It’s another Saturday so for those who tune in, welcome to a Saturday Diary of Nuts & Bolts of a Democratic Campaign. Each week, we discuss issues that help drive successful campaigns, and once a month we look into “Horrible mistakes you should avoid” (last Saturday of a month). If you’ve missed prior diaries, please visit our group or follow Nuts & Bolts Guide.
For those who have been following, you know that our candidate, Jessica Jones, is preparing her run for a state senate seat. Jessica has done a pretty good job following the prior steps of this diary series, from making contact to controlling expenses.
After weeks of canvassing, discussing the issues and meeting with constituents, our candidate has a much better idea of who her constituents really are, and what they care about. There are millions of Americans who are, frankly, pretty oblivious to politics. They pay some attention to issues, but unlike readers at a site like Daily Kos, they quickly turn the channel on their TV for, well, anything else.
As much as we love politics, and so does Jessica Jones, there are probably more people in her district who care about a local sporting team, their favorite song on the radio or town events. Unfortunately for Jessica, she does not sing particularly well, and she is a bit too old to become a sports star or trendy celebrity.
Like most American communities, her town/county has annual events that are major events for the local community. Once or twice a year, her community holds a major town-wide event. For a local candidate, this is the time to build community.
Too many Democratic candidates have a tendency to live within the echo chamber—they talk in front of friendly audiences that will act as positive reinforcement, but they do not take enough time to establish who they are to a larger community.
Whether your race is big or small, building your name recognition among people is important. It is also important that your name ID is built with positive associations, you would much prefer, “I’ve met them, they seemed OK.” as opposed to “I’ve never heard of them, but this piece of mail from a Republican tells me they are a horrible person!”
Meeting people in person is the easiest way to diffuse a lot of attacks on your candidate. Even if they do not agree with you on the issues, if they have met with you in person, it is harder to believe you are a terrible human being.
Whether you are walking in a parade, attending a local chili cook off, eating in a favorite restaurant, or making sure you attend your local school play, think about these as campaign events with unique goals and etiquette to make them successful.
The Community Event is NOT About You. It is About the Community.
Many communities have events that go back generations—thirty, fifty or even a hundred years and more. Those events reflect a deep tradition within that town or county, sometimes even an entire state, and for many attending the events defines a part of who they are as a human being. Yes, they are a Republican or a Democrat, they are an ethnicity or a faith, but for a lot of Americans, they were also a kid who finished third in a soap box derby rally, or the young girl who fell and chipped a tooth falling from a float in junior high.
Just like apple pie, these community events are very special to them. For candidates who enter them, you have to remember that the event is NOT about you, and that your entry into the event is a chance to join in with fellow members of the community and embrace what they love.
Whether it is a craft fair or a cook off, if you want to build community, you need to plan your participation accordingly. The picture above features a candidate for governor, US House and others who went to a Labor Day parade in a small western town. Why go? Because tradition brings many Kansans back home to visit the parade and talk.
For Jessica Jones, a state Senate candidate, she is advised that her community will be hosting their 86th Annual Hot Dog Feed for Veterans. It is a major event in her community, and because of that, many candidates will be present. Both candidates for governor, Senate, US House, and local races will participate.
For Jessica Jones, this is HER district. Many of the other candidates will follow the rules, they will walk the parade, eat some hot dogs, talk to a few people, and leave. For Jessica Jones, she is a resident here, and now is the time to actively participate—talk to as many people as possible, and be prepared to stay the entire day, if needed. While candidates for higher offices have time pressures and a lot of geography to cover, Jessica Jones is unlikely to go to any other event with as many potential voters today as her local community function.
Many candidates really struggle with respecting the fact that these events are not about them. Participate in these events as a human being. Eat a hot dog, sit and talk with people about how nice it is out, how you enjoy a float, who had the best food. Tell a few jokes, and enjoy the day with your community. You are running for office to represent the people in attendance, so show respect for the things they enjoy and meet them as a friend and community member first. While you will introduce yourself as “Hello! I’m Jessica Jones, I’m running for State Senate,” you need to take time to talk to them about their issues, the event, or anything that humanizes you. Be less Marco Rubio, far more Tom Harkin.
Very few politicians understood how to work a major community event like Tom Harkin, who would stay late, cook, eat, have a beer and talk with members in the crowd. Why do it? If people find you personally likable, attacks on you are much more difficult to make stick. How can you be likable? By treating them, and their event, with respect.
