The proper context for a Team of Rivals

ILLUSTRATED: The executive branch has a superstructure not analogous to the 1860s.

President-elect Obama should be commended for hiring strong, smart people for his Cabinet. Some of whom he has not been associated with before, or were in fact intraparty rivals. People compare his with Lincoln, however the analogy is not correct. In Lincoln's day, there was not much of a White House staff between the president and Cabinet. Now there is a tremendous White House staff that coordinates across the executive branch.
President-elect Obama will have mostly supporters, many from Chicago, counseling him in the West Wing, and will have the experienced hands running the departments. Centralized control from change agents, and execution from people who know what they are doing. So there will in fact be CHANGE.

The two best articles of Election '08...after 10 days anyway

ILLUSTRATED: Framing the political discourse is key. Also Obama won because he kept the same message, was very aggressive in fundraising, and organized right down to city blocks. New technology simply facilitates classic campaign operations.

This piece on Prop 8 is used not to advocate for an issue, but to describe how a changing social attitude was defeated. This piece in the Huffington Post explains how forces looking to overturn the legalization of gay marriage in California, outmaneuvered the pro-gay marriage forces. Simply put, they defined the terms of the debate as to who was imposing a lifestyle on whom. Was it conservative groups codifying the law in the face of changing attitudes, or the gay community forcing its lifestyle in peoples' faces. Americans do not like to be imposed on, so the side that framed that subtext won the election.

Ryan Lizza wrote a great piece in the New Yorker explaining the success of Obama, from scratch. Here are the points to grow on:

1. The Genesis: with a pollster, figure out the zeitgeist of the electorate. Not just the primary electorate, but the general electorate.
2. Given your candidate's persona and record, pick the theme, values, and lifestyle that resonate with the electorate. In other words, frame the debate such that a conversation about the election leads someone to your candidates side.
3. Pick the issues to illustrate that theme from #2. For example issues like talking to Iran or oppsing a gas tax cut are metaphors used to demonstrate that you are different than conventional Washington.
4. Set clear lines of authority and a professional culture in the campaign office. The center of power should be with organic staffers, not consultants.
5. Study voter data precinct by precinct. Register people to changes the facts in your favor. Then allocate resources and organize accordingly.
6. Raise money like crazy. Make small donors feel important, because in fact they really are.
7. Do the best you can to stay on message. At all costs, maintain control of your public image.

The politics of social change

ILLUSTRATED: On cultural and social issues, when you are ahead of your time, campaign on a classic, inclusive theme.

Gay marriage is, at this writing, a very controversial issue that cuts across both parties' bases. Know matter what one's thoughts and feelings are about it, this short post on the Huffington Post succinctly describes how to campaign on any social issue whose popularity is changing.

1. Do be inclusive, don't be angry. Think "web issues", not wedge issues". In other words, reach out to constituencies and make the case for shared values and interests. Bottom line, make people identify with you by focusing on a classic theme (ie Liberty, Union, Community, Freedom, Equality etc.).

2. Regarding #1, organize for it. Meet with the leaders of other groups and coalesce.

3. Even if you do not organize fully with certain constituencies, still go talk to them in their media and communities.

4. There are many elections and many lawsuits. In each, figure out your goal and zero in on it. Don't fight multiple battles at once.