PA-Senate Election 2010

Sestak Vs. Specter

The Battle of the old guy vs. the really guy!

Who will win?

Ok, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Joe Sestak will narrowly defeat Arlen Specter in May of 2010. Specter will not be able to keep up with the youthfulness of two-term Congressman Joe Sestak; and Sestak's political positions will resonate with democrats in PA - well democrats who are not part of the establishment.

So, I may regret this, but Sestak is going to win.

Top Ten Tips for Campaigns!

1. Have a clear and defined message!

Know what you want to talk about before you start running. Decide what is important to your platform, and what areas you will perform strongly on. Beware! Your message may have to change. In 2008, John McCain was ready and fully expecting to run on National Security, but the economy took a turn for the worse and he wasn’t prepared to adapt like Barack Obama did. Know your message, be able to recite your platform and positions in your sleep, and make sure you clearly articulate them.

2. Be cautious – very cautious – of what you do and say!

One remark or one political stunt can kill a campaign in less time than it took to begin the campaign. A series of stupid political stunts and gaffes killed Michael Dukakis’ presidential aspirations. Remember “the fundamentals of the economy are still strong”? Well those eight words killed John McCain’s hopes of the presidency. Don’t give uninformed decisions and don’t EVER drive a tank.

3. Call, Call, and Call more!

You can’t run a campaign without money. You can hold a fundraiser everyday; so, the candidate needs to make fundraising calls to everyone and anyone who could potentially make a generous donation to the campaign. However, leave the asking for small donations to the volunteers.

4. Money is King

Make a Budget. Know how much you plan on raise and know what you plan to spend it on. Account for every possible expense you can think of – even if its six months down the road. Budgeting is not easy. I created a budget for a small campaign (under 10k) that I spent at least 20 hours tweaking. It’s important to know what you can spend your money on so you’re not left with an empty war chest the week before the election.

5. Recruit Volunteers and Keep them happy!

Volunteers are a vital part of your campaign. They can make calls, knock on doors, stuff envelopes and spread the word about events and elections. Never underestimate the power of a group of charged up volunteers. However, you absolutely have to keep them happy. Tell them how important they are! Don’t be afraid to let them know that you really can’t do it without them! Free Food always helps.

6. Canvassing wins elections!

Canvassing is always overlooked. A candidate for State House knocked on my door. We had planned on supporting him, but because he knocked on our door we put up a lawn sign and spread the word in the neighborhood. The best thing is for the candidate to do knock; however, sometimes this is out of the question because the district is too large. Send out a group of volunteers as much as you; they will win the election for you.

7. Advertising

Advertising on TV, Radio and the Paper is over rated. However, there is no question that it does have a big impact, but don’t be discouraged if you can’t afford to advertise as much as your opponent. A campaign of canvassing will beat an ad campaign any day, so don’t feel like you need to spend your entire war chest on advertising. If you do have the funds to put ads on the air waves then stay positive for as long as you can. People care more about what you can do for them and what you bring to the table more than how terrible the other guy is.

8. Hire a Good Staff; and pay them well.

You can’t run your own campaign; and you can’t have a family member run you’re your campaign. Staff can win or lose campaign. They can help build momentum and move things along in a campaign. I’ve worked on numerous campaigns where things didn’t start moving until a full time staffer was brought on board. Pay your staff well – this will vary by campaign and budgets. Obviously a campaign with a $10,000 budget is not going to pay a staffer $4,000 dollars, but $1,500 is acceptable. They will know how much money your campaign is, and they will know when you’re screwing them over.

9. Build Name Recognition!

No one is ever going to vote for you if they don’t know who you are. Make sure everyone knows who you are; so when you knock on their door they know just who you are – hopefully a good thing. Remember, only you define yourself, and only you can define your message.

10. Don’t Burn Your Bridges!

Who knows if you’ll ever run again?

Running for Office: Deciding to Run

The decision to run for office is never an easy one. It’s not something you can decide in fifteen minutes; it takes days and months of contemplation – but the decision to run needs to be followed by the correct steps.

Step One – If you’re in a relationship – whether married, engaged or just dating – you need to talk it over with your partner first. They will be as much of a part of a campaign as you will be. Then, make sure you talk it over with your family. If your loved ones don’t support you then how can you ask others to support you? It just doesn’t work. Plus, it makes really bad press.

Step Two- Talk to the party leadership. Find out what kind of support you can be expecting – if any. If you are running as a challenger to an incumbent then you might want to skip this step – it’ll just piss them off even more.

Step Three- Form a campaign committee. Ask your closest and most powerful friends to be on the committee. They will be the foundation of your support – so make sure you have their loyalty! There are three key members of your committee that are an absolute must.

Chairman- This person needs to be three things. Well connected, intelligent and a loyal friend. This person is not your campaign manager. They must be kept in the loop on all big decisions – but should not micromanage the campaign (that’s what the staff’s for). They should help you build an organization and volunteer for every Lit Drop or campaign event and be present at every fundraiser/event.

Treasurer- This person is nothing more than your accountant. They handle the books and make sure nothing illegal happens with your campaign money. This person should not be a family member and should definitely NOT have the same last name. Money is your friend; so make sure your treasurer keeps very good care of it.

