Ask the Campaign Doc: Fundraisers and Funeral Homes

Q: Are there any venues off limits when it comes to holding fundraisers?
A: Let’s re-phrase the goal (positively), so that we’re trying to get it right rather than focusing on avoiding mistakes. A good venue will factor in convenience to invitees, parking availability, time of year and weather, cost, square footage and crowd capacity. Don’t forget acoustics, restrooms and—last but not least—consistency with campaign messages.
Of course there are some off-limit venues. If you’re bashing bank bailouts, do not have your event at the home of a local banker touched by scandal or unpopular financial practices. If you’re the law and order candidate (and who isn’t?), stay away from venues touched by disrepute or even the hint of criminal or unlawful behavior.
And by all means avoid venues that are in poor taste even when they pass legal background checks. Here’s a doozy from 2009 in which a city council candidate in Texas held a chocolate dessert party at (no joke) a funeral home. The invitation began, “Are you dying to see Karen get things done at city council?” and ended “Sounds like heaven!!!” Ridiculous, pure malpractice and, not surprisingly, this “chocolate and cadaver” candidate lost the election and is now back in the private sector, no longer burdened by public policy responsibilities.Q: As the campaign manager, is it typical to ask a number of people on the campaign to write portions of the campaign plan, rather than me writing it all?
A: I can’t say it’s typical, but it’s a great idea to ask senior staff and consultants to draft their own plans and budgets. That kind of inclusiveness will help you get “buy in” from team members. But it’s your job as manager to make the pieces cohere into a strategy. That’s when it gets fun—media consultants try to dominate the budget, mail and phone firms say the TV folks want too much and the field team protests because they think grassroots outreach is under-utilized. The leadership trick is to use this competition to vet all ideas so only the good ones make the cut.Q: Hey, we need to do several debates over the next couple of months. Can you send along your suggestions?
A: Debates are flash points and I could devