THE POLITICS GUY TM
CAMPAIGN TIPS
MAY 2009

With 13 months until the 2010 primary elections and 18 months to the general election, NOW is the time to start imprinting your brand.

Early name identification will save you money and time when you do form your Campaign Committee and make a formal announcement. The early campaign budget and message is all about getting your name known and telling prospective voters about yourself. The better known you are at that time, the easier the task and the less budget resource needed.

You are not political at this time and should remain that way in the public eye. Right now your task is to establish gravitas as a civic-minded member of the community:

If you own or manage a business, this is a good time to intensify your presence at local business networking events, Chamber of Commerce and other similar activities.

If your town has high-visibility citizen involvement, volunteer to serve on the Town Budget Committee or the Comprehensive Plan Committee or the School Facilities Review Committee. If you belong to a church or service organization, get active on the fund-raising project or the Fourth of July Parade Committee. If you volunteer for a charity, get onto the public relations or community outreach committee.

And, of course, don’t overlook your core support: get active in a project for your local Republican Club too.

The point is that a candidate is taken more seriously if he or she is already known as a doer in the community. And your cheerful participation will establish good will. When you first mention that you’re considering a race for public office, many of the people you’ve worked with shoulder-to-shoulder will support you even if they’re registered Democrats simply because they know you, like you and can attest that you roll up your sleeves and get to work.

As Bowdoin College Political Science Professor Christian Potholm noted in an April 20, 2009 article in The Portland Press Herald, issues play less a role in local and legislative races than the personality, name recognition and hard work of the candidate.

Now is the time to begin your recognition so that your brand name is in the public consciousness before you announce your candidacy.

The Politics Guy Campaign Tips will be published periodically at RLC.org to help pro-liberty candidates get elected.