Finance Chair – You need money. Period. The two things that really win elections at the smaller level are money – money and field operations. Your treasurer makes sure you spend what you have, but your finance chair makes sure you have the money. This person should be someone extremely well connected in local politics and have access to large potential donors in the area. This person can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Choose wisely!

Step Four- Hire your staff. This is something that not all campaigns will be able to do. Your staff may be paid or volunteer depending on the size of your election and the size of your wallet. Hiring a paid staffer is something that is very difficult. Interview several candidates and call their references! You have less say in a volunteer staff – they’re harder to fire, because they’re there on their own time and dime. However, if you can afford to hire a campaign staff start with a campaign manager and then if able branch off into field operations and then finance. If you can’t hire a full time staff your best bet may be a political consultant who can use their staff part time to work for you and you don’t front the full cost. Your staff can win or lose your campaign for you.

Step Five- Announce! Make it public, invite your friends and relish in the lime light. Take the night off and the next day hit the ground running!

- N. Webster

The "L" Word

Oh no. I dropped the "L" bomb. That’s right people the L word is Liberal. For too long the word "Liberal" has been thrown around like it’s a dirty word. The word liberal has become synonymous of the words "baby killer".

Liberals have had problem winning at the national level (ex. John Kerry) because of label this bestowed by republicans. Kerry was very effectively labeled just another New England liberal who loves taxes (Nice one Karl Rove). However, it is important to remember all of the good things liberals have accomplished in this country. Civil Rights, Social Security, Education reform have been all been concepts developed by our favorite liberals. To the American people liberals have become tax loving, baby hating, gun hating, weak on defense "girly men". Ann Coulter once said; "So for those of you who haven't read any of my five best-selling books: Liberals are driven by Satan and lie constantly." Wait! I thought Ann Coulter was Satan? This makes no sense. The Truth is that liberals care about the poor – it’s a concept foreign to many conservatives.

We hate taxes just as much as the next average Joe, but we understand how important they are to maintain our national lifestyle (like roads and all that cool stuff).

We don’t hate babies; we just value the woman’s right to choose. Choice – It’s a concept.

We don’t hate guns; we’re responsible.

We don't hate our military; we support our troops just not the bozo running the show

We do, however, value every American’s civil liberties.

We do support an education system is fair and equal for all Americans; regardless of class or race.

We are not the enemy; we are not evil; we are not Satanists.

We ARE Americans.

So, say it loud and say it proud. I'm a liberal. Show America what we are really made of.

The Youth Vote

The youth vote is one of the most important voting blocks in major elections. It is one of the largest voting demographics that are not based on race or gender. While it may be one of the most populous groups, it still is one of the least powerful. Why? Because youth voters don’t regularly show up to vote. They are in fact, very unreliable. In 2008, however, the youth electorate seemed to be fired up about the upcoming election. In the primaries – namely the democratic primaries – we saw mass amounts of young voters coming out to vote. The real question was if the youth would keep their momentum and show up in November. They did, and they played a significant part in Barack Obama’s victory.

So why did we see an increase in participation this cycle? Barack Obama. The forty-seven year old senator was among the youngest people to ever win his party’s nomination. During the primaries the youth vote showed up regularly and in mass numbers. Senator Obama won most major college towns during the primary (this also has to do with his strong support from academia). Why did he get support from the youth? Well, for the most part it’s because young people could easily relate to Senator Obama – or at least easier then Senator McCain. Senator Obama listens to Beyonce and Jay-Z on his IPod; Senator McCain’s favorite band is ABBA. Senator Obama was spotted on the beach sporting hip flip flops; on the other hand, does John McCain even own a pair of shorts? As far as issues go, the younger generation is becoming more open minded. For example; Gay marriage is becoming a less important issue for young voters, because homosexuality is more commonly accepted by young people. The Iraq war is also an issue that young voters care deeply about, primarily because a majority of them do not want to have to serve in the military should there be a renewed call for a military draft, which could become possible – and even reality – if the United States were to become involved in another military operation of the same scale as Iraq (not to mention their taxes would shoot through the roof). Young people wanted change, and they were hungry for change, after eight years of the very unpopular President Bush. They have found this change in Barack Obama, mostly because Obama was the polar opposite of President Bush, Obama’s policies and even his demeanor were so completely different then President Bush’s that it was something young people were excited for and longed for.

Now, the question is how we can get them to keep showing up. In 2010 Barack Obama will not be on the ballot. In my state of Pennsylvania we have two very important state wide elections coming up next year. Specter/Sestak vs. Toomey and lord knows who will be the nominees in the Gubernatorial race (likely Corbett/Gerlach v. Onorato). The youth vote will be crucial in the Senate primary next may. If the youth show up and support Joe Sestak then Arlen Specter is done for. The Sestak/Specter race sets up similar dynamics to the Obama/McCain race. We have the older candidate running against the younger candidate; change vs. experience, Sestak is almost flawless when it comes discussing policy and well Specter doesn’t really like to talk too much about that. However, will this really excite the youth voters? Who knows, but if Sestak has a prayer he better try his hardest.

Youth vote on excitement. We like to be made to feel important – just as Barack Obama did. Doing so is not easy, but is quite simple. Talk to us like we’re people. Tell us why the issue is important, make us believe in a candidate and we will turn out to vote. But if I say anymore – I’m gonna have to charge you for it.