The Individual’s Role in Politics

Introduction

This chapter is titled, “The Individuals Role in Politics.” When the original Action Course was first published in 1959 the title of this pamphlet/volume was “Businessmen in Politics”.  It is the author’s belief that we all have a role in the politics of our country regardless of our position in life, as individuals, as business men and women, and as members of clubs and associations.   To many of us, money appears to be what controls elections but fundamentally what controls elections are the people who turn out on Election Day. It’s not the money- it’s the votes, starting at the precinct level that give us the people that get elected that in turn govern us. As you have noted it is a minority of a minority that selects the candidates we have to choose from on Election Day. This is true starting at the smallest governmental unit and up to the election of the President of the United States. If you take action based on the principles of this course you do not have to be the consumer of something a small group has “packaged”, rather you can be, depending on how far you want to go into politics, a wholesaler or better yet the manufacturer of the product.

You are approaching the conclusion of this study of the practical, or structural, side of grassroots politics. It is a time for stock-taking —a time for considering what you might do, personally, to help perfect the kind of government you want.
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the kinds of things which you can do, now that you have participated in this Action Course and equipped yourself with practical political know-how. Note that the following pages take into account the fact that you play several roles in your daily life—and that you have an opportunity to do practical things about attaining better government by exercising leadership in these roles.

Structure of Politics vs the “Art of Politics”: In a fair and just world the lessons and principals that you have been exposed to in this course, when applied by organized and dedicated individuals, will almost always be effective in putting responsible people on the ballots and getting them elected. Unfortunately there is another side to politics that is intertwined much like the ribbons on a May Pole. That other side of politics might charitably be called the “Art of Politics” as compared to the structure of Politics. The structure of politics is the organizational aspects that this book covered while the “Art”, and “Art” is used in its most charitable form, is the psychology, the perceptions, the halftruths, the pandering to the public fears and prejudices, and the general manipulation of the voting public. Even the best organization may not overcome the effective use of the “art of politics” in certain elections.

It is an unfortunate truth – a political organization can do everything right and still lose an election to an opponent, or party apparatus, that is better at the “art of politics”.  The lessons learned in this course can overcome most instances of the use of the dark side of the “art of politics” but the human condition is always subject to the carefully crafted political appeal that is designed to trigger our hidden, even from our self, fears and desires.

What the Individual can do in Politics

As stated previously, each of us plays a number of roles in their daily life. We may be a husband, father, wife, mother, church deacon, operate a children’s shuttle program, service club president and shop foreman, all rolled into one.
It is in this sense of the multiplicity of your roles that we will discuss what you can do— as an individual—to help create better government.

  As A Citizen

Broadly speaking, there are three ways in which the individual —in his or her role as a citizen—can help promote the cause of better government.

First, they can volunteer to work for the party of their choice at some political task commensurate with their talents, interest and available time. On the matter of time, it is important to remember that no one is so busy they can’t do something in politics. For example, even the busiest housewife and mother—or a top level executive—has time to make a few telephone calls or to solicit funds for a favored candidate.

Note: It needs repeating. There is nothing wrong with being involved with a minor Party and its agenda and philosophy may be more in tune with your beliefs that what the Democratic or Republican parties offer you. But America’s political process is tilted toward the interest of the two dominant parties, Republican and Democrat. It will always be harder, to almost impossible; to achieve significant results from your involvement with a minor party than it would be if you started with either the Democratic or Republican parties.

This does not mean that your involvement with a minor or third party cannot be successful. There are indications that the American public is dissatisfied with the current Republican vs. Democrat system

Minor parties have been chipping away at the barriers place in their way (by the Republicans and Democrats) for full political participation. With a relatively evenly divided U.S House and Senate just a couple congressmen or congresswomen or senators elected with minority party affiliation could force both the Republicans and Democrats to seek a collaboration with the minority party. This could provide the minority party with a significantly greater voice than what their numbers would indicate.

Examine again the “Checklist of Political opportunities for Individuals” covered in the first session. Check off those political jobs for which you are qualified and resolve now to volunteer your services to the party of your choice at the end of this Course.

The second way in which you as an individual can capitalize on your Action Course knowledge is by helping others learn about politics through passing on the Action Course book or by participation in a companion Action Course discussion group. This can be done in one of two ways. You can organize an Action Course discussion group among members of your church, your service club, your lodge or in your neighborhood among a group of your friends. Or you can contact the Practical Politics Publishing Company for information on obtaining a complete Action Course package including a Discussion Leaders manual.

The third way in which an individual can use the knowledge of this course is to run for political office in their own community. Politics gets a bad reputation but it may be one of life’s greatest callings and opportunities.

Whatever you decide, you’ll be helping others to gain a new understanding of— and interest in—government. And there is no knowing how far your influence may spread. It is not unreasonable to assume that some people who have read this book or have taken the companion Action Course may choose the third option to run for office and use the tips on organization to get elected to some local office and to maybe move up the ladder to run for the United States Senate ten years from now.

It may be a cliché, but the fact remains that progress or accomplishment is still the result of action by an individual who is willing to assume a leadership role. This is an opportunity now open to you.

 As an Employer

If you employ others, you have the opportunity to encourage and help them become better citizens. These are some of the things you might do:

Establish a Company Policy

Company policy approving political activity will encourage more employees to become active in politics. In small organizations, company policy on political activity can be informally outlined, and perhaps communicated orally. In large companies, it is  more appropriate to have a formal policy, in writing, which can be communicated to employees through normal channels, such as letters, bulletin boards, and employee publications— particularly before elections when political interest is high.

A policy can be a simple statement that the company encourages all employees to be active in politics as a matter of good citizenship or it can go much further in spelling out the need for political activity.   It can explain why employees should take part in practical politics and why they should work for—and make financial contributions to—the party of their choice.

For legal reasons, if no other, the difference between partisan and nonpartisan activity is important in formulating policy.

A search of the internet will find a very limited number of employer programs that emphasize political training programs for their employees or encouraged employee involvement in the political process. Most of the employer programs are directed toward giving to company PAC’s.  Examples of such political programs are found in the statement of “political engagement” of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp (PG&E) and the “Corporate Citizenship” statement of Microsoft.   In both instances little is said about employee activity and a lot is said about giving to a corporate PAC to further the interest of the corporation.

Since corporations are equivalent to “citizens” under rulings of the United States Supreme Court it could be argued that a part of the responsibility of “citizenship” to educate others – their employees – on the political process and encourage their direct participation.

Organize Political Education Programs

Individual interest and effectiveness in politics is usually kindled by a better understanding of how the political system functions. Companies can do much to broaden participation and to upgrade individual sophistication in politics through political education programs. If nothing else this material may move some people to believe that all is not lost to the power of money from the extreme right and the extreme left and that basic political organization skills can still impact both those that run for office and the election process.

Company publications, letters and other communication channels have proved useful in providing education on issues and on economics, but do not lend themselves as well to teaching practical politics.

This “A Course in Practical Politics” is an example of a material designed to increase participation of the citizens of our great country.

Organize Registration and Get-Out-The-Vote Campaigns

In the past many companies promoted employee registration and voting through letters, bulletin boards, employee publications and other communications media. Not so much these days. It is still a valued contribution by a business entity and is worth considering by any business owner or manager.

Any company-wide get-out-the-vote campaign, of course, achieves maximum value only if it emphasizes the importance of informed voting.

An example of a letter that emphasized the importance of “informed voting” follows:

“It is a privilege to live in a country with all the freedoms which we enjoy and millions of people in the world look at us with envy because we have that privilege. Like every privilege, this one carries a duty. That duty is to vote for the candidate or candidates of your choice.

“I am appealing to you to think seriously about this privilege and its corresponding duty. Won’t you talk with your family, your neighbors and your friends about registering and voting this year?

“At the same time encourage those to whom you talk to become informed about the men for whom they vote. This is the way to elect those who, in our opinion, will devote themselves to better government.”

The campaign for informed voting should direct special letters of encouragement to management personnel, who may be well qualified to speak upon important issues. They may also have frequent opportunities to suggest to others some practical benchmarks for evaluation of campaign speeches and candidates.

