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ML & TN Second Anniversary!
We made it to our second year!!! My first foray into blogging came in 2004, on the Duane Sand for Congress race. I got hooked. After the campaign ended, one of my goals was to set up this blog. Of course, the campaign ended in November, and it was the end of February before I posted my first blog. Lesson learned: Nothing happens as quickly as you think (or hope) it will. I think we hit our stride that summer. Since then, we've come a long way. (I wish I had a screen shot of what the original blog looked like.) If you have any suggestions on how we can make this blog even more informative in the next two years -- please let me know. Thanks for coming along for the ride!
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Hello Cleveland!
If you've ever seen the movie Spinal Tap, you'll recall the scene when the band (who is touring America) yells to the audience: "Hello Cleveland!" (Trouble was, they weren't in Cleveland). Despite the pitfalls of mistaking the city you're actually in (they were a rock band, after all), it is quite common (and even suggested) for political candidates to try to mention the hometown restaurant or local high school football team, when giving a stump speech. Hotline's On-Call blog proves regional references aren't just for candidates. Seems Democrat strategist Chris Lehane has started using them, too: Lehane: "If you're running as a transformative candidate, you have to be careful not to degrade the brand you're offering. Taking a whack at Bill Clinton with Democratic primary voters is like taking a whack at Derek Jeter when you're trying to appeal to Yankee fans" (DeFrank, New York Daily News, 2/23). Still more Lehane: B. Clinton "is as popular with Democratic primary voters as Cal Ripken is with Baltimore Orioles fans" (West, Baltimore Sun, 2/23).
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Reagan's Secret Forumula
Wynton Hall's recent column, Reagan's Secret Formula, is a MUST-READ. "I'm about to commit speechwriter sacrilege and reveal the secret formula to all of Ronald Reagan's most powerful speeches." ... "Conservatives' current gloom is, in part, a symptom of a perceived 'eloquence gap' among the top Republican presidential contenders."
... Read the rest here.
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Pitching In ...
Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm working with Matt and will be pitching in to help Matt bring you campaign oriented book reviews, regular inspirational quotes, and daily news tips. Feel free to shoot me your ideas and thoughts at TimMeredith05 AT gmail DOT com. Stay tuned ...
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John Lennon Meets Frank Luntz
 WHEN JOHN LENNON sang "Imagine," he may have been on to something. In his new book, Words that Work, Frank Luntz writes that candidates should use the word imagine more, if they want the audience to be able to visualize their message: "... There is one word in the English language that automatically triggers the process of visualization by its mere mention ... the word imagine is perhaps the single most powerful communication tool because it allows the individuals to picture whatever personal vision is in their heads and minds."
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Is TV Making Us Better Communicators?
Are we learning to be savvy communicators through osmosis? Peggy Noonan's column today implies the media is unconsciously training us to speak in sound bites ..."The most dismaying thing I've noticed the past 10 years on television is that ordinary people who are guests on morning news shows--the man who witnessed the murder, the housewife who ran from the flames--speak, now, in perfect sound bites. They also cry on cue. They used to ramble, like unsophisticated folk, and try to keep their emotions to themselves."
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Handling the Candidate
My good friend Dave Dziok has written a little essay on the topic of "Handling the Candidate." He offers some good advice. Check it out: A candidate's two major responsibilities in a campaign are raising money and meeting voters. It's the staff's job to make sure that the candidate is getting this done in the most efficient way possible. The key player in all this is the candidate's travel aide.
Life for a candidate on the campaign trail is definitely grueling. Hours upon hours, even days at a time away from the family will take a toll on the candidate's psyche. That's why the relationship between a candidate and travel aide must stretch beyond merely work into one of friendship and trust, because at times, you're the only family that the candidate has.
Ample thought isn't always given to finding a good match for the candidate to travel with, and I can understand why. After all, how hard is it to get the candidate from Point A to Point B on time? But there's a lot more preparation for a travel aide than merely getting into a car and driving to an event, and without a reliable and trustworthy travel aide, your campaign can be in for a disaster.
