goodies for you this week — including a link to a PDF of all Nuts & Bolts at the end, but I wanted to take the last entry of the year to answer some of the questions that have come up over the year but I couldn’t figure out how to make a full entry out of them. These small questions came up more than once, and I wanted to make sure that these questions received an answer before the end of the year.
So, here we go — Nuts & Bolts: Your Questions Answered!
Q: How do you convince someone to run for office? I have someone interested, but they are worried about the process, and I don’t know what to say to convince them. Advice?
A: This is a question I heard pretty frequently, but you just can’t make a full entry out of it. The truth? You can’t really convince someone to run or not. It is their decision. If you put a lot of pressure on someone to run and they do not want to run, they will make for a terrible candidate and regret the decision pretty quickly. If you have someone that is open to running and is interested in hearing more, than the most important part of a pitch meeting is to give them an honest assessment of the race they are considering. Don't sugar coat things, and tell them truthfully the kind of support, Democratic outreach, and fundraising potential is possible based on prior races or through queries with the party. Your candidate will be better prepared to handle the race if they feel as though you were upfront with them.
Q: I want to help someone run for office, but I have no idea what I’m doing. What books or training programs do you recommend?
A: There are several great resources out there. If you can, you can attend a DFA, Wellstone or PCCC training program, which occur in many states. For many Democratic activists, that isn’t a possibility. So, guides like Christine Pelosi’s Campaign Bootcamp can be a good read. The real secret though, is that a campaign isn’t about having a degree in political science or a sound understanding of a book or that you follow series like this one. Part of what makes a campaign great is the effort you are willing to put in and how well you understand your district and race. Some of that is about data, yes, but a lot of it is just about putting in the work. If you show up, work hard, and try to help your candidate, they will appreciate it. Whether it is a big or small job, many will welcome you. And, if you need direct help, talk to your county or state party, and ask them for any help they can provide as a first stop.
Q: I want to start a PAC. Where do I go?
A: This question came up in email pretty frequently and I was a bit surprised. The creation of a PAC is best done through an attorney. Remember, there is a difference between a state PAC and a federal PAC. PACs can be advocacy groups that are issue oriented, they can be ideology centered attack or promote organizations, or they can just be organizations to allow you as a group to throw out content. Before you embark on creating a PAC, check your state laws. In other words: See an Attorney.
Q: I can only give $100 this year to any political cause. What is most effective?
A: Start at your most local level. Whether it is your county organization or a local issue advocacy group that represents something you care about. The general math of your donations should be something like this: 70% local or state. 30% out of state or federal. If you have a special reason or interest in an out of state race, commit to their local and state first. If you see someone running in a state race in another state, realize the performance of that candidate can help people up and down the ballot from them.
Q: When is campaign season really going?
A: Always. It’s Christmas Eve, and today there will still be phone calls about 2017 and 2018 races. Take breaks, make sure you don’t drive yourself nuts, but no matter when you have time to chip in, know that there are always things that need done.
Q: I’m incredibly depressed about 2016. What can we do to make the party fight? What can I do?
A: Party infrastructure listens to people who show them they put in the work. You will get dismissed pretty quickly if you don’t.. but if you have been seen working on behalf of the party, then your voice will be much louder in the right rooms. If you want a party that fights, show up. Become the party. It’s the in thing this year.
And with that, I wish all of you a great new year. Keep those questions coming.
Next Week On Nuts & Bolts: Planning off-year fundraisers that work.
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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.