If the organization has a unionized labor force care should be taken to make sure that any “get out the vote” activity be presented first to union and other employee leaders to explain the purpose of the intended activity. If possibility this activity should be coordinated with similar Union programs.

Management, office and clerical personnel may be overlooked in get-out-the-vote campaigns that concentrate on production workers. To avoid this, special projects such as these should be considered:

  • Set up a time-off-for-voting plan. Announce it well in advance. Make sure employees are reminded of it the day before the election.
  • Discourage any unnecessary out-of-town travel on Election Day, or the scheduling of activities that will interfere with voting. If the law allows for early voting aid should be given to those employees who have to be out of town to get early voting ballots.
  • Make special arrangements to get absentee voters’ ballots to employees who must be out of town on Election Day. In jurisdictions where absentee ballots are only granted with a specific excuse help the employee to comply with the rules
  • Plan special recognition for employees who have reached voting age since the last election.
  • Cooperate with (or urge action by) local business or civic groups to get 100 per cent voting by their members and families.
  • Use bulletin boards to emphasize the need for becoming well informed on issues and candidates before Election Day.

Encourage Employees to Volunteer for Party Work

Employees—particularly those who have participated in some form of a political education course— can be encouraged to devote some of their time to the work of the party of their individual choice by means of bulletin board notices, payroll enclosures, letters, articles in a company publication or—in smaller organizations —by an informal meeting.

An employer could combine programs which offer their employees an opportunity to volunteer to work for—and give money to—the party of their individual choice. It is important to respect the employee’s right to anonymity when he makes his choice.

Arrange Meetings with Candidates and Officeholders

Candidates for office are generally eager to meet with groups of employees.

Many Companies have found their people very receptive to noon hour meetings at which candidates are given a chance to address employees.

Such meetings can also be held immediately after working hours. Such meetings should provide an opportunity for all candidates to participate.

Once an election is over, companies can encourage their management personnel to meet with officeholders in order to get better acquainted. Working with a city council, a state legislator or a Congressman or Senator on a legislative matter affecting the company is made easier if, previously, company representatives have made an effort to get acquainted with their legislators.

Similarly, most officeholders welcome the opportunity to learn more about the company’s policies, problems and goals.

Recognize Effective Political and Governmental Service

One of the most effective ways to promote employee participation in politics and government is to give recognition to those who do. For example, a company could honor such employees at an annual dinner. Recognition can also be given through articles in employee publications, annual reports and other forms of communication.

As a Local Chamber Executive or Officer

As a volunteer officer of a local chamber of commerce, or as a professional Chamber executive, one has unlimited opportunity to promote broader citizen participation in politics and government. For instance:

Organize Political Education Programs

Political education programs can be organized on a community-wide basis.  Under Chamber leadership, discussion leaders can be recruited and trained for Courses to be sponsored, not only by the Chamber of Commerce, but also by business firms, Business and Professional Women’s Club, League of Women Voters, Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, Junior Chamber of Commerce, American Association of University Women, garden clubs, church groups, etc.

Help Parties and Candidates

The local Chamber of Commerce, without violating its nonpartisan stance, can encourage graduates of political education courses to volunteer to work for the party or candidates of their choice. Primarily, this effort involves announcements, bulletins and, perhaps, meetings at which graduates can hear representatives of the parties and/or candidates explain the kinds of help which are needed from volunteers.

Organize Registration and Informed Voting Campaigns

Committees can be organized to poll Chamber members, find those not registered and make sure they get registered prior to elections.

Through bulletins, letters, meetings and other communications devices, the local Chamber can acquaint members—and the general public, if desired—with the significance of campaign issues.

In organizing a get-out-the-vote campaign, equal emphasis should be given to the importance of being informed about what one is voting on. The privileges of citizenship are counterbalanced by the responsibilities of citizenship—including that of studying issues and candidates before casting one’s vote.

Acquaint Members and the Public with Candidates

While a voluntary association, such as a Chamber of Commerce, cannot support candidates for public office, it can help inform the public on the stands which candidates have taken on campaign issues.

One popular way to do this is to poll all candidates, using a standard list of questions. The responses are often welcomed by the local press which may print them in full.  Or, they can be reproduced by the Chamber and distributed as a public service.

Still another popular format is to invite all candidates to a “meet the Candidates” forum which may be open only to Chamber members or to the public at large. Such meetings may follow any one of a number of formats. A format which has proved practical is that in which a moderator addresses questions to a roundtable of candidates.

This may be followed by questions from the audience.

Organize a Legislative Study Committee

If you are a Chamber official you will find that many graduates of political education courses are not interested in direct political action. But they will welcome an opportunity to help influence the course of local, state or federal legislation.

Formation of a legislative study committee—or committees if local, state and federal legislation are to be covered—is an excellent way to utilize citizen interest in this facet of government.   Many aids are available to such study committees. These aids will equip individual committee men and women to analyze issues and then express their personal point of view to the legislators who will decide the issue.

Such communication with legislators may be written or oral. In the latter case, a face- to-face meeting between members of a legislative committee and legislators adds extra spice to a study of issues because it permits immediate, personal communication between committee members and their elected representative or representatives.

As a State Chamber Executive or Officer

The role of a state chamber of commerce lay or professional leader in encouraging wider citizen participation in politics and government is generally more indirect than that of the local chamber leader. This is so because of the operating conditions of a statewide organization. However, despite this “difference” many state chambers of commerce could have an important role in this area.

Unfortunately, as near as the author can tell, neither the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nor the various state chambers and local Chambers of Commerce offer programs to their members and the general public like the original Action Course in Practical Politics. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce does presently have anyone on the staff who even remembers that they published the original Action Course in 1959. Hopefully they will all see the need for a re-birth of programs of basic political education.

Basically, the role of the state chamber of commerce could be twofold: First, to inform and motivate to action member companies and local chambers of commerce and other associations of business and professional people; second, wherever necessary to lend a helping hand in organizing among companies and chambers and associations political education programs.

As a Trade or Professional Association

Executive or Officer

Since trade and professional associations have many of the same problems—and the same opportunities—that face local and state chambers of commerce in encouraging political activity, much of the preceding review is applicable to them.

Like local and state chambers, associations are technically nonpartisan. The technical nonpartisanship of the association may in fact become quite partisan if their members feel that one of the two dominant parties is more supportive of the interests of the association members. A road builders association my favor the Republican Party in their state because of the support for highway construction. A state teachers association may in fact lend support to the state Democratic Party and its candidates due to the party’s support for unions. These associations will concentrate their efforts on encouraging political participation among their membership and in stimulating discussion and understanding of basic political and legislative issues that are slanted toward the party that is considered the most favorable to the interests of the members.

Again, the association volunteer officer or professional executive, like their counterparts in local and state chambers of commerce, serves as a catalyst. They bring to member companies or local association affiliates the information and inspiration they need to activate political education courses and to carry on the other action programs described here.

The Lathrop (California) District Chamber of Commerce periodically sponsors a Government Education Program. The Chamber brings in elected representatives or someone from their staff with a program designed to enhance the attendee’s knowledge and understanding of government policies, initiatives and other areas of government.

Associations whose membership in a given community isn’t large enough to make political education courses practical can still take positive action while at the same time enhancing public relations. For example, many trade associations—and some professional associations—will not have enough members in a given community to make feasible a political education course made up solely of association members. In this situation, the national, state or regional association can still recommend to its members course participation at the grassroots in a variety of ways. For example:

  1. Assume that in Anytown, U. S. A., there are only 8 members of the National XYZ Association. These eight can invite their spouses to join with them in a political education course. This approach has worked very successfully in the past.
  2. Or assume that the eight members of the National XYZ Association are in a line of business which serves a number of other businesses or professions in the community.  Representatives of these businesses can be invited to join the Association members in establishing a political education course. Besides gaining practical political know-how, there is an added bonus of good public relations with one’s customers.
  3. If there are only three or four members of the National XYZ Association in Anytown, they should be encouraged by their national association leadership to participate in political education courses sponsored by some other community group such as the local chamber of commerce, a service club or some similar organization.

Beyond the political education courses, every association can encourage its members to carry on the fund-raising drives, registration campaigns and other activities mentioned earlier.

