12-12-2008, 10:08 AM
The most important aspect of politics, whether it relates to person or party, is brand awareness. Without it, it does not matter if you are the best party or the best person for the job. The CP has little to no brand awareness. This needs to change. There is a thread here about how to make the party tenable. I hope to expound here on the issues that were missed or not discussed in detail in that thread. All of these issues tie into the one main reason the CP will never become a force to recon with if it remains unchanged, brand awareness.
Get Out of National Elections
There isn’t a single person in the CP that is qualified to be President. Chuck Baldwin may be a fine man but he is not qualified to run a country. To run the country, a candidate needs to understand how Washington works. Contrary to what some would believe, you cannot just walk in a start making changes. You have to be able to deal with Congress to pass your bills. You cannot expect to make massive sweeping changes without their help. Aside from running a small church, Mr. Baldwin has no executive experience.
National Leadership
I do not mean to offend anyone but the CP, as far as I can tell, has no real leadership. It has a lot of managers but no directing force. Currently is consists of a lot of people who want to do something but spend their time telling each other how bad things in Washington are. We spend our time preaching to the converted. There needs to be leadership from the top. There needs to be a sense of direction. Most importantly there needs to be a one and five year strategic plan. Maybe there is one, but those of us on the ground have no idea what it is. We need to be informed and, more importantly, directed. This direction needs to come from the top and be focused locally because…..
All Politics is Local
This is a very important ideal that seems to escape the CP. All politics is local. Politics starts and ends at the street level. From potholes, to annoying neighbors to good schools, the people in the neighborhoods want to know how a particular candidate will help them locally. Presidents get elected by connecting to the people on an individual basis. “I am going to create more jobs…for you.” I am going to fix the economy…for you”, I am going to…….for you.” Joe Bag-O-Donuts sits on his easy chair and hears “… for you” and that’s how he makes his decisions. Lofty ideals are fine but irrelevant to the voter. There is a reason politicians love people like Joe the Plumber. The voter recognizes something of themselves in Joe the Plumber and says, “If Joe likes him, Maybe I should vote for him to. After all, Joe’s a working stiff just like me.” All politics is local. What will the candidate do for ME!
A War Chest
The other poster said it and I concur, politics is war. To fight a war you need a war chest. Brand awareness comes at a cost. Campaigns come at a cost. These things need to be funded. There should be a war chest at the national level for the CP just like there is for the Democrats and Republicans. This war chest can be filled through fund raising.
Fund Raising
Before any attempts at fund raising, the leadership must read the book “America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power” by Richard A. Viguerie, David Franke. Bulk mailing is still an excellent way to raise funds. The Internet is a good was to raise funds if people already know who you are. In the case of the CP, the Internet reaches those of us already drinking the Kool-aid. Massive spam emails only annoy people and people will only go to your web site if they know about you already. Bulk mail allows you to reach a large number of people inexpensively. You go to a place like http://www.responseunlimited.com/index.html and order a list. Create a letter like the one below and send it out to a test group of maybe 1000-2000. Create a few more with different wording, maybe add a better issue like abortion or remove references to God and Christian (not all conservatives are Christian) and send it out to the same amount of people, see which letters get the better response. Send out the best response letter to the rest of the list. Make sure you are targeting only the particular states residents so they feel they are making a difference. I wrote this letter as an example a few years ago to address an issue here in PA. You’ll get the idea.
Dear Fellow Christian Conservative,
The 2005 Pennsylvania elections were historic in the first ousting of a State Supreme Court justice in over 280 years. The voters of Pennsylvania are throwing off the confines of apathy and donning the mantel of political authority promised to them by the phrase “we the people”. The call to “throw the bums out” reverberates through the streets of Philadelphia, the farms in Lancaster and the steps of the Harrisburg capital.
With 203 House seats and 25 Senate seats up for election, 2006 gives conservatives the opportunity to remold the General Assembly into a government we can be proud of with candidates we can trust. With the unconstitutional passing of Act 71 and the secret 2 am pay-raises approved by both sides of the General Assembly, we can clearly see these candidates will not come from the Republican or Democratic parties. Conservatives must look elsewhere.
Since 1994, the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania has striven to reinstate the type of government desired by the citizens of Pennsylvania and required by its constitution. Founded on an allegiance to God and the principles of government embodied in our constitutions and the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution Party works for the people of Pennsylvania and not the special interest groups. The Republican and Democratic Party juggernauts have run roughshod over the voters of Pennsylvania but that has come to an end. Now is the time to act, but we need your help.
[Insert request for donations]
With your help, the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania can once again give Pennsylvania a government of the people and by the people.
Find an issue that affects the people locally (there’s that word again) and use that as your hot point for fund raising.
Viable Candidate
Now that the war chest is full, it needs to be spent on local elections for viable candidates. Notice the very important word here: viable. What is a viable candidate? One that can get elected. Here is how you spot a non-viable candidate:
I believe in Black helicopters flying over the countries sky!
I believe the government caused 9/11
I believe the government is secretly plotting to replace our currency with Amero
I believe the government is secretly…….
