Matt's Mailbag

I suppose that makes me the mail-man. Here's I think a very informative Q&A email exchange with Matt and a very involved Illinois GOP volunteer. If you're a volunteer, or if you have volunteers, it's worth your two minutes. If you didn't recieve the "Advice to Ignore" email from Matt with the secret secrets about the secrets of advice give-and-take, then you're clearly out of the loop. Cure found here.

(fullpost)

The readers email reads as follows:

Matt,

Your "Advice to Ignore" could be directed at me. Few give more free advice to conservatives in Illinois than I do.

It is very difficult for a volunteer who is down in the trenches knocking on thousands of doors to stay motivated when he sees his candidate getting and following bad advice. The more highly paid the professional consultant, the harder it is for the volunteer to take.

So how about some advice for us volunteers? It is easier to sell something about which one is enthusiastic. We see our friends making both strategic and tactical successes and mistakes. We praise them for their brilliance when the do well. We carp at them when they don't.

A related topic is "How do we frame the advice so the candidatae cantruly understand it and appreciate it."

Keyes for IL Senator is the extreme example. Keyes was told to "STAY ON MESSAGE." So that is what he did. The loyal Republican lady on the WJBC-ABC Bloomington has Keyes live, in person, in the studio. She says.

"So, ambassador Keyes, you have extensive experience in the UN and international affairs. What do you think about terrorism and the current international situation?"

Within 2 seconds Keyes is responding "ON MESSAGE" with his pro-life position.

My co-workers in downstate Illinois are all pro-life. But most feel more strongly about the 2d amendment and their gun than they do about abortion, which does not touch them directly. They were upset that Keyes did not give equal attention to their issue.

Keyes is the extreme example. But repeatedly a candidate seems to befaced with the challenge to "STAY ON MESSAGE" while not sounding like a single issue,one-note-johnny. Much of the advice fromvolunteers surrounds this balancing act...


And Matt's Reponse


My thoughts are that the candidate ultimately needs to surround themselves with both "pros" who know the national game -- as well as locals who know the lay of the land. Of course, "turf wars" between the two factions seem inevitable (such as Meese and Nofziger vs. Sears in the Reagan campaigns). I recommend picking up Politics Lost by Joe Klein. I think it is very appropriate to this debate.

My email tip was written with candidates in mind. While I understand that there is a frequent problem of having a candidate follow a Svengali -- the more frequent problem is that candidates want to listen to EVERYBODY. In a perfect world, they could discern which volunteers, activists, and consultants to listen to. Thanks for your email. Hope this helps!

Best,
Matt