As a Social or Service Club Executive or Officer

The same suggestions that have been given for those who are officers and directors of trade or professional associations are relevant to similar positions within social and service clubs. The editor submits that particularly service clubs officers and executives have a responsibility to use their positions in the community to promote programs like the Action Course to both their members and to their community.

Probably the most effective nonprofit organization in the United States that offers educational programs and other services to eligible voters is the league of Women Voters. The League has offices in all states and most major cities in the U.S. The League is an extension of the movement to secure the right to vote to women and has worked to foster civic engagement and enhance access to vote to all citizens since its founding in 1920.  Its mission has evolved over time to include education and access to all potential voters, regardless of their gender. A lot of their activity is directed toward those potential voter groups that are underrepresented or underserved, including first time voters, non-college youth, new citizens, minorities, the elderly and low-income.

The Action Course and “Big Money”

Digesting the material  in the Action Course is, unfortunately, not going to end the era of “Big money” politics.

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party at the National level and many times at individual state levels will continue to rely on expensive and powerful advertising campaigns, funded by wealthy individuals and corporations to get out the votes on Election Day. Special interests will continue to spend their money on advertising designed to place someone in office that is sympathetic to their cause and beholden to the entity if they want to get reelected. The information in the Action Course is not going to stop the political party’s reliance on, and addiction to, advertising funded by special interests.

However, the fundamental goal of all politics is to win elections. A basic principle of this material is that elections are won, or lost, at the lowest level of government, the precinct or ward. In spite of the reliance on money to fund campaign advertising this fundamental has not changed. A second basic principle is that it is a minority of a minority that gives us the people we get to vote for on Election Day. This is particularly true in primary elections.

Educated and motivated citizens have the ability to place individuals on the ballot who are not beholden to special interests. Educated and motivated people who work to get out the votes in their precinct and community can place people in public offices who are not beholden to certain special interests and who will, or should, act in the best interests of all citizens. Motivated and active citizens who have proven that their activity in the political process can turn out votes in their precincts and their community can remove elected officials who fail to act like the statesman we hoped that they were.

Legal and Tax Considerations

The following pages briefly review the major laws, court decisions and tax rulings pertaining to political activities and how they relate to the management of political activity.

The Laws

Federal Elections

The history of campaign finance laws, particularly at the national level, is long and convoluted.  Anyone interested should consult one of the reference sources available from a Google search. This history is filled with attempts to limit the amount of money that individuals, corporations and associations are legally allowed to contribute to candidates and political campaigns. Unfortunately all of the efforts are similar to attempting to keep a bunch of snakes from escaping the basket that they are in. Push one back in and two more are attempting to get out. Every attempt, including McCain-Feingold, to control the amount of campaign funds has only invigorated the professional fund raisers, single issue organizations, wealthy individuals and the political parties to find new, and more ingenious and sometimes more devious, ways to circumvent the laws passed to control campaign funds.

On January 21, 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling in the case of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. This ruling essentially reshaped the campaign financing environment by making previously restricted political advertising permissible.

Prior to Citizens United, the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), generally prohibited corporations and unions from using their treasury funds for making campaign expenditures designed to influence federal elections. The restriction in the FECA specifically prohibited” express advocacy” which explicitly called for the election or defeat of federal candidates. FECA did not prohibit corporations and unions (and similar associations) from establishing separate segregated funds (PACs) to fund express advocacy or make contributions to candidate campaigns, political party committees or to other PACs. Following the Citizens decision corporations and unions may now fund unlimited express advocacy messages. The only restriction was that these campaign contributions toward advertising campaigns had to be independent expenditures – not coordinated with the campaign that it is supporting or opposing.

Before Citizen United the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) prohibited corporations and unions from funding broadcast advertisements and electioneering communications that mentioned clearly identified federal candidates (but not necessarily calling for their election or defeat) within 60 days of the general election and 30 days of a primary election. You know the ads that go something like this “Tell Congresswoman Jane Doe to stop mistreating little kids”!  Citizens United eliminated The time constraints and corporations and unions are now free to fund electioneering communications from their treasury at any time up to and including Election Day.

So, at the federal election level, corporations and unions have basically no limits on money that they can spend to elect candidates of their choosing.

There are still restrictions on the amount individuals can contributed to candidates or to parties in federal elections. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) sets the limits on what an individual may give to federal candidates and political parties. Every two years the Federal Election Commission (FEC) updates certain contribution limits that are indexed to inflation.  Contribution limits for 2013-2014 set by FEC for individuals are::

to each To national To state, To any other Special
candidate or party district & local Political limits
candidate committee Party committee per
committee per calendar committee per calendar year
per election year calendar year
$2,600 $32,400 $10,000 $5,000 None

In a 5 to 4 decision of the Unites States Supreme Court issued on April 1, 2014 the restrictions on total campaign contributions by one individual or entity were struck down. This decision is considered to be generally more beneficial to Republicans than Democrats.

Note that the Federal election Commission also sets limits on the amounts that National Party Committee, State, District and local party committees and any PAC may give. For more detail on this subject a source is “openSecrets.org/overview/limits.

The reader will probably observe that an individual’s contributions were limited but corporate and union contributions are limitless.

State and local elections

State and local elections are not controlled by any of the federal election laws. Limits on campaign contributions are set by the several states. Usually the state law will distinguish between contributions for primary elections and general elections. Several examples follow but laws do vary by state and are subject to periodic changes and an interested party should check with their own states Secretary of State.

In Arizona an individual may gave $2,500 to a local candidate per election but only $2,000 per election cycle to legislative and statewide candidates. Source: Arizona Secretary of State.

In Wisconsin the contribution limits are broken down into three (3) categories; local offices; non-partisan State offices and Partisan State offices.

In purely local elections Wisconsin limits individual contributions to the greater of $250 or $0.01 times the number of inhabitants in the county, town, city, village or district to a maximum of $3,000.  State law also restricts the amount of money that can come from individual PACs and other candidate committees. State law in Wisconsin also restricts the amount of money that a candidate can receive during any one election from all sources including PACs and Political Party committees. County executives and mayors are limited to a maximum of $175,175 per election cycle.

Non Partisan elections and Partisan elections also have limits on individual contributions and limits on total contributions that a candidate may receive from all sources other than individual contributions. For example the current limits for a governor’s race in Wisconsin include a cumulative total for the primary and general election is $10,000 per individual and $43,138 for a single committee. Total contributions, other than individual contributions, are not to exceed $700,830.

The limits seem rather modest and reasonable until they are compared to the funds reported to be raised by the current governor of Wisconsin in his election and recall election which are reported to be in excess of $40,000,000. It becomes obvious that letter of the law is easily bent and broken by experience campaign finance professionals.
.

 Tax Considerations

Political Contributions by individuals or by companies where permissible, are not deductible for Federal income tax purposes. Ever! This is true whether it is direct cash contributions to candidates, parties or Political Action Committees or expenses incurred in political activities. Tax laws regulating deductions for state taxation purposes may vary by state. The specific state tax authority should be checked before claiming any deductions.

The Presidential election Campaign Fund allows a taxpayer to direct up to $3.00 of his tax payment – by a check off on his or her tax return – as a contribution to the election Fund. This is not the same as a tax deduction, however, since all it does it direct where a small portion of the actual taxes owed goes. Since a candidate for President who might qualify for the Presidential election Campaign Fund has to forego most other sources of funding for their campaign, in effect no credible candidate chooses to use these funds. Barack Obama although running as a Populist candidate chose to not elect to use the election Funds and through great fund raising efforts was able to out-spend John McCain by a factor of three to one.

The Individual’s Role in Politics, Part 2

Research Committee

In practice, the scope of the work done by the research committee generally reflects the size of the campaign. The national committees of both parties are constantly analyzing issues and the party’s prospects in various sections of the country.  Most state central committees, too, have sections for research.  At the county and municipal level, the research committee may be one of the less active groups—although a well-organized research committee can perform a tremendously vital service in any campaign.

One of the committee’s major jobs is to prepare material that the campaign speakers can use effectively. The speeches and the voting record of the opposition candidate can be combed for material that will be helpful in the campaign. Background material on issues and opponents can be compiled by the research committee and made available to the candidate and to other speakers.

In addition, invaluable help can be provided to the campaign manager and their candidate in the development of their campaign strategy.

