What every candidate should know.
From: Brent McMillan
Reply-To: Brent McMillan
Subject: [state-assoc] What Every Green Candidate Should Know
To: state-assoc@lists.gp-us.org
Jan 29, 2004
What Every Green Candidate Should Know
Compiled by Susan Fawcett,
member, Coordinated Campaign Committee
This document is the product of the responses to a questionnaire
that was sent out to all the Green candidates who ran in the U.S. 2004
general election. With the luxury of hindsight, candidates reflected
and shared their experiences of what worked best, and what could have
been better. This is intended to be a refined checklist of things
candidates and their campaign committees should have in mind before
deciding to run for office. For a thorough guide to the many
intricacies of campaigning as a Green, please refer to the Campaign
Manual available at:
http://gp.org/committees/campaign/manual.html
Why Run?
That should be the first question a candidate asks herself. Ideally,
candidates should run to win, but that is not always a realistic goal,
in which case Greens run to:
*earn credibility for the party
*energize and educate local greens
*attract new members/supporters
*gain practical experience
*raise Green issues/educate the community
*pressure opponents
*increase choice (democracy)
*achieve ballot access
*establish districts
Now what?
Effective campaigning means effective use of limited resources
(people, time and money). These resources are used most efficiently in
different ways depending on the scope of the campaign and the office
sought. State-wide or large district races with limited funding are
better off spending money on things that will reach the largest amount
of people possible (i.e. bumper stickers, ads), while smaller races
benefit most from voter contact and mailings. Green campaigns are too
diverse to generalize, but candidates felt that the following resources
were the most important:
The Candidate is generally the best resource. S/he needs to be willing
and able to put the necessary time and energy into the campaign. The
most effective way to campaign is to speak to voters face to face. In
races with a reasonably sized electorate (this number changes from race
to race) the candidate and volunteers should begin blockwalking early
and often. Most candidates said that this was their most effective use
of time.
Volunteers are essential, but tend to work best when well organized;
find a volunteer coordinator, figure out jobs for people, and plug them
in! Greens easily get caught up in trying to make decisions as
democratically as possible, but should be aware that many volunteers
just want to help out—and not attend meetings to discuss it. Try to
find people to serve as campaign manager, treasurer, volunteer
coordinator, webmaster, etc. early on.
Fundraising should begin in the earliest stages of the campaign, and
fellow Greens, friends and family of the candidate are often the best
places to start for seed money. Don’t be afraid to ask for money!
Often those who sympathize, but don’t have time to contribute are happy
to make a financial contribution to a worthwhile cause.
Budgeting Depending on how much is available, money can be used for a
variety of things of varying usefulness, but most candidates (especially
in local races) found that sending out mailers was the most effective
use. Visibility is essential, and can be enhanced through ads, yard
signs, bumper stickers, etc. but free sources (radio shows, television,
letters to the editor, candidate events and fora) can be just as useful.
Resist the temptations of expensive, flashy unnecessary things.
Platform The first thing the candidate should do before declaring is to
familiarize himself with the issues. Volunteers may be helpful in
researching certain topics. While developing a platform, candidates
should also spend time approaching groups and individuals in the
community and simply listening to what they have to say about the
issues.
Website Having a good website can be crucial, and should be developed
in conjunction with your platform. A website has the benefit of being
free (talk a friend into setting it up!) or fairly cheap and still being
able to reach large amounts of people. Unlike literature, it can be
updated on a daily basis, if necessary. It’s a good idea to include your
website on any materials you put out; lit, buttons, yard signs, etc.
Endorsements It’s amazing what can be done with little or no money, as
long as the campaign takes advantage of as many opportunities for public
exposure as possible. This gets back to the importance of listening.
Many organizations won’t invite Greens to seek their endorsements, and
begin the process before the Democratic and Republican primaries, so
it’s up to you to take the initiative and approach labor, environmental,
LGBT groups, etc. Try to keep your eye on all the questionnaires that
come in, because they can make the difference, especially in a large
race.
Media The same rules apply when dealing with the media: Seek them out
and send press releases early and often, and try to give them a story
instead of just announcing an event. Develop personal relationships
with the political correspondents of newspapers.
Final Considerations Predictably, Greens also said they would start
organizing sooner, and involve themselves with as many community groups
as possible. In retrospect, many Greens also said they would choose to
run for a more winnable office, if given another opportunity. We are a
grassroots party, and though it is necessary to maintain visibility and
keep raising the issues in big races, our victories will come from the
bottom up.
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