You Are NOT a VIP, treat the event with respect
Community events are so important that for many communities, planning committees, leadership groups, and outside investors begin working on them up to a year in advance. They will have rules and bylaws and terms by which they expect participants to abide. The quickest way for candidates to lower their local likability is to assume that the rules of the event do not apply to them.
As a candidate, Jessica Jones has an obligation to make sure that she follows the guidelines of the event. If it is a religious or social event that does not allow active campaigning, she may want to attend — but she will do so without campaign material. Whether it is a voting rights march in North Carolina, or a religious celebration in Louisiana, if she is not allowed to openly campaign, Jessica should not assume “well, I shouldn’t go.” Remember, you are part of this community, the more you participate in local events and the more people can see you, the better off you are.
Most events allow you to campaign. Follow their guidelines. Jessica really wants to participate in the 86th Annual Hot Dog Feed for Veterans. She’s checked the guidelines, and if she wants to participate, she has to reserve a booth space 90 days before the event, pay for a float 60 days before the event, and she has to agree to an inspection of her float two days before the event. If Jessica follows these rules, she will make the people inside the event happy—she follows the rules, she did things right, and she has a float and/or booth.
The quickest way to start an event off on a sour note is to not follow the rules. Jessica knows she has a friend on the float committee. She forgot to pay her dues on time, and now it is 30 days before the event. She really wants to make sure she has a float, so she calls her good friend and says, “Hey, I know I’m breaking the rules, but can you bend the rules for me, this one time?”
Perhaps, if Jessica were running for governor or US Senate, there would be people in the event who would say, “Wow, that candidate made time for our event! Absolutely!” Jessica, however, is a local. This event is in her backyard. Her failure to follow the rules does not help her, and this is America—someone will gossip about how your candidate did not think the rules applied to them.
If you are running for state House or state Senate, you are NOT a VIP. The people who run and orchestrate these events ARE your constituents. Even if they are hardened Republicans, do not give them any reason to speak ill of you because of your lack of preparation.
Don’t walk alone in an event!
While you, as a local candidate, should not be pressing the issue, make sure you have one or two people who are with you. Volunteers should carry your cards, paper, and pens. You can also use tablets, but it is often easier to just quickly jot down a number and name on paper, and you want to be fast.
As your candidate walks through an event and participates, you are going to know when individuals are receptive to their message or interested. Many locals will say, “Hey! Aren’t you the one running against XYZ!? I really don't like that person, hey I have a question.” While Democratic events favor you, for many of those who are independent or sometimes voters, this may be one of the best chances they have to talk to you, the candidate. Take a bit of time to answer, but then direct that constituent to someone who is supporting you. Let me explain an exchange. Don’t worry so much about the content but the flow of the discussion.
Constituent: Jessica! Hey! I see your running against Joseph Henry, and I want to ask you a question about our local sales tax. It is CRAZY High! (Note: if you ever run into a constituent who runs up to you to tell you sales tax is too low, please let me know, I have NEVER seen that.)
Jessica Jones: Yes, I am running against Senator Joseph. Our state has done a lot of things with our tax structure that punishes individuals like you and rewards big businesses. Republicans have picked winners and losers, and they have decided the average man, woman and child is the loser. I hope to change that.
Constituent: That’s a good point, hey, I have a lot more questions, how can I get hold of you, is there a way I can run some ideas I have by you?
Jessica Jones: Here, I want you to meet Cindy. She’s my volunteer today. If you can give her your phone number and name and maybe email address, we can definitely send you our positions, and you can always send us mail at (hand the constituent a card). I hope you’re having a good day!
Be pleasant. Be respectful. Capture names, data, and information and offer it to constituents so they can contact you as well. Do not go to an event alone, where you are unable to capture information or keep track of potential voters. This is one of the real chances you have to identify persuadable Republicans or Independents in head-on conversations. Take full advantage of information offered, and improve your data collection.
Final Advice:
If you have handled a community event successfully, you will strengthen some friendships, raise name ID, and you will have a good deal of collected data. If you handle it poorly, people may think you are arrogant, self-important, do not care about the community, and you will collect little to no data.
If you are running for a state level office, you need to focus on our original rules: A-B-C, Always Be Closing. Use events to help your campaign, gain support, and make your case.
Next Week on Nuts & Bolts: Don’t Get Burned Out. Rest as a Campaign Value
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.