If funds are available, polling data may be contracted for and polling results integrated into the research assignments.

Research can find the answers to questions such as these: What is the total number of voters in the district?  How is the population broken down by ward and precinct? What was the vote by ward and precinct in the last election? Are there concentrations of ethnic groups in certain precincts? Where will concentrated work get us the most votes? Will ads and positions designed to gain votes from a specific ethnic or interest group cause the campaign to loss the support of other groups?

The answers to such questions—which should be available prior to the planning of the campaign—are of inestimable value.  In some cases, of course, the professional old-timers through long study of the  politics of their area will know most of the answers—but established views can always be re-examined.

Since the primary purpose of the campaign is to insure that voters on your side get to the polls, it is essential that the campaign manager know which areas and which groups are worth all-out efforts and which are not.

If there is a large ethnic group in the district, special attention may be given it.  Or efforts can be made to enlist the support of substantial groups by appeals to their leadership—since politics revolves around people who influence others.

In recent years, increasing interest has been evidenced by candidates and parties relying heavily on the use of public opinion polls and focus groups. In many cases the candidate’s positions are tailored to reflect the opinion poll and focus group results. Unfortunately the reliance on polls and focus groups may lead to the voters being told what the politician doing the telling thinks the voter wants to hear rather than what they need to hear.

In most areas, the research committee can conduct its own public opinion polls, in addition to collecting information on all types of voters’ statistics.  A word of caution: designing questions, selection of samples, interview techniques and interpretation of findings require experience. Professional help in conducting polls is advisable. A quick search on the internet will find many local and national polling organizations. State party organizations should be consulted for recommendations.

Speakers Committee Today political programs must compete with all kinds of entertainment for public attention. Under the impact of radio and particularly television political oratory has changed. Political speeches are often much shorter they once were.  In most cases, they do not include as much flowery verbiage but speech-making is still very much a part of the political scene.

During a campaign, requests that the candidate speak before this group or that club will flow into campaign headquarters. Obviously, the candidate cannot accept all invitations to speak. The campaign manager and the candidate, therefore, select those that they believe will pay off in the most votes. In selecting the speaking engagements that the candidate will accept, the candidate and his manager will keep in mind the major goal of the campaign mentioned earlier – that is to get those people who support him to the polls. This means, for practical purposes, that a Republican candidate would spend little, or no, time in a precinct that had a long history of large Democratic majorities. He or she should recognize that the few votes they might change in that precinct would not justify the use of much of their limited time. They can devote their energy more constructively to making sure that the voters who are at least sympathetic to their cause are inspired to increase their efforts to elect them and to support them at the polls.

Some of the candidate’s appearances are almost mandatory, of course.

They will probably show up at any gathering which includes a large number of the party faithful. They will always try to appear before veterans groups, labor meetings, religious organizations, chambers of commerce and other important, well-organized clubs or associations.  In many communities, nonpartisan organizations such as the League of Women

Voters will hold a rally to which all candidates are invited.  A candidate generally will make a point of attending such meetings since their absence would probably be misinterpreted. On the other hand if one candidate is widely known, they may find it unwise to give their lesser known opponent the publicity that comes with appearing on the same program. Or if the candidate is a poor debater they would probably be wise to avoid any program that is essentially a debate.

Candidates may be forced, by circumstance, to appear before groups that have a history of voting for the opposite party.  These circumstances may be negative ads put out by the opposition that falsely portrays the candidate as being pro or anti a position that is important to the group.  Other situations will arise in any campaign that may require the candidate and their campaign manager to weigh the benefits of appearing before a potentially hostile group where few votes can be obtained.  If the candidate is quick to lose their temper or is a poor speaker before a hostile or non-responsive group it is probably better to stay home.

A well-organized speakers committee will have available a “stable” of able speakers to fill requests for a speaker at the meetings which the candidate cannot, or does not want to, accept.

The committee will also stimulate requests for speakers and take the initiative in finding spots for speakers at local luncheons, dinners and meetings sponsored by influential clubs and organizations. Many program chairmen will welcome a speaker on a political subject during a campaign period.

Like all other groups participating in the campaign, the speakers committee will be successful in direct proportion to the knowledge and skill possessed by the leadership and in its ability to work harmoniously with others. Naturally, its efforts require coordination with other committees that are working on the campaign.

The speakers committee works, for example, with the research committee in developing material that will be most useful and effective in campaign speeches.  It also works with the public relations committee in ensuring that the speakers and their speeches receive wide publicity, and in handling the distribution of effective pamphlets or other material at meetings.

The speakers committee must have a clear understanding of the political situation in the area. Its chairperson should know the type of appeal most likely to influence a legion meeting and what type will appeal to the annual dinner of a professional society.  Knowing what subjects to avoid is just as important.

Solving the many and varied problems of a campaign requires the ability of a successful diplomat. In almost every campaign there will be volunteer speakers who will do more harm than good if they are allowed to speak as “official” party representatives. Easing these people into other jobs without hurt feelings may not be easy, but it is essential. The success or failure of most meetings is determined by the speaker. Inept and inadequate speakers are worse than no speaker at all, since they alienate some votes and fail to attract others.

Because of the importance of speakers, some speakers committees may operate a training school at the beginning of the campaign to develop the skills of new speakers and to apprise those who wish to participate in this phase of the campaign. The state party organization may offer some training for potential speakers.

The Small informal gathering: The subject of speakers and meetings brings up a relatively recent development that has changed campaigning in some areas—the small, info– gathering. It was said, for example, that former President Jack Kennedy “literally drank his way in tea into the Senate,” as he met thousands of voters at a series of informal tea parties conducted by his mother and her friends.

The idea is simple. A housewife or maybe a stay at home dad in the neighborhood invites as many friends as possible in for a cup of tea or coffee, and to meet the candidate. There is no formal program, but those in attendance are given an opportunity to shake the hand of the candidate and to chat briefly with him or her.

The success of such meeting in swaying voters is not surprising. The candidate immediately becomes a “friend” of the voter.  Human nature, being what it is, there are few people who will not find the opportunity later to mention to others that “Mr. Candidate told me the other day . . ..’ or to say casually “When I was talking to Mr. Candidate the other day at the Browns’ house “. .

If the candidate has a pleasing personality, as most of them do or they wouldn’t be candidates, each person in attendance immediately becomes a center of influence, spreading the “good word” to all of their friends.

Ronald Reagan used a version of this “small informal group” approach in mounting support for his health care program that was supported by the American Medical Association.   Regan rightly assumed that letters from women in support of Reagan’s position would have more impact on Congress than letters from doctors.   A massive effort was made to enlist Republican women’s club members to invite their friends to listen to a taped address by Reagan. Reagan attributed these programs to having a great impact in getting his program passed.

The development of the informal social hour as a campaign technique is, of course, just an extension of the practice that has long been followed by candidates of appearing briefly at all types of public functions, state and county fairs, picnics, and even funerals and weddings. Candidates in rural areas have long recognized the importance of attending meetings of farmers’ organizations and livestock sales.

Long time politician, Jim Farley said “There is no substitute for the personal touch and there never will be, unless the Lord starts to make human beings different than the way he makes them now.”

Practical politicians have learned it is useful to have a “buffer team” to accompany the candidate at these small informal gatherings as well as at larger meetings. The “buffer team” sees that all those in attendance have a chance to meet the candidate, prevents one or two people from monopolizing their time, answers phone calls, and gets the candidate out of the meeting in time to make his or her next appointment.

Public Relation Committee In an ideal campaign, a candidate would shake the hand of every potential voter. Obviously, that is impossible.  And the more heavily populated the area, the less practical it becomes. As a result, a political campaign must rely on other indirect ways of reaching the voters.

Campaign literature—pamphlets, throwaways, posters—will help reach many voters.  Paid advertisements can be placed in newspapers and presented on television and radio.  In addition, all of the mass media of communication are ready to present information about the candidate—whenever they consider-the information newsworthy.

The use of social media has greatly expanded the outreach ability of the Public Relations committees.  Anyone interested in the effective use of internet and social media as both a campaign and a fundraising tool should consult one or more of the analysis – both on the internet and in book form – of the 2008 Obama campaign.

In some cases a subcommittee handles the paid advertising of all kinds, including outdoor billboards.  Another subcommittee handles the preparation and distribution of special literature such as posters and leaflets.