I'll share with you some thoughts and tips I've picked up over the years from working along side candidates on the campaign trail. Many joke that a travel aide is the candidate's brain, dragging him from one event to the other, telling him how to
look, what to say, and who to talk to.
And for anyone who's served in this role, it'd be tough to disagree.
Create a travel sheet for all trips and events, and be sure to include the following information:
- Date, time, and location of the event?
- Type of event (rally, reception, dinner, etc.)?
- Number of people
expected to attend?
- What's expected of the candidate at the event?
- What's the appropriate attire?
- Who's the contact person for the event?
- Who are the other speakers?
- Will press be in attendance?
If you do your homework and answer all these questions, you'll be sure to have covered all your bases and chances of a successful trip will skyrocket.
And here are some more tips that every travel aide should know:
- Always have a change of clothes for the candidate and different types as well. It's common place to spill coffee or ketchup on clothes when hurrying to get from one place to another, and you want to be sure you're presentable. You may be at a barbeque in the afternoon and then have to attend a fundraiser at night without having the chance to go home and change clothes. If the schedule works this way, you have to be prepared: - Always have directions!!!
- Never leave the campaign office without a digital camera and extra batteries. You never want to miss a perfect photo opportunity, and with technology today, you can write up a press release on the road and attach a picture from a campaign rally you just attended and get it to the press.
- Fix-a-flat can be a life saver on those long deserted stretches of road, especially late at night. Always be prepared.
- It's easy to forget your cell phone charger at home or at the office. When going on the road for extended periods of time, make sure you take your charger.
- Have a small make-up kit for public appearances. You never know when a camera could be on you and you end up on the evening news. You always want to look presentable.
- Be sure to have gum or some kind of breath freshener. There's no quicker way to lose voters than bad breath.
Just a few tips to keep in mind when you hit the campaign trail with your candidate. Good luck and safe travels!
I would have added that the travel aide must also keep the campaign manager up-to-date on what's happening on the road. And, perhaps most importantly, the travel aide must keep the candidate's spirits up, so he or she stays focused. A big part of the job is to keep the candidate's attitude positive. Because Dave has served in this capacity on campaigns I've managed, I can honestly tell you he is probably one of the best in the business at this.
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McCain Taps Into Emoton (On Video)
Whether you like John McCain, or not, watch these videos. They are extremely good -- and very emotional. If all the undecided voters know about McCain is what they see in his videos, he will win in a landslide.
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Building Your Campaign Headquarters
 If you're thinking of running for office, one of the last things you'll probably consider is what your office (or, um, campaign headquarters) should look like. But whether your office is in your basement, or in an office complex, there are certain things you'll need. And, like everything else in life, planning ahead is key. A recent Campaigns & Elections Magazine article (written by Craig Varoga) does a good job of listing things to consider. Here's my paraphrased and edited version ... In choosing a location, consider:- Proximety to likely supporters
- Parking access
- Restroom, Kitchen,
and storage facilities
- Conference and meeting rooms
- Access to copy
centers, restaurants, post office, Staples, etc.
- Rent and length of lease
Things to get:
- Inexpensive (or donated) furniture
- Phones with speaker phone, voice mail, and conferencing
- Computers, printers, scanners
- Copy machine, fax, shredder
- Supplies: Stationary, business cards and (donated): pens, pencils, staplers, rubber bands, paper clips, etc.
