WAYS THE CANDIDATE CAN LOSE THE ELECTION 1. Lie 2. Leave all the fundraising to others 3. Fail to articulate why you are seeking election in twenty-five (25) words or less 4. Travel with an entourage 5. Try to manage your campaign and be treasurer for your campaign 6. Forget to say "Thank You" WAYS CAMPAIGN STAFFERS AND FUNDRAISERS LOSE YOUR ELECTION 1. Antagonize the candidate's spouse 2. Hire someone without clear instructions/responsibilities 3. Take rejection personally, especially from donors or opponents remarks 4. Keep sloppy records 5. Ignore small details…such as…when an event starts, exact location, not informing the candidate of their role at an event, ignore the candidate's eccentricities and mannerisms 6. Leak information about strategy, tactics or candidate's personal information 7. Commit in March for an October event. (It is hard for a candidate to know what he will need to be doing the last few weeks or days of the campaign.) THE CAMPAIGN IS BASED ON YOUR VALUE SYSTEM, YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF ISSUES, YOUR LEADERSHIP ABILITIES, THE IMAGE YOU PROJECT AND THE PEOPLE YOU CHOOSE TO HELP STEER YOUR CAMPAIGN. You must make sound decisions about issues, people, money and you must maintain a team concept in your organization. You will either attract voters or turn them off. From the time you announce your intention to seek office, you are on center stage in your personal life, professional life and public life. Your body language and mannerisms speak volumes even though you may not say a word. Your stance on issues, comments made, speeches, debates, media coverage and personal life reflect who you are. You must be self motivated and must be able to motivate your workers and volunteers. You must listen and learn and always evaluate the comments and advice you receive. You must always be the chief fundraiser for your campaign. Always be a good steward and financially accountable. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Utilize your strengths. Know your physical and emotional limits. Know your political party's philosophy and policies. Be sensitive and maintain your integrity. Develop good communication skills. Encourage feedback. Know what is working and what's not working in your campaign. Know your local media personally, their deadlines and telephone numbers. Remember your appearance counts. TOOLS OF THE TRADE If you were a carpenter, you wouldn't go to work without a hammer, saw, drill, level or staple gun. As a candidate, you need tools also. Listed below are some tools you may want to have available: Roadmaps Precinct Maps Street Maps List of identifying landmarks Vote history List of subdivisions, school district, health care facilities and their locations Contact lists of donors Media contacts List of Business leaders and local organization Volunteer lists Surrogate speakers List of events, fairs, festivals, community activities, sporting events, special celebrations Places to eat or rest while on the road Location of shopping malls and factory gates Trivia for Women Candidates ADVANTAGES Women are trusted more than men Women are viewed as more caring Women are more idealistic politically Early publicity is easier for women It is more difficult for a man to run against a woman DISADVANTAGES Women must work harder to convince the voters of their qualifications It is more difficult for women to raise money The public and media tend to scrutinize the private lives of women more than men Click here to continue to next topic...
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