CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
This work originated several years ago when a retired New York State police investigator, whowas contemplating a run for county sheriff, phoned me one afternoon. He had been in lawenforcement his entire life and was untarnished by political influence. I was serving as the districtattorney's campaign treasurer at the time, and someone in law enforcement had given him myname.
Naturally, I was honored that he believed I had the required political knowledge and experienceto offer credible input for his upcoming campaign. I felt I had the prerequisite qualificationsafter serving in multiple capacities in several congressional campaigns. I had been our county'sRepublican party treasurer for five years as well as our city committee's secretary for two and hadserved as county chairman for our election district's successful New York State senatorial race in2002. Our new senator received almost 80 percent of the vote in that challenging race.
I immediately jotted down two pages of notes to take to my meeting with him the next day. Inthe course of a few weeks, I outlined a string of tasks and experiences. That string evolved intothe initial chapters of a book, and every day I added to it. As I refined my notes, a web of politicalintrigue began to emerge and reveal itself. I became aware of how insular and esoteric the currentpolitical climate had become. Without insight into the hidden rules of the local political hierarchy,there was little or no hope of someone new gaining the support needed to win an election.
This book is intended as a guide for aspiring local and state politicians who wish to seek publicservice through the election process. It is designed for Americans who are interested in pursuingpolitical candidacy and takes a business-oriented approach that includes delineated job functionsand assignments.
Politics is an interactive, multi tasking domain. Political Tool Kit quantifies a process that many viewas subjective and experiential. The tool kit offers a step-by-step progressive model candidates canmold to fit their candidacies. It is up to candidates to make their campaigns unique by choosingthe areas and tasks that are of the greatest interest and best fit for their philosophies and theircampaigns' size and scope.
In America, each city, district, town, parish, ward, county, and state is a reasonably autonomouspolitical entity. Many have grandfathered in their local laws, hidden rules, and layers of culturethat govern the electoral process. If a person is to seek political office, those rules and laws must beknown and followed to the letter. No single book can include every state's peculiar eccentricitiesor the culture embedded within each election district.
Candidates, their campaign managers, and their executive committees can use Political Tool Kit asa platform to build better campaigns and adopt techniques that are a good fit. This book can serveas an invaluable tool in establishing a winning campaign strategy. It introduces a comprehensivedelineation of jobs and responsibilities by using functional managers as a resource base. It alsomaximizes a contributory system of unit managers (parish or county managers) who provide theprofessional integrity a larger campaign demands.
The election process consists of meeting a series of deadlines and milestones. Assign the righttask to the appropriate qualified person, who should be highly motivated and loyal. In all cases,task deadlines must be identified and met; goals must be achieved. In many states, a considerablefine will be levied if the treasurer or financial officer does not file a financial disclosure statementon time (Grey 1999, 43).
Each campaign will accentuate and enhance its candidate's positive attributes through itsknowledge of political tools. Having the qualifications to be the best manager is not necessarilythe same as having the characteristics of a successful candidate. Similarly, a gifted intellectualmay not possess the political skills required to win an election.
This book offers the training and tools to build a process that enables candidates to grow to theirfull potential. Political Tool Kit is a recruiting tool for good managers and promising leaders; itwill sharpen political skills and help create great candidates.
A procedure or concept cannot be modeled or worked until it is clearly defined. Naming a taskor process gives it definition and form. Such a structure may be one that is currently utilized inanother discipline or be a completely new idea. Several new concepts are introduced in this book,including unlocking social structures with guides, political one-shot mentoring, mokusatsu, andthe concept of valence voters.
The field of politics is an experiential trade, a learned craft that is team-oriented. If a candidateachieves party endorsement, that endorsement often includes a pledge for support with tasks,money, and volunteers. A political party is a team, and without that team's approval, or at leasttacit compliance, there is little hope for a candidate's election.
After a successful election, even a candidate portrayed as a rebel usually is offered some degree ofinclusion into the political system. The election of a maverick candidate may signal the emergenceof new trends the leadership of an astute political party may wish to capture.
Candidacy is only the beginning of a career in public service. The winning ideals embedded withina campaign will follow candidates throughout their political careers and become foundationalprinciples during their future community service and a building block if they seek higher office.
