• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Shop
  • Jobs Board
Campaigns & Elections logo

Campaigns & Elections

  • Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Articles
    • Industry News
    • CampaignTech
    • Creative
  • Videos
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Reports
  • Expert Database
  • Events
  • Awards
    • Reed Awards
    • CampaignTech Awards
    • Rising Stars
  • Consultant Directory
  • Become a Member
  • Shop
  • Job Board
  • Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Ask the Campaign Doc: Dealing with Hypotheticals

Craig “Campaign Doc” Varoga consults on local, state, national and international campaigns and is a regular political analyst in numerous news media. Send questions using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @CVaroga or CVaroga@Varoga.US.

Q: We have a reporter who keeps asking hypothetical questions about policy issues and what happens if we lose. How do we shut him down?

A: I don’t recommend ever “shutting down” reporters. But I am also resolutely averse to going down the rabbit hole of hypotheticals. One pat and pithy response came last year from “tight-lipped” (per the reporter) former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He replied, “I don’t speculate and I particularly don’t speculate on my actions.”

Q: It’s parade and harvest festival season, which activities should our candidate participate in?

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

A: Piggyback on pre-existing events like picnics, parades, concerts, barbecues and emphasize visibility: bring banners, rally signs, sound trucks and music. Position volunteer tables outside grocery stores, sporting events, and make sure you have voter registration materials available.  

Customize paid communications like digital and radio ads with Labor Day or “end of summer” themes. Make a major economic-policy announcement right before the event so the resulting news coverage runs throughout the weekend. But keep it fun. Don’t be too intrusive or too time-consuming: let the voters enjoy their festivities. And of course, check with and get participation approval from the event’s organizers—you wouldn’t want to be evicted as a self-promoting parasite. That’s just awkward.

Q: We just got a memo from our ad maker regarding our paid communications during the primary that says “the substantive persuasion effects are minimal.” What does that mean?

A: It means either your consultant is admitting his or her ads didn’t work, or he or she is dumping another team member in the grease (not good for team cohesion, unless of course you’re reorganizing). Another possibility is that nobody read the poll before you began advertising or you just wasted a lot of money. It may also be some combination of the above. Tons of luck with the general election, sounds like you’ll need it.

Q: I realize things are ramping up quickly for November, but it would be great to pick your brain about something personal. This is my third campaign and I’m not enjoying it. I’d like to know if you have any thoughts on how to deal with this difficulty. Thanks and look forward to your response.

A: Poor baby, we sympathize, we really do—just not very much. Let’s be clear: Campaigns are exciting, and it’s a profound honor to be part of the American political tradition, no matter how big or small a part we might play. But campaigns, like life, aren’t always fun. That standard is too high for anything that isn’t leisure or play.

We’re reminded of British explorer Ernest Shackleton, who reportedly advertised in 1913 for personnel, describing his Antarctica journey thus: “Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.” Five score and three years later, writers still glorify the trials and victories of that journey.

Bottomline: No pain, no gain. Stay on the job, do your very best and, win or lose, decide after the election what you want to do next—either the same job on a bigger campaign, or a different job altogether. You can try work as a consultant, or just bail on the business altogether. You owe it to yourself, and to your candidate, colleagues, family and funders to not quit.

Share:
FacebookTweetLinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

By
Craig Varoga
09/06/2016 11:56 AM EDT
FacebookTweetLinkedIn

C&E Creative Summit 2023 Countdown:

Get Tickets

Most Read

  • Digital Organizing

    How Digital Can Help Thread the Needle in Virginia

  • Sponsored

    Combine Digital Advertising With Direct Mail, The SMART Way

  • Sponsored

    Political Comms Is The Premium Peer-To-Peer Texting Platform

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Become a member and get access to exclusive content.

Join Today

Footer

Upcoming Events

  • September 21

    Campaigns & Elections Creative Summit

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

For the latest in campaign strategy & tactics plus industry news and analysis, subscribe for free today.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow us

Follow Campaign and Elections for more daily content.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Political World Communications, LLC

Advertisement

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.