- Kitchen equipment: Fridge, coffee pot, cups, diswasher
- Security system and possibly liability insurance (depending on the race)
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The Grammys And Politics (Both are Staged)
I didn't watch the Grammy Awards last night, but something I heard on the radio this morning got me thinking about how entertainment and politics really aren't that different. (No, this isn't about the Dixie Chicks winning a Grammy). What I'm referring to -- and what the radio show brought up -- was that there are people who are paid to stand by the red carpet and literally scream and applaud when anyone pulls up and gets out of a car. It doesn't matter if you're a celebrity or not ... you get the same treatment (because it's staged for the cameras). Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: "In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." I guess the same thing is true in entertainment. Spontaneous standing ovations don't happen to candidates by accident, and Tom Cruise getting cat-calls apparently isn't spontaneous, either. And, of course, it's common knowledge now that at shows like the Grammy's pay "seat holders" are paid to occupy empty seats. For example, say Beyonce has to go to the bathroom, you wouldn't want the camera to span the crowd and see an empty seat. So someone is literally paid to sit in the seat until the original person comes back. This is the sort of stuff that Jerry Bruno would love!
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Defining the Debate
If you're Rudy Giuliani, this quote makes you smile:"I'm a Christian, and his views on a lot of social issues are to the left of mine," said Larry Stirling, a retired state superior court judge from San Diego. "But if you have to make a trade-off, I'll make the trade-off for Giuliani. He's been through a trial by fire. He's got gravitas. The first thing a president has to do is protect us. The rest is a secondary consideration." My theory has always been that the only way Rudy wins is to make the argument that the most important thing voters should care about in '08 is: "Who is best prepared to protect us?" If the queston voters ask when they walk in the voting booth is: "Who is the most conservative?" -- he can't win. But if the question is: "Who can keep us safe?" -- he may have a shot. In essense, he wants to make social issues a "secondary consideration." So Rudy's campaign is essentially about arguing over which question voters should use as the criteria for making their decision. If he wins that argument, the question of whom to vote for starts to favor him a bit. In politics, the question is more important than the answer.
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Another Must-Read from David All
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Campaign Leadership School
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Brave New Bloggers
Have you seen the 2002 Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report? If not, here's the concept: In the future, criminals are caught before they commit crimes.Well, all this talk about John Edwards' blogger got me thinking about the dangers of having an "online presence" -- which got me thinking about Facebook -- which made me think of Minority Report. While I truly believe the networking potential of Facebook is amazing, I also notice that a lot of young conservatives have pictures posted of which might be embarrassing if, in say, twenty years, they were to run for school board. Here's where this gets a little 1984ish ... What's to stop some liberal group (or the DNC for that matter) from having interns infiltrate conservative networks, sort through them, and compile a database of embarrassing pictures and quotes? In short, they would create a "Minority Report" which would seek to end young political careers before they begin? (Of course, conservatives could do the same thing in reverse). I know what you're thinking; this sounds ridiculous. It's conspiratorial, etc. Fair enough. My argument would be that the stakes in politics have gotten ridiculously high and that it's better to prepare for the worst case scenario. Besides, what if I told you ten years ago that "in the future" both political parties would be buying your consumer information and, based on which beer you drink, they would be "microtargeting" you?
Would you have believed me? ... Because it's a regular practice today. (Of course, you could argue that, in the future, our standards will have declined to the point where this is irrelevant, anyway.) Still, conservatives who wisely use the internet to advance the cause of freedom should also remember that anything you write (or show) can -- and will -- be used against you.
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Matt's Facebook
 I'm also on Linked-In. If you're a regular reader of this blog, drop me a line ... As my good friend, and conservative internet genius David All writes, "Facebook is a neat tool for campaigns to better organize their Gen Next supporters online and offline." Bottom-line, this should be a "no-brainer" for any serious modern candidate.
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Why "Being There" Matters
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Romney Standing "O"
 We're getting ready for a press conference, but in the meantime, here's a picture of his opening standing ovation. The crowd are all conservative Members of Congress.
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The Freshman
 Here are two of the new Republican Freshmen, Rep. Mark Wahlberg (R-MI)) and Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-MN).
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Reps. King & Gingrey
 I'm in Baltimore today, "live blogging" a meeting of conservative Republican House Members. Gov. Romney is going to be speaking soon. In the meantime, we have had the chance to sit down with several Members of Congress. (Pictured here are Reps. Steve King (R-IA) and Phil Gingrey (R-GA).
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