Sometimes the publicity and advertising functions of a campaign are assigned on contract to professional publicity, advertising, or public relations firms. Whatever system is used, however, the public relations director must coordinate publicity. They should be consulted and their ideas utilized by everyone involved in the campaign.

A good public relations director will, of course, know the mechanics of writing press releases.  They will know how to start the copy several inches down on the first page, to have it double—or triple—spaced, to make sure that names are spelled correctly, that facts are accurate. They will know that they should answer “Who, What, Where, When and Why.”

But, it is even more important that they be thoroughly familiar with all the publicity outlets—the small weekly newspapers as well as the large dailies and the radio and television news commentators. They should know deadline requirements, be friendly with editors and commentators, and know the type of material that appeals to each of them.

A good public relations director, in handling publicity, is much more than an expert on mechanical details. They must have a news “sense” and recognize when to act and how.  A good example of effective publicity action was the reaction of the committee for the election of President Obama after the release of the secretly recorded comments of Mitt Romney commenting on the 47% that would never vote for a Republican.

However, a public relations director is limited somewhat in creating “news.” in the final analysis, his or her job is to publicize the news” that is made by the candidates and by party activities.

Advertising: For the public relations director, communications media have two uses—to carry free publicity and to carry paid advertising.

A newspaper, for example, may carry in its news columns pictures of a candidate, stories about meetings, and other items that the editors consider of public interest. A radio or TV station will also report news and present panel discussions or similar programs as a public service.

At the same time, of course, newspapers, TV and radio stations are in the business of selling advertising space or
time.

Although the alert public relations director attempts to obtain all the free publicity he or she can, they will also plan to spend some money for paid political advertising.

When it appears as paid advertising, a message can be presented in the form in which the public relations director wants it to appear, rather than as an editor or reporter— possibly unfriendly—would like it to appear.

Additionally, many publications expect to receive political advertising during a campaign. Very often advertising is left until the last minute. However, contracting for space early and delivering copy well in advance of deadlines eases the job of the newspaper in preparing layout and often results in better position for the ads as well as better cooperation from all concerned in making the ad more effective.

Many questions arise in the advertising campaign: how much money should be spent on newspaper advertising? … on radio? . . . on television? . . . on billboards” . . . on leaflets and brochures?  Should ads be full-page? … or smaller. .

Should a television program be used for a 15-minute speech, or a spot announcement … should the ad point out the “faults” of the opponent – go negative – or emphasize the sterling qualification of the candidate? Will any television viewer ever watch any ad that runs more than 60 seconds?

These and similar questions for specific campaigns and specific conditions in any area can best be answered with the help of skilled advertising people—many of whom participate in campaigns, either as paid consultants or as volunteers.  It is useful to remember, too, that use of an advertising agency in the preparation and placement of advertising generally costs the advertiser nothing—because it is standard practice for the agency to collect its fee in the form of a discount from the media in which the advertising is placed.  If the account is small, however, there may be a service fee.

Professional help should be used as much as possible in all phases of the publicity and advertising program, but here are some general observations about the use of television and radio offered by practical politicians.

Television: as noted earlier, from a candidate’s standpoint, there are two major types of television programs—those that are free and those he pays for. The free type might be sponsored as a public service by the station or sponsored by an advertiser.  A forum, in which candidates are interviewed by a panel of news men, or others, is a good example of this type of program. Decisions as to the candidate’s appearance on programs of this nature will be determined largely by the nature of the program, the candidate’s schedule, the character of the sponsoring organization, and the ability of the candidate to appear favorably in the format of the program.  The candidate’s appearance before the harsh television lights may also have impact on a decision to participate.  Many will remember the television debates of John Kennedy and Richard Nixon where most observers thought Nixon won the debates on debating skills but lost due to his appearance on the television screen.

More serious questions arise over the decision as to whether television time should be purchased to present candidates.

There is no question that television has introduced the most important new element into political campaigns.

Candidates can be seen by many more people than formerly. Those who have a good television personality can make

it pay great dividends. Despite the high cost of programming—television enables the user to reach large audiences at small per capita cost.

The explosive growth of cable Television channels coupled with the decline in market share of the legacy networks of NBC, ABC and CBS has made television ad buying extremely challenging. Cable channel programs directed toward specific ethnic and demographic groups do allow the targeting of ads. But there will always be a finite amount of money and an overwhelming number of choices.

Unfortunately in the last few years much of the campaign funds available for television advertising is directed toward the production of attack ads, often without even suggesting that the voters support a candidate, that “attack” some aspect of the opponents past voting history, their character or even their personal life or in defending against or countering the attack ads of the opponent.

There seems to be a general agreement that certain subjects are always fair game such as:

Talking one way and voting another.
Not paying taxes
Accepting campaign contributions from special interests
Current drug or alcohol abuse
Their past voting record

More and more barriers are being breached as to what of the opponents personal life is subject to attack but there are still some that a majority of people believe are off limits:

Lack of military service
Past personal financial problems
Actions of a candidate’s family
Past drug or alcohol problems.

According to the Huffington Post and citing an analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project, in the 2012 presidential election by May of 2012, around 70% of the ads run on television were negative ads.   As compared to the same period in the 2008 presidential election when negative ads were a little over 9%. Of particular interest was the fact that over 60% of those ads were funded and sponsored by groups outside the campaign committees for either of the major presidential candidates.

Research on the effectiveness of “negative ads” is all over the map. Some research supports a conclusion that the candidate that has the most effective negative or attack ads usually win the election while other research supports the opposite conclusion. An excellent review of the competing research is contained in “The Effectiveness of Negative Political Advertisements: a Meta-analytic Revie” in the American Political Science Review, Volume 92, number 4, December 1999. Apparently campaign managers and Political action committees don’t read the research literature or are afraid to avoid the “mud-slinging” because there appears to be no end to the predominance of the negative political ads.  Many high priced political consultants pride themselves on their ability to craft harsh, sometimes dishonest and false, negative advertising and other materials for the all too eager candidate to use against their opponents.

Radio: many of the comments on the use of television apply to radio. From the political standpoint the emergence and dominance of television has not killed radio. Smart politicians recognize that radio offers many advantages in terms of coverage and economy.   Millions of people listen to car radios while driving to and from work; many housewives and stay at home dads listen to the radio while doing their household chores. In radio, as in television, “spot announcements” are widely used.

Billboards: Billboard advertising provides another means of publicizing a candidate.

The use of billboards enables a picture of a candidate, his name, and the office for which he is running to be prominently displayed; thereby fostering in the public’s mind an association between a face, a name, and a job.

Many campaigns use billboard advertising effectively.

Literature: no campaign is going to be so foolish as to spend all of its money on television and radio ads and forget the fact that printed material still has a significant place in any effective campaign. Professionally prepared brochures and yard signs are an important part of any well run campaign. The preparation of effective literature and its efficient and economical distribution are big tasks in a political campaign. The best printed material is of little value unless it reaches the voters. A wide variety of approaches are used in the distribution of all literature to make sure that it reaches as many different people as possible.

Literature is sometimes mailed to every potential voter in the campaign area but this can get to be expensive and the cost per voter could run, depending on the quality of the printed material, to over $2.00 per voter.   In a well-organized precinct the brochures could be delivered by hand by precinct workers.  Often times printed material containing a sample marked ballot is passed out near the polls on Election Day.

Special mailing pieces are often prepared for special non-party groups such as lawyers, doctors and other specific groups.  If possible this material is sent out under the letterhead or signature of a respected member, or members, of the group rather than coming from campaign headquarters.

Notes on Use of Mass Media: Frequently, those preparing material for dissemination through mass media, such as publications, radio, TV, newspapers, etc., aim it entirely at the hostile and undecided. Some authorities believe that material in mass media has little direct effect on the undecided voter.   They are not very interested; are bombarded with opposing claims, and t hey make their decision at the last minute.

The decision of this type of voter, these authorities say, will probably be determined largely on the basis of personal, face-to-face contact. Therefore, material carried in mass media will be effective to the extent that it impresses the party faithful in favor of their own candidate and against the opposition—and can be used by these faithful in talking to their friends and neighbors.