Make any one of these statements to your constituency and you are no longer a viable candidate. I am not saying you are wrong in these beliefs. When the revolution comes, you can dance on the graves and say “SEE I TOLD YOU!!” but wrong or right the average person doesn’t believe in these things and will think you’re nuts. No one votes for a candidate they think is nuts. More importantly, the average person doesn’t care about these things. They feel the government is taking care of things because the potholes are fixed, the streets are plowed and the schools are open. You want to claim that not saying these things violates your principles, that’s fine. Just don’t bother running for office, because you will not get elected.
Viable Candidate
How does one become a viable candidate? If you are running for School Board, Township Supervisor or other position like this, step one is to attend meetings. Spend at least a year if not two going to all the meetings. Make yourself known in a polite and articulate manner. Volunteer for the Zoning Board or PTA. Make sure people know who you are and that you can be counted on. Express concerns in a non-confrontational manner. Others may have the same concerns that you do but will not voice it. Be their voice then and you can be their voice in office. Try to understand both sides of an argument and be a “uniter” in these meetings if you can. Get people to look to you for help.
When you’re ready, get the local chapter of the CP to request funds from the national party for you. Flood the area with your name; signs, radio ads, TV commercials, bumper stickers, meet-and-greets etc. People in these areas shouldn’t be able to use the bathroom without seeing your face. Brand Awareness is key. Remember, all politics is local. If you’re running for Township Supervisor, don’t make claims like “We need to dissolve the IRS” because you would have no control over that if elected to the Supervisor board, so it is irrelevant. Focus on issues that are important at the level of office you are running for.
The State Level
In order for the Republican Party to show it is a political force in a state, it needs to win the majority of the available seats. In order for the Democratic Party to show it is a political force in a state, it needs to win the majority of the available seats. In order for the Constitution Party to show it is a political force in a state, it needs to win just one seat. One. It just needs to replace one incumbent to make a statement and to show the rest of the state that it exists as a force. The National party needs to identify and fund a few state legislative runs. Instead of focusing on a national presidential race and all the funding that entails, focus on a state race or two where the Republican candidate isn’t doing well or is in legal trouble. People may be looking for a change. A concerted effort in those locations may see at least a raise in brand awareness if not an election. Especially if that state is going through a scandal or hot button issue. In PA a few years ago it was the pay raise. The current issue is School Tax. These should be hot button issues that CP candidates beat the voters over the head with. National Party leaders should be informed by State Party leaders what the hot button topics are for each state. These should be reviewed to determine if there is enough voter backlash to fund a viable candidate in that state.
If you’re still reading this, thanks. To sum up:
Leadership ==>Funding==>Viable Campaigns==>Brand Awareness==>Funding==>Viable Campaigns==>Brand Awareness etc.
I do not claim to be an expert and this is just my opinion.
Get Out of National Elections
There isn’t a single person in the CP that is qualified to be President. Chuck Baldwin may be a fine man but he is not qualified to run a country. To run the country, a candidate needs to understand how Washington works. Contrary to what some would believe, you cannot just walk in a start making changes. You have to be able to deal with Congress to pass your bills. You cannot expect to make massive sweeping changes without their help. Aside from running a small church, Mr. Baldwin has no executive experience.
National Leadership
I do not mean to offend anyone but the CP, as far as I can tell, has no real leadership. It has a lot of managers but no directing force. Currently is consists of a lot of people who want to do something but spend their time telling each other how bad things in Washington are. We spend our time preaching to the converted. There needs to be leadership from the top. There needs to be a sense of direction. Most importantly there needs to be a one and five year strategic plan. Maybe there is one, but those of us on the ground have no idea what it is. We need to be informed and, more importantly, directed. This direction needs to come from the top and be focused locally because…..
All Politics is Local
This is a very important ideal that seems to escape the CP. All politics is local. Politics starts and ends at the street level. From potholes, to annoying neighbors to good schools, the people in the neighborhoods want to know how a particular candidate will help them locally. Presidents get elected by connecting to the people on an individual basis. “I am going to create more jobs…for you.” I am going to fix the economy…for you”, I am going to…….for you.” Joe Bag-O-Donuts sits on his easy chair and hears “… for you” and that’s how he makes his decisions. Lofty ideals are fine but irrelevant to the voter. There is a reason politicians love people like Joe the Plumber. The voter recognizes something of themselves in Joe the Plumber and says, “If Joe likes him, Maybe I should vote for him to. After all, Joe’s a working stiff just like me.” All politics is local. What will the candidate do for ME!
A War Chest
The other poster said it and I concur, politics is war. To fight a war you need a war chest. Brand awareness comes at a cost. Campaigns come at a cost. These things need to be funded. There should be a war chest at the national level for the CP just like there is for the Democrats and Republicans. This war chest can be filled through fund raising.
