Show love for America, not hate for Republicans

ILLUSTRATED: Voters like candidates to promote America and their place in it.

There is a good line in The Godfather III where Al Pacino says "don't hate your enemy, it clouds your judgment." Very true with the electoral opposition too. Furthermore, voters don't like it.

This holiday season is a time when we actually engage in long conversations with relatives and friends. We can reflect on things going on in the world. When promoting the Democratic Party, keep the focus on the positive things we'll do for the country and what we stand for:
"Governing in the public interest, interpreting the Constitution for 2008 not 1789, and strengthening America by working with the world community." We need to show that supporting the public interest is patriotic.

Frameworks for planning a political campaign

ILLUSTRATED: Here are how some experienced people have organized campaigns.

Venture capitalists say that the difference between a start-up that succeeds and one that fails is not the business plan (there are lots of smart business plans). The key is having a leadership team that keeps the company focused. Actually the hard part, recruiting the team, is up to the candidate and campaign chair. But here are some business plans to stick on the wall of the campaign office's meeting room.

The business plans are the Tables of Contents from various books on campaigns. From these links, click on the "Table of Contents". It is a good way to conceptualize what you need to do.

Find your favorite, or combine the best parts of several, and stick it on the wall. The execute the plan.

BTW, my seven phases of a campaign are in this previous post.

The Campaign Manager

How to Win a Local Election

Newcomers guide to winning local elections

Running for office

Winning Elections

Politics the Wellstone Way

Get Out the Vote

Campaigning to Win

E-Day Minus 363

ILLUSTRATED- Less than a year from the election, there are a few things about campaigns that conservatives and Republicans seem to understand better than Democrats.

National Security Issue- A lot of this is style. Voters want to know that if we are hit again, or are threatened with an immediate hit, a Democratic President will strike hard, from one end of the Earth to the other. Then, and only then, with that threshold is met will the American people listen to our plan for the world and reshaping the military. That comes from stage presence, and elocution. Yes, you must act like a drama coach as a political consultant.

Judiciary- I am now realizing how sophisticated conservative voters are about courts. We need to communicate that Jurists are the key to setting the parameters of governance. The legacy of judicial appointments is just as important as who is elected president.

Role of government- To serve the public interest. Taxes are our dues as citizens.

How to campaign- Run a campaign like a business. Both the operational and marketing sides. That should be the tone set by a campaign manager. It is not a place for volunteers to find their identity, nor a place for consultants to promote their own careers.

Describing this economy

ILLUSTRATED: The key to understanding the mixed economic news is that we are becoming an hourglass society with the economy working for 20% on top, and failing most people.

I see these economic conservatives on cable business channels talking about how the great economy is the untold story. Well, these people who work on Wall Street and interact with CEOs and consultants all day get a warped view.

Here is some debunking-

-The deficit is shrinking. There is a lot of tax revenue because so much wealth is concentrated at the top. It will change in 2011, the 65th anniversary of the Baby Boom. There will need to be strategic tax increases.

-Job growth is strong. A lot of these jobs are part time, or are not jobs to further one's career.

-Inflation is in check. That cuts both ways since it could suggest low growth at the bottom of the economic scale. In any event, health, oil, and education costs are soaring, and that hurts the poor and middle class disproportionately more.

-On housing. For lenders, a bad loan is a tax write-off. For borrowers, particularly homes, a bad loan means losing a house. And terrible credit, too bad the GOP made bankruptcy harsher.

Lastly, any economic statistic that conservatives say, needs to be countered with the fact that the dollar has lost 34% of its value since Bush took office.

Vote the Court

ILLUSTRATED: Rudy Giuliani is doing surprisingly well in polls since conservatives know that he will appoint conservative judges.

I said it before, the key to major social issues and policy issues is the stamp of approval from the judiciary. Conservative voters are becoming convinced that Giuliani would appoint conservative judges. Here are two videos 1 and 2 that articulate this.
When Giuliani ran in New York City, he ran saying "I'm pro-choice". OK fine, that's what voters in NYC want to hear. But conservative voters know that the key to ending a woman's right to choose is not who is president, but who the president appoints to the court.
Democrats must describe the importance of the court and make it clear: "we will appoint judges who interpret the constitution as if it is 2009, not 1789."

Noun + Verb + Issue

ILLUSTRATED: Message discipline is tough to beat. Nuance must be explained in metaphors and analogies, and must be given with confidence.

Frank Rich of the New York Times wrote an article describing how Iran and other national security issues are shaping up to frame this election. It is a warning to Democrats that voters like a leader who appears confident in their decision/position,...even if it turns out to be a wrong decision. Our candidates are more intellectually honest than GOP candidates, so true to character, our candidates speak in the nuance that is the real world. But it puts us at a disadvantage in marketing.
Rich quotes Joe Biden's line from last week's debate:

Mr. Biden got a well-deserved laugh Tuesday night when he said there are only three things in a Giuliani sentence: “a noun and a verb and 9/11.” But a year from now, after the public has been worn down by so many months more of effective White House propaganda, “America’s mayor” (or any of his similarly bellicose Republican rivals) will be offering voters the clearest possible choice, however perilous, about America’s future in the world.

I've got to say, Giuliani is doing an effective job of branding himself. I do not predict Giuliani will win the nomination, but he is a good example to novice political candidates about message discipline.

Rich is warning Democrats that they must make it clear to the American people what they stand for. The people need to stand with us, not fall for the Republicans again.