According to this view, the primary value of mass media is as a means of “passing the ammunition” to the front-line troops.  Undoubtedly mass media make some impression on the individual voter, but the wise campaign manager will not fail to see that they are employed with an eye to this second kind of usefulness as well.

Legal Committee In small campaigns, the legal committee may merely be one individual.  But every campaign requires legal services. These services are generally provided by volunteer lawyers who are experts on campaign and election law.

These experts can perform a dual function. They can insure that the party’s candidates comply with all the legal requirements for filing nominating petitions. Present legal restrictions on campaign expenditures and the necessity for filing reports on them make the services of an expert in these fields particularly helpful.  At the same time they are protecting the interests of their own candidates, the campaign’s lawyers can be on the alert to insure that the opposition is complying with the law, and to advise on how any legal mistake by the opposing candidate may be exploited.

For example, both parties had large teams of attorneys mobilized within hours of the closing of the polls in Florida in 2000 as soon as the initial results of the “too close to call” election results became known.

The legal committee can perform an important and most useful service by preparing a manual or conducting a school for precinct workers who will be charged with the responsibility for challenging voters or watching the vote count on

Election Day. (See “Election Day,”  at the end of this chapter)

Canvassing Committee The primary objective of the canvassing committee is simple—to get all potential voters on its side registered, and then to get them to the polls on Election Day.

As the chapter on “The Political Precinct” explains, the task of canvassing voters to determine their political inclinations, getting those on your side to register, and then getting them to the polls must be decentralized to the precinct or ward level.

A canvassing committee at campaign headquarters is necessary, however, to coordinate and supervise the entire operation. It can check the organization of each precinct, hold schools for those who are doing the actual front-line work, and organize task forces to conduct canvassing operations in precincts in which the party is not well organized.

A canvassing committee can furnish maps of each precinct to precinct captains. With the help of the research committee, it can identify the areas that deserve large, intensive drives, and areas where less attention is needed.

Occasionally, a smart canvassing committee chairman will get a large group of volunteers and prepare a listing of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the party’s registered voters in each precinct. These are then turned over to the appropriate precinct leaders, saving them days of preparation—and making sure this job is done in precincts with poor or no leadership.

On Election Day, the canvassing committee can assume responsibility for a variety of chores, including:

1. Ensuring that necessary workers are assigned to each of the polling places— and to check to see that they are actually on the job. If for some reason they fail to appear, the canvassing committee should have adequately-prepared replacements.
2. Checking the polling places early to see how the votes are coming in—say between 10:00 a.m. and noon. If voters for the party seem to be slow in appearing at the polls, the precincts should be notified to redouble their efforts. In many areas, it is a definite campaign tactic to slow down voting late in the day in the hope that voters of the other party who expect to vote on their way home from work will decide not to when they see a waiting line at the polls.
3. Providing proper credentials for party poll-watchers.

Special Services Committee During a political campaign, a candidate and his party may receive many requests for special services, as well as much free advice on how to run the campaign, tips on what the opposition is doing, and so on.

Political organizations are built to some extent by special favors they are able to perform for the voters.

The precinct leader, of course, will handle most such cases, but there are always some occasions in which a troubleshooter for the party can win votes by working on requests that cannot be handled by the precinct leader.

The special services unit can also perform a useful service in screening all the advice that pours into headquarters. Obvious crackpots can be tactfully thanked and gotten rid of without burdening the leaders with the job. Worthwhile suggestions can be passed on to the appropriate committees or leaders.

Some politicians recommend that the chairman of the special services committee be given an important title such as “general manager” in order to deal more satisfactorily with the people who come to headquarters with fire in their eyes, demanding to see “the man in charge.”

Financing the Campaign Two major problems are connected with financing a political campaign—raising the money and controlling its expenditure. The money-raising function is the responsibility of the finance committee; expenditures are controlled by the treasurer in consultation with the campaign manager.

Finance Committee The money-raising committee of a campaign is frequently set up in an organizational unit that is independent of the candidate. Politicians say that several advantages accrue to the candidate under procedures that prevent him from knowing any more than is absolutely necessary about the campaign’s financial affairs.

For example, if questions should arise about the source of contributions or practices that have incurred resentment, the candidate can disclaim all knowledge of the practices and assure the voters that they had no knowledge about the donor.  In instances where funding sources become a serious campaign liability it may be necessary to return the funds and, in extreme cases, someone on the finance committee may have to “fall on his sword “ and resign.

The enactment of legislation that requires financial reports for campaign receipts and expenditures has undoubtedly speeded the tendency to divorce the candidate from the finances.

Waging a campaign today costs large stuns of money, and a variety of methods have been developed to raise the necessary amounts.  Because of the subject of fund raising for a campaign and the relationships with outside sources of advertising dollars is so complex this book only goes into a basic outline.  Numerous sources of information are available by a Google search and of course from engaging the services of a professional fund raiser.

The most effective method is the personal solicitation of individuals.  Letter campaigns, although not as satisfactory as other methods, are used.

$100 to $1000-per- plate dinners have as their primary purpose the raising of money for the party. This device has proved to be very successful in raising funds, when properly handled.

In addition to the members of the general public who can be persuaded to contribute, political campaigns may also rely on other sources of income. For example, it is generally expected that non-civil-service jobholders will contribute to the party. There are as many ways of raising campaign funds as there are imaginative finance chairmen. The finance committee will be aware that the Citizens United decision has opened the floodgates to vast sums of money that come from interest groups and wealthy individuals. The committee should use all reasonable efforts and exploit all contacts to take advantage of the funds that now have the potential to flow into even local elections in certain circumstances.

Legal Considerations: Many state laws place limitations on the solicitation of political contribution or on the disclosure of the source. These laws differ in the various states and the finance committee should seek information from the Secretary of State’s office on what restrictions exist in their state. If in doubt a legal opinion from an attorney familiar with state campaign financing laws should be obtained.  Although the Citizens United decision has opened the floodgates for almost unlimited funds from corporations and wealthy individuals there are still some limitations as to how these funds can be used so expert legal advice should be sought if there are any questions.

Much in the area of political fund raising has changed since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case. The ability of individual citizens and corporations to contribute virtually unlimited funds directly to candidates or indirectly through Political action committees (PAC’s) is currently unchecked. Many complain bitterly about Citizens United, initially more Democrats complaining than Republicans since the Republicans were quicker to take advantage of the Citizens United decision, but the truth is that all the Citizens United decision did was to make it easier for wealthy individuals and corporation to assert their influence on elections.  Only the uninformed would assume that the wealthy first got influence with the Citizens decision.

Prior to the Citizens United decision wealthy individuals and corporations had to work a little harder to get the results they wanted from the money they contributed. The Citizens decision just made it a lot easier to have large contributions make a more direct impact on an election. Anyone interested in a more detailed explanation of how things worked before the Citizens case and how they work today should check out the New York Times magazine article of July 22, 2012 entitled “How much has Citizens United changed the Political game?”

Federal laws apply to political contributions for Federal office holders or candidates seeking Federal office.

The following restrictions on political fund-raising are established by Federal statutes:

..It is not lawful for one Federal official or employee to solicit or receive campaign funds from another Federal employee or official. Political solicitation by anyone in any Federal Building is unlawful.
..It is lawful for any official or employee to make a voluntary contribution to any political party that he may prefer. An employee cannot be forced to make a contribution, and must not be discriminated against for not doing so.”

Party finance is explained more fully in the chapter, titled “The Political Leader’s Problems.”

Federal, state and local laws almost universally restrict or outright prohibit the use of government employees from doing campaign work from their office or during their normal work hours. Many elected officials have been tripped up by the temptation to use employees for fund raising and other campaign activities.

But all is not gloom and doom and not all elections are going to be “purchased” by George Soros and the Koch Brothers.  As hopefully the reader has observed, effective and long term commitment to organization at the precinct level and working upward can place moderate and responsible candidates on the ballot in primary and general elections and can, if the organization and commitment can be sustained, get moderate and responsible candidates elected at the local, state and national level. Conversely those individuals that get elected and then “fall off the rail:” can be successfully contested in the next primary election. If every precinct was organized as this material provides a map for, and if reasonable people who have the best interest of all citizens in mind remain committed, the power of big money can be defeated. After all, the big money is just attempting to use advertising rather than organization to obtain votes. In many respects both parties have abandoned organization at the precinct level in favor of big advertising budgets.