Never let anyone say that politics is not personal. It is. It takes an entire lifetime of experience forcandidates to shape their platforms. Who they are as people is reflected in their candidacies.
A political life is not for the faint of heart because private matters can be placed under a publicmicroscope (Grey 1999, 123). A candidate's ideals will be driven through the fire of debate andtaken out of context—misquoted by the news media and denigrated by friend and foe alike.Some of the strongest people are crushed by inaccurate depictions of their lives and deeds by amedia that frequently goes uncorrected (Woo 1980, 7).
As is the case with investment strategies, no process can guarantee absolute results. Successdepends more upon trends, timing, and plain, old, ordinary luck. The more knowledge you have,the luckier you'll get.
Suggestions for tasks should never be misconstrued to imply that candidates, campaign staff, orvolunteers should break any laws or moral standards. On the contrary, campaigns and candidatesshould be held to the highest standards. It is the candidate's responsibility to read and followelection and all laws. It is the responsibility of the campaign manager, treasurer, sage counsel, andmentor to guide the candidate along a path constructed on fact-based decision making.The candidate alone must accept all responsibility for the formulation and implementation of theteam that will determine the election results. No book or written document can be all inclusive.Laws and methods are continuously evolving.
This book offers you a "political tool kit" that may place you on the road to elected office. It willbe the adventure of a lifetime.
Good luck!
FOUNDATION: GETTING STARTED
Political candidacy requires a unique skill set and is a journey like no other. Candidates mustrealize where they are in life, where they wish to go, what tools and support they require,and whothey will take on the adventure with them. They must set a preliminary strategy with specificgoals they can accomplish through the offices they seek.
The problem with many political campaigns is that candidates are partially dependent on aprocess they don't fully understand, and they rely on an existing political infrastructure that maynot fully or properly support their initiative. Their indebtedness to this structure can directlyaffect how reliant they are upon it. A candidate's political knowledge and acumen will foster acertain degree of autonomy. Candidates should represent their party's overall vision, but buildingalliances within a party is not the same as being dependent upon it. Dependence may lend itselfto manipulation, and that may result in candidates failing to put their constituents first.
The political environment is composed of interdependent coalitions. The tasks below can beperformed as individual functions at first, but at some point they must be aligned and integratedto form the continuum of a working campaign. Candidates should take the initiative to builda strong foundation by using the defined sequential tasks that are outlined in the followingchapters. Campaign speeches, logos, themes, and strategies must project a continuous, flowingmessage of inspiration and leadership.
The people responsible for building their piece of the campaign puzzle must never lose sightof the overall picture and their place within it. The tasks outlined here may change over timeas technologies and political climates evolve, but the basic concept will remain true. Hopefully,campaign managers, staff, and volunteers will find better ways of achieving higher standards byusing Political Tool Kit as a framework.
Three Phases for establishing and Activating Political Values and Beliefs
Phase I: Conduct research to determine the "lay of the land"
1. Which political party is best for the candidate's philosophy?
2. What office will be a "best résumé" fit?
3. Start political activism: work on other people's campaigns; volunteer.
4. Become a member of your local party's committee; contact the local chairman/woman.
5. Form a campaign organization at least nine to twelve months before the election.
6. Maintain a healthy lifestyle; exercise and diet.
7. Preserve a firm religious base; attend worship regularly.
8. Recruit a statistician; gather statistics—research demographics, population, and voterhistories.
Phase II: Build coalitions and energize the campaign
1. Hone public-speaking skills; take courses and seek out organizations, if necessary.
2. Join influential social organizations, such as Kiwanis and Rotary Club.
3. Develop a rapport with political veterans, who are often party committee members.
4. Find a highly respected political mentor.
5. Select a campaign manager and treasurer.
6. Start a pledge list for seed money.
7. List projected expenses; develop a budget.
8. Announce candidacy; timing determined by executive committee (see appendix D).
9. Begin a registration drive; ensure that every possible supporter registers to vote.
10. Recruit party committee members for a possible endorsement.
11. Establish and maintain a rapport with local unions, professionals, and businesses.
12. Establish absentee-ballot list; consolidate board of election (BOE) and updatedcanvassing lists.
Phase III: Complete recruitment and activate message-delivery systems
1. Obtain a domain name, e.g., www.candidatesname.com.
2. Recruit sage counsel and functional managers.
3. Describe campaign positions to be filled; recruit remaining staff.
4. Create, collect, and analyze lists of voters and contributors.
5. Create a volunteer list and recruit.
6. Set goals and timetables for tasks; establish a schedule and event calendar.
7. Determine training for recruited staff; activate mentorship program.
8. Define campaign theme, including song or tune, mantra, logo, and slogan.
9. Outline topics for speeches, palm cards (handbills, door hangers), talking points.
10. Obtain endorsements; solidify previously established relationships with unions, civicand social organizations, news media, military veterans, seniors, and local corporations.
