Political High

It’s a week out until election day.

And finally, you get some major money from a donor or two.

Geez, it would have been nice to have this in August or even at the beginning of October!

But there’s the big check.

What can you do?

Emily’s List is famous for “Early Money Is Like Yeast.”  The early money does the most good because it can help you plan better and shows other contributor’s your campaign is for real.

But money in a campaign is always good.

Here are six suggestions as to what you could do:

1. The easiest thing is to increase what you are already going to do.  Going to buy a three column newspaper ad? Make it a five column ad.  Going to buy ten radio spots/day?  See if you can buy 15 or 20/day. Going to send out 5,000 post cards?  Send out 7,500.
2. If you’re not buying radio time, consider it.  Radio spots can be produced quickly and inserted into a schedule fairly easily.  I am a huge fan of radio for many races (that’s another post).
3. If you are comfortably ahead and your campaign laws allow it, bank it for the next campaign.
4. If you are comfortably ahead and your campaign laws allow it, use it to assist other candidates, particularly if you are running in a district that sends two or more of you to the legislature or the commission.  You will helping yourself and earning chits that you can cash in in the future.
5. Is there a college campus that you would do well in but you haven’t had the cash to hire and organizer?  Find a college student to do a crash GOTV program and or hold a GOTV party on campus, encouraging early voting and voting.
6. Provide win bonuses to your key campaign staff.  They’ll love you and want to work for you again.  Even if you lose and you’re close, call it a “near win bonus.”

Hopefully, this is a “problem” you’ll have in the next seven days!

Ideally, the political candidate has “only” three jobs:

1. Call and talk to people to raise money.
2. Call and talk to people (or be on TV or radio) asking them to for vote for them.
3. Win.

Most political candidates in my experience are Type As–they are control freaks.  They are usually ambitious and successful people and keeping their eye on the ball has brought them success.

But in a campaign, there is simply too much to do.  There are graphics to design and order, creating mailings, cutting turf, and a myriad of big and little activities.

Hopefully, the smart candidate–you–will delegate as much as you can.  About 50 percent of your campaign time should be spent trying to feed the campaign coffers by making calls, visiting contributors, and going to campaign fundraising events.  The other half should be spent meeting as many people as you can–in person, on radio or TV, or via the telephone.

Most campaign volunteers want to be useful.  And if you have the money or can find an ambitious political science major, have a campaign manager to take care of everything else.

Campaigns boil down to money and votes.  If you get those, you achieve #3–Victory!