Budget: The overall plan for expenditures during the campaign is developed by the policy groups and the treasurer.

The treasurer may be the regular party treasurer or they may be appointed just for the campaign.

The usual problem of preparing a realistic and workable budget is made more difficult in many campaigns because the treasurer must outline a spending program before they know how much money will be available. As a result, it is common practice to draw up a budget that anticipates various levels of income in advance of the campaign.

From a practical standpoint this means that a system of priorities will be worked out with provision made for essential expenses first. For example, rent for the headquarters office would have to be paid.  But the decision as to whether one or two mailings of literature would be sent to voters would be determined by the success of the finance committee in raising funds.

Authority to make disbursements is generally limited to one person, the treasurer. They can be overruled only by the policy group.

Sometimes, members of the finance committee hold the view that the same committee should serve as a disbursing committee. Experience has shown that such a procedure invariably causes difficulties since the people who know how to raise money seldom know very much about how to spend it in a political campaign.

The importance of good accounting procedures can hardly be overemphasized. When prospective donors know campaign funds are audited by a certified public accountant, the problem of raising such funds is made easier.

One problem in raising campaign money is particularly important. Money generally comes in toward the end of the campaign. As a rule, donors do not get excited and loosen their purses until the campaign reaches its highest pitch. (This is unfortunate, since the earlier the money comes in, the more efficiently it can be spent.) Therefore, it is generally necessary to spend more than is available during the early—and often even the later—stages of the campaign.

This may seem like poor business methods, but it may be sound in politics. The winner of an election usually receives a number of checks from people who “just forgot” to send them in before Election Day.  It is not good political sense to cut down on last-minute expenditures, since this may result in losing the election. The purpose of the campaign is to win, not to balance a set of books.  Unfortunately the losers end up scrambling to cover their debts.

In elections where there is a significant interest at the State or National level the budget process will take into consideration what non-direct contributions from Political Action Committees and other organizations could have to take care of some of the expenditure requirements that would normally have to be undertaken by the finance committee.  Care needs to be taken however, to avoid direct linkage to PAC funded activities and the activities of the campaign. A more detailed review of the linkage problem is contained in Chapter 8.

Election Day Elections are Still Won or Lost in the precincts. The careful selection of candidates, a well-organized campaign with publicity, television and radio advertisements, billboard advertising – all these have as their primary purpose in getting voters to the polls to vote for the party’s candidates. Money has somewhat obscured this truism but good candidates and well run campaigns supported by organized precinct activity will also win elections.

Any campaign is incomplete unless there is a big push, organized right down to the precincts, to get the individual voters to the polls on Election Day.

Getting out the Voters:

This organized push revolves around three centers—the polling places; the precinct headquarters (usually the precinct leader’s home); and the central campaign headquarters for the community.

Usually several temporary committees are organized to handle Election Day affairs. They might be combined in one way or another, but the individual functions have to be performed by someone if the Election Day push is to be carried on properly.

There must be checks to see who votes; a telephone committee to remind the voters to vote; a baby sitting committee and a transportation committee. Although the election laws of the states may differ in details, in general two types of officials are present at polling places on Election Day.

One group is composed of the official inspectors and clerks. Although they may be selected from names submitted by political parties, these officials are paid by the local community or by the state, and have official duties to perform in determining that the voters are properly registered and in tallying the vote.

The poll watchers or challengers are certified by the parties and, if paid, are paid by the parties. They are present
primarily to protect the interests of their party or candidate.

Practical politicians have learned that the selection of informed individuals as challengers who can be firm when needed, and aggressive if the circumstances call for it, can pay dividends in close elections. It is recommended that a short training school be conducted where challengers are taught to recognize infractions of the voting laws, how to challenge voters and the procedures to be followed in handling challenges. Challengers may be challenging voters who may be in the Sinners classification. They may often be on the other side of a challenge and will be contesting the challenges of the opposite party.

Members of the legal committee should be standing by at the headquarters, or available by cell phone, if a voter of their party is challenged. An attorney should be prepared to go into action FAST and carry the matter to the Board of Elections that day.

Timing and Issues The goal of every campaign is to bring the enthusiasm of the workers and of the voters to its highest peak on Election Day. Almost everyone remembers campaigns in which the candidate seemed to be more popular at the beginning of the campaign than at the end. This may have been due to some unfortunate remark during the campaign that received wide publicity (such as the secretly recorded remarks of Mitt Romney about the 47%) but more likely it was due to the fact that the campaign peaked prior to Election Day. In other campaigns, it may have become obvious that the campaign drive was organized too late to achieve maximum effectiveness on Election Day.

Presidential election campaigns appear to unofficially start a year or more prior to Election Day. This trend of very early campaign starts has worked its way down to the state levels and many candidates for governor may be beginning their campaigns a year or more before elections.

This technique of starting campaigns long before – maybe a year or more – the formal announcement of the candidacy is becoming more prevalent. This has many advantages (and some disadvantages). It can be made to appear that the candidate is responding to a popular demand that they run. Favorable publicity may be easier to obtain when a popular person has not formally announced by speaking before many organizations. After they have announced the press and the voting public will probably be less willing to lend support to their remarks

At the same time practical politicians are building up their candidate they will use all possible techniques to deflate the opposition.

All of us have some memory of a particularly skillful response or reply that tended to damage the opposition beyond repair. The Republican’s use of actual (or allegedly actual) members of the Swift Boat units during the Vietnam War in response to John Kerry’s war record was something that Kerry never quite recovered from.  During a presidential primary Pat Buchanan came up with the phrase “America First” and George H.W. Bush successfully countered that with the disclosure that Buchanan drove a foreign car.  No one will forget the “Willie Horton” tag that got hung on Michael Dukakis after he made what appeared at the time to be a routine pardon for Mr. Horton who, proceeding upon leaving prison, to almost immediately commit more violent crimes.

Perhaps the greatest one of all was Lloyd Bentsen’s comments during a vice presidential debate with Senator Dan Quayle when he told Quale “you’re no Jack Kennedy”. Although Quale was only attempting to compare his time in the Senate to that of Jack Kennedy before he ran for President, Bentsen’s comment was picked up by every news outlet and Quale could never get out from under it. As a side note, it appeared to all who watched that debate that Bentsen’s comments were totally unscripted but Bentsen knew that Quayle had been using the reference to Kennedy’s short time in the Senate to counter complaints about his relative inexperience and Bentsen was determined to use it against him if it came up in the debate. And did so with a devastating effect.

“It has been said that “Political skill “is mostly built on proper timing.” By and large this sense of timing must be developed through trial and error in campaigns. At the same time, there are some useful guideposts—the most important of which is the official election calendar. This is based on the legal requirements for such things as the last day of absentee voters’ applications, the last day for submitting petitions for nomination in order to get on the ballot, the last day for registration and the last day for naming election officials and similar things. This timetable, of course, varies in different states.

The following possible timetable for a campaign will serve not only as a useful guide in planning a campaign, but also as a review of the entire campaign procedure.

Campaign Timetable

Primary Election In most states, the campaign for the general election is preceded by a primary election in which the parties nominate their candidates. Primaries may be held anytime from January on, as specified by state law. Primary campaigns may be just as thoroughly planned and organized as a regular election campaign. They usually differ in that:

The campaign organization must be built more or less “from scratch” without help from the regular organization.

A personal precinct organization must be built.

Funds are often more difficult to come by for a person in a primary than for a party in a general election.

Petitions must be circulated to get on the primary ballot.

All suggested dates may have to be changed to meet the demands of a specific race.

General Election This timetable can apply to a party organization campaign effort or the effort of a major candidate.

Obviously selection of certain chairmen will be unnecessary if a candidate’s primary campaign organization is carried over into the election campaign. Between Primary and September 1st.

.Decisions are made between party organization and winning primary candidates on the extent to which individual campaigns should be integrated with campaign for whole ticket. Individual candidates will gear their platform to the party platform.

. The campaign manager, publicity director and finance chairman are
selected

. Plans drawn up for the campaign.  Decisions are made on what the party organization will do, what financial and other help can be expected from local or national PAC’s, and what campaign committees of the individual candidates will do.

