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Cobra's 2021 Election Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="paninaro" data-source="post: 1409800" data-attributes="member: 5266"><p>Ok here are the things to consider:</p><p></p><p>- It's good there's a single consolidated race. Only one election to focus time and $$ on, instead of two.</p><p>- It's good it's non-partisan. Your opponents might get elected just for having a (D) or (R) next to their name.</p><p>- That it's an off-year election with no big offices on the ballot can be to your advantage. Go look up the stats for the last similar off-year election. Study it well, like look at % of turnout among registered voters, including by party. This type of election will draw in mostly those that are politically active, compared to a general election that draws in more people because they want cast a vote for president or governor, but have no clue who to vote for on the down-ballot races. This means you can focus your efforts.</p><p>- Come up with a simple message, like "Open schools safely" or something like that. Short, simple, easy to remember.</p><p>- Beware when campaigning of interest groups with their own pet projects. You don't need to please everyone. You may find yourself at a candidates' forum run by the local old ladies' knitting club, and they are staunchly opposed to some item on your agenda. That's fine -- you don't need everyone's vote.</p><p></p><p>Now the toughest part by far -- the teacher's union. They are well-funded and their endorsements are watched closely and people consider those. You need to outdo them on message and PR. First, study them well. They are likely incorporated as a non-profit so go to guidestar.org and get their IRS form 990s (you have to register but it's free). Then you'll know what kind of operation they are running, and even how much the directors make in salary. If you need help reading these forms, just post the info here and I can help.</p><p></p><p>People revere the teachers union because oh those poor underpaid teachers who just want to educate their kids. Of course you'll see from the financials they are a multimillion dollar organization, and their mission, like any union, is to protect its members -- teachers, not students. They're in favor of distance learning forever since it's easier to teacher to sit on their couch and teach a few hours per day. Sweet job, right?</p><p></p><p>One way to counteract this may be to get the opposing team on board -- the PTA. They represent parents. They have a lot of clout also, and some $$. </p><p></p><p>Speaking of $, you should also follow the money trail. Campaign donations are public record, and your start or county will have an online database of this. Look at the incumbents, and pull data on their campaigns from past years. See who contributed to them. I bet you'll see donations from the teacher's union, and probably from some prominent members of the union and community leaders. Now look it up for the people who opposed them -- those are your potential donors. Time to start contacting them.</p><p></p><p>Next, because this is an off-year election, you need to focus on politically active people. Go to any community event you can, and contact them to get invited too. These may be online, but so what. Every rotary club, American legion, senior center etc. etc. Remember old people vote. They also talk a lot. You convince a few of the "influencers" and they tell all their friends.</p><p></p><p>And now for the ace in the hole. Get a flyer out. You can get a list of registered voters and their addresses. The people who vote are the kind of people who read their mail. Political mail can go at a lower postage rate, and also send it bulk and just a one-page card flyer as that's postcard rate. For a really good effect, time it to arrive about a week before the election. Work with your post office on this, as bulk mail goes third class so can take 1-2 weeks to be delivered, and you wasted money if it arrives too late. The other benefit in this timing is by the time it arrives, it's too late for the opposition to get out their own flyer in time -- it takes a while to print and do a bulk mailing.</p><p></p><p>There may be a few people in your area who "consult" on how to run a campaign in your area. They know the ins and outs of how to get things done. If you ask around among civically-minded people (heck, ask the civic association if they have one), they will usually know who those people are. If not, contact whoever lost the last election for a slightly bigger but still local office (like for county council), as they probably know or can advise on their own.</p><p></p><p>Good luck! Feel free to ask for any more advice.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="paninaro, post: 1409800, member: 5266"] Ok here are the things to consider: - It's good there's a single consolidated race. Only one election to focus time and $$ on, instead of two. - It's good it's non-partisan. Your opponents might get elected just for having a (D) or (R) next to their name. - That it's an off-year election with no big offices on the ballot can be to your advantage. Go look up the stats for the last similar off-year election. Study it well, like look at % of turnout among registered voters, including by party. This type of election will draw in mostly those that are politically active, compared to a general election that draws in more people because they want cast a vote for president or governor, but have no clue who to vote for on the down-ballot races. This means you can focus your efforts. - Come up with a simple message, like "Open schools safely" or something like that. Short, simple, easy to remember. - Beware when campaigning of interest groups with their own pet projects. You don't need to please everyone. You may find yourself at a candidates' forum run by the local old ladies' knitting club, and they are staunchly opposed to some item on your agenda. That's fine -- you don't need everyone's vote. Now the toughest part by far -- the teacher's union. They are well-funded and their endorsements are watched closely and people consider those. You need to outdo them on message and PR. First, study them well. They are likely incorporated as a non-profit so go to guidestar.org and get their IRS form 990s (you have to register but it's free). Then you'll know what kind of operation they are running, and even how much the directors make in salary. If you need help reading these forms, just post the info here and I can help. People revere the teachers union because oh those poor underpaid teachers who just want to educate their kids. Of course you'll see from the financials they are a multimillion dollar organization, and their mission, like any union, is to protect its members -- teachers, not students. They're in favor of distance learning forever since it's easier to teacher to sit on their couch and teach a few hours per day. Sweet job, right? One way to counteract this may be to get the opposing team on board -- the PTA. They represent parents. They have a lot of clout also, and some $$. Speaking of $, you should also follow the money trail. Campaign donations are public record, and your start or county will have an online database of this. Look at the incumbents, and pull data on their campaigns from past years. See who contributed to them. I bet you'll see donations from the teacher's union, and probably from some prominent members of the union and community leaders. Now look it up for the people who opposed them -- those are your potential donors. Time to start contacting them. Next, because this is an off-year election, you need to focus on politically active people. Go to any community event you can, and contact them to get invited too. These may be online, but so what. Every rotary club, American legion, senior center etc. etc. Remember old people vote. They also talk a lot. You convince a few of the "influencers" and they tell all their friends. And now for the ace in the hole. Get a flyer out. You can get a list of registered voters and their addresses. The people who vote are the kind of people who read their mail. Political mail can go at a lower postage rate, and also send it bulk and just a one-page card flyer as that's postcard rate. For a really good effect, time it to arrive about a week before the election. Work with your post office on this, as bulk mail goes third class so can take 1-2 weeks to be delivered, and you wasted money if it arrives too late. The other benefit in this timing is by the time it arrives, it's too late for the opposition to get out their own flyer in time -- it takes a while to print and do a bulk mailing. There may be a few people in your area who "consult" on how to run a campaign in your area. They know the ins and outs of how to get things done. If you ask around among civically-minded people (heck, ask the civic association if they have one), they will usually know who those people are. If not, contact whoever lost the last election for a slightly bigger but still local office (like for county council), as they probably know or can advise on their own. Good luck! Feel free to ask for any more advice. [/QUOTE]
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