Fund Raising
Before any attempts at fund raising, the leadership must read the book “America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power” by Richard A. Viguerie, David Franke. Bulk mailing is still an excellent way to raise funds. The Internet is a good was to raise funds if people already know who you are. In the case of the CP, the Internet reaches those of us already drinking the Kool-aid. Massive spam emails only annoy people and people will only go to your web site if they know about you already. Bulk mail allows you to reach a large number of people inexpensively. You go to a place like http://www.responseunlimited.com/index.html and order a list. Create a letter like the one below and send it out to a test group of maybe 1000-2000. Create a few more with different wording, maybe add a better issue like abortion or remove references to God and Christian (not all conservatives are Christian) and send it out to the same amount of people, see which letters get the better response. Send out the best response letter to the rest of the list. Make sure you are targeting only the particular states residents so they feel they are making a difference. I wrote this letter as an example a few years ago to address an issue here in PA. You’ll get the idea.
Dear Fellow Christian Conservative,
The 2005 Pennsylvania elections were historic in the first ousting of a State Supreme Court justice in over 280 years. The voters of Pennsylvania are throwing off the confines of apathy and donning the mantel of political authority promised to them by the phrase “we the people”. The call to “throw the bums out” reverberates through the streets of Philadelphia, the farms in Lancaster and the steps of the Harrisburg capital.
With 203 House seats and 25 Senate seats up for election, 2006 gives conservatives the opportunity to remold the General Assembly into a government we can be proud of with candidates we can trust. With the unconstitutional passing of Act 71 and the secret 2 am pay-raises approved by both sides of the General Assembly, we can clearly see these candidates will not come from the Republican or Democratic parties. Conservatives must look elsewhere.
Since 1994, the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania has striven to reinstate the type of government desired by the citizens of Pennsylvania and required by its constitution. Founded on an allegiance to God and the principles of government embodied in our constitutions and the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution Party works for the people of Pennsylvania and not the special interest groups. The Republican and Democratic Party juggernauts have run roughshod over the voters of Pennsylvania but that has come to an end. Now is the time to act, but we need your help.
[Insert request for donations]
With your help, the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania can once again give Pennsylvania a government of the people and by the people.
Find an issue that affects the people locally (there’s that word again) and use that as your hot point for fund raising.
Viable Candidate
Now that the war chest is full, it needs to be spent on local elections for viable candidates. Notice the very important word here: viable. What is a viable candidate? One that can get elected. Here is how you spot a non-viable candidate:
I believe in Black helicopters flying over the countries sky!
I believe the government caused 9/11
I believe the government is secretly plotting to replace our currency with Amero
I believe the government is secretly…….
Make any one of these statements to your constituency and you are no longer a viable candidate. I am not saying you are wrong in these beliefs. When the revolution comes, you can dance on the graves and say “SEE I TOLD YOU!!” but wrong or right the average person doesn’t believe in these things and will think you’re nuts. No one votes for a candidate they think is nuts. More importantly, the average person doesn’t care about these things. They feel the government is taking care of things because the potholes are fixed, the streets are plowed and the schools are open. You want to claim that not saying these things violates your principles, that’s fine. Just don’t bother running for office, because you will not get elected.
Viable Candidate
How does one become a viable candidate? If you are running for School Board, Township Supervisor or other position like this, step one is to attend meetings. Spend at least a year if not two going to all the meetings. Make yourself known in a polite and articulate manner. Volunteer for the Zoning Board or PTA. Make sure people know who you are and that you can be counted on. Express concerns in a non-confrontational manner. Others may have the same concerns that you do but will not voice it. Be their voice then and you can be their voice in office. Try to understand both sides of an argument and be a “uniter” in these meetings if you can. Get people to look to you for help.
When you’re ready, get the local chapter of the CP to request funds from the national party for you. Flood the area with your name; signs, radio ads, TV commercials, bumper stickers, meet-and-greets etc. People in these areas shouldn’t be able to use the bathroom without seeing your face. Brand Awareness is key. Remember, all politics is local. If you’re running for Township Supervisor, don’t make claims like “We need to dissolve the IRS” because you would have no control over that if elected to the Supervisor board, so it is irrelevant. Focus on issues that are important at the level of office you are running for.
The State Level
In order for the Republican Party to show it is a political force in a state, it needs to win the majority of the available seats. In order for the Democratic Party to show it is a political force in a state, it needs to win the majority of the available seats. In order for the Constitution Party to show it is a political force in a state, it needs to win just one seat. One. It just needs to replace one incumbent to make a statement and to show the rest of the state that it exists as a force. The National party needs to identify and fund a few state legislative runs. Instead of focusing on a national presidential race and all the funding that entails, focus on a state race or two where the Republican candidate isn’t doing well or is in legal trouble. People may be looking for a change. A concerted effort in those locations may see at least a raise in brand awareness if not an election. Especially if that state is going through a scandal or hot button issue. In PA a few years ago it was the pay raise. The current issue is School Tax. These should be hot button issues that CP candidates beat the voters over the head with. National Party leaders should be informed by State Party leaders what the hot button topics are for each state. These should be reviewed to determine if there is enough voter backlash to fund a viable candidate in that state.
If you’re still reading this, thanks. To sum up:
Leadership ==>Funding==>Viable Campaigns==>Brand Awareness==>Funding==>Viable Campaigns==>Brand Awareness etc.
I do not claim to be an expert and this is just my opinion.
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