. The Budget is drawn up and funds allotted among party organization and candidates.

. The fundraising drive is started.

. A research committee is appointed and put into high gear immediately. Candidates should complete education on all aspects of campaign and speech writing is commenced.

. Issues and campaign strategy are worked out. Campaign literature including posters and billboards is completed.

. Campaign headquarters are opened, furnished including computers, printers, copy machines and phone banks.  A headquarters secretary is obtained and volunteer chairman selected

. Recruiting is begun. Remaining campaign committee chairpersons are selected.

. A good map for headquarters is obtained along with detail maps for each precinct and distribute to precinct leaders.

. Vacant precinct leadership positions are filled.  Precinct leader’s start building up their precinct organization in preparation for registration.  Registration lists and street-by- street listings are prepared for distribution to precinct leaders.

.Auxiliary campaign groups such as “Citizens for Whoosit,” and special groups such as “Veterans for Whoosit,”

“Farmers for Whoosit” are arranged for.

. Speakers program is started and speakers are trained and briefed. Scheduling speaking engagements before key organizations is started. September 1st.  To September 30: Operations get under Way.

. Start the publicity program; time it to reach peak during last ten days of campaign; coordinate activities of research and publicity; plan situations for a story-a-day and a picture-a- day for distribution from October 10 to Election Day.

. Get basic literature to printer. (Should be ready in early September.) Print one good piece of affirmative literature, setting forth the candidate’s qualifications; use good paper; make it a masterpiece; instruct the printer to hold the master copy for possible additional printing.

. Start the candidate’s personal program; make up the candidate’s calendar; start personal appearances; stimulate contacts with groups, organizations, etc.

. Assign projects to women’s clubs, Young Republican or Young Democratic clubs. etc., such as first voters meeting; motorcades, booths at local events.

. Start arrangements for rallies; make arrangements for hall, speakers, and attendance by both local candidates and statewide and national party leaders or candidates.

. Continue urging precinct leaders to build up their precinct organization.  See to it that all precincts are adequately manned to handle registration drive. Offer training for precinct workers if precinct leaders approve.

. Copy research memoranda, discussing the candidates, issues, opponents’ voting records, etc., in detail. Make them available to all workers. They will go far on their own if they are good. People want facts. Issue more as the campaign progresses and opportunity affords. Save the originals for reprinting.

October 1

. The excitement  increases

. Distribute basic printed literature to all campaign workers for further distribution. Print and distribute posters.  Note what literature is most popular and reprint it.

. Appraise and intensify publicity program.

. Precincts work round-the-clock from now until Election Day. Headquarters maintains contact with precinct leaders on regular basis to fill needs, gives help on canvassing program.

. Speakers’ program in full swing.

. Plan last minute mailings; start addressing necessary envelopes.

. Complete plans for rallies, meetings, caravans.

Two Weeks Before the Election – Get Serious!!

1. Plan for central telephone canvass on Election Day in those precincts where leadership is weak; set up lists for voters in those precincts. Start making plans for central pool of drivers and baby-sitters on Election Day.

2. Plan for sound-truck operation during last four days of campaign.  Have legal committee obtain necessary permits for sound-truck operation if allowed. Please note that many communities have restrictions on the use of sound trucks and local laws need to be checked.

3. Literature distribution program in high gear; organize literature distribution teams to accompany speakers, candidates and sound trucks.

4. Start poll-watching training, if precinct leader approves.

5. Step up general recruiting

6. Get the candidates to bed early.

Last Week before Election: The Home Stretch!

1. Step up all operations. Send out sample ballots and consider issuing additional literature. Plan last-minute publicity, advertising, speaking pushes. Plan two or three “bombshells” if possible.

2. Hold rallies, if planned.

3. Be sure precinct leader has made all Election Day assignments for poll watchers, checkers, telephone crew, etc.

4. Appraise candidates’ personal programs.

5. Enable the candidates to avoid fatigue and be at their best. Don’t bother them with any more details than absolutely necessary.

On Election Day: Watch the Polls

1. Distribute sample ballots and literature to voters approaching the polls.

2. Check to see that polls are manned

3. Have candidate tour polling places throughout the day.

4. Coordinate drivers’ and baby-sitting pools at central headquarters with precinct needs.

5. Victory.

6. Victory party at headquarter or other suitable location for workers and friends.
Related   Issues

No document such as this can completely outline effective campaign strategy. That strategy must be fashioned from all the facts that can be collected and the opinions and behavior of the voters as interpreted by the campaign leaders.

A review of the voter turnout between 2008 and 2012 in the Presidential elections (see the chart in chapter 3) would lead a campaign manager to question the reasons for the decline in the actual number of people voting from 2008 to 2012 and a more serious decline in the total percentage of people voting when compared to the total voting age population.

The lessons of a national campaign—in which voters are more likely to shift allegiances than in a local campaign–emphasizes two important interrelated parts of any successful campaign. The first is to get out the loyal partisan vote starting at the precinct level; the second part is to use good candidates and effective propaganda to prevent defections of those who have less strong party ties and to win over those who might lean the other way. Be certain of the Issues

The injection of issues into the campaign coincide with this fundamental purpose of motivating those on your side and of swinging as much of the opposition’s “weak” vote to your side as possible.

To be effective, issues must appeal to the people; they must be suitable to the area; they must be related to the office to which the candidate aspires.

What do these Issue Standards Mean? They Must Appeal To The People. Most political observers would now agree that the Republican candidates’ positions on abortion and immigration in the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns contributed to the losses in November. Both issues appeal to a minority of the voters that may have gotten the candidate through the primaries but since a majority of American voters are in favor of at least limited forms of abortion and a large majority favor an overhaul of immigration policy it hurt them in the general election.

Suitable to the Area. Issues in a large city will be different from those in a rural area; a candidate in the Pacific Northwest may talk about public power more than a candidate in Massachusetts.

They Must Be Related To the Candidate’s office. A candidate for governor should stick to issues directly impacting his state. The voters will want to know what he going to do about employment in his State,  What he proposes to increase (or decrease) highway spending and not what his policy is on support for Israel.
Issues for the campaign should come from a study of back newspaper files or from interviews with those who have had a long acquaintance with the district. The campaign organization should find out what are the local political issues which evoke the strongest response among the people. Perhaps the district has an acute flooding problem during the rainy season and had long sought an adequate drainage system. Perhaps it is a coastal district in which property values would skyrocket if it obtained the small boat harbor which it has sought for ten to twenty years. . . candidates who neglect the ‘local interest pattern’ are not likely to get very far in an election campaign. In general, candidates who openly oppose the ‘local interest pattern’ will not get as far as those who merely neglect them.  A political campaign is not the time for an “educational campaign”.  It is too short for the seeds of education to take firm root, even though the people might someday be educated to another position.

In general, campaigns revolve around one or two issues. Experienced campaign managers have said:

“Don’t confuse voters with many issues, some of which are small and others large.   A selection should be made by a committee composed of the wisest and most experienced of the organizing group, together with the candidate or candidates, and top regular party people. Then stick to those issues. Don’t be diverted into adding new issues brought up by the opposition. Those wise in the ways of politics can usually determine the issues before the opposition has opened fire. When presented often, these put the opposition in a position of answering and denying which is often fatal. Seize the initiative and keep it.”

Some practical politicians have advanced the belief that every campaign should have  a theme—not necessarily a slogan—but a general theme around which the campaigning can be built.

An excellent example of a “theme” that brought a campaign down to only four words was Bill Clinton’s remarks in the 1992 campaign “It’s The Economy Stupid!”

The Follow-Through On Election Night, the party faithful will gather in campaign headquarters to follow election returns as they come in and to rejoice or sorrow, as the case may be. Regardless of win or lose, the next election cycle starts the next morning.

Analysis The second thing that experienced politicians do after the election is to analyze the vote—precinct by precinct.

The vote this year is compared with the previous election. In what precinct did the party show gains? In what precincts did it show losses? What percentage of the voters registered actually turned out to vote? Did it do well in areas where it turned out a big vote? Poorer in others should be thoroughly reviewed—to make sure that the next campaign is even better.

Politics—and campaigning—is a year-round business.