11. Select message-delivery systems (website, newspaper, direct mail, etc.), weighing each foreffectiveness versus monetary expenditure.
Note: For more information on each subject, please refer to the index.
These three phases are designed to construct a powerful campaign with energy and visionby building a strong foundation with quantifiable data to clearly define sequential tasks. Aquantifiable analysis is more trustworthy than historical perceptions (Green and Gerber2004, 90). After analyzing the demographics and statistical research, the campaign team mustbrainstorm a message that will appeal to voters in the election district.
The message is the trunk of the tree, based on ideals and values, while the candidate's talkingpoints are the branches (O'Day 2003, 25). The candidate's talking points will not only articulatethe campaign's theme and message but how the candidate plans to achieve those central issues.
Phase I
First, it is essential to determine which elected office and which political party, if any, are the bestfit. The prospective candidate must consider emerging trends and recent shifts in political power(see Voting Blocs/Under-vote Calculations). Being registered to vote and having a residencein a particular geographical area are essential as is voting in every election (Grey 1999, 21). Acandidate's personal philosophy must be aligned with a political party's basic tenets. Changesin party affiliation can shadow people throughout their political careers. The electorate willvalue many personal qualities in a candidate, but one of the most salient is loyalty. If an aspiringcandidate is going to change political affiliations, then the sooner the better.
Success in politics relies on organization and skill, but primarily depends upon knowledge, timing,and following trends.
Become politically active
Volunteering for other people's campaigns is an excellent way to become involved with the politicalprocess. Donating money is another avenue of involvement, but donating time is just as valuablefor attaining party favor and loyalty. The view from inside the political system may be a definingmoment. Place this experience in context; do not allow others to erode your foundational valuesand direction. Always be courteous, personable, and professional. Respect others.
A select group of people will work and volunteer for a political party and candidates in whomthey believe. Work with them; develop and maintain a rapport with this group of dedicatedvolunteers (England 1992, 35). Cultivate and harvest future mentors from this group, as needed.When volunteering on a campaign, it may not be time to share with others that you wish tosomeday seek public office. To do so could be interpreted by some as a threatening gesture.
Maintain your health
Attractive and healthy candidates are an asset on the campaign trail. On the other hand,candidates who do not take care of themselves with proper exercise and diet are a harder sell.Canvassing door-to-door for three to four hours every evening and on weekends may be oneof the benefits of seeking elected office. If candidates are not in good physical shape when theybegin, they soon will be.
Maintain religious base
Maintaining a firm religious base is a fundamental principle of candidacy. Many people who areatheists or who do not attend a place of worship regularly are elected to public office, but theyare the exception rather than the rule. A candidate should attend worship regularly and develop arapport with others. Voters are often tolerant of candidates who do not hold their own personalreligious convictions, realizing that religious faith is a guaranteed personal freedom and shouldnever be used as a campaign issue (Key 1966,118). However, faith is often a critical factor in howsegments of the electorate vote (Bai 2007, 52; Joslyn 1984, 26).
Candidates should not open doors through which they do not wish to enter. Campaign topicsshould focus on the issues most relevant to their qualifications for elected office.
Obtain statistical analysis
An aspiring candidate must seek quantifiable statistic and demographic data from within theelection district. The model formed by the gathered data will reveal the composition and flavorof the campaign tasks ahead. The basis of the campaign's statistical analysis will be built upon thedata obtained from the state BOE or a national political party after endorsement. The statisticianis among the first key team members the candidate must select.
Research will identify demographics, size, and composition within the election district. Thatdetermination will help the candidate craft a message, target specific populations, and identify thedelivery systems most advantageous for the campaign's optimal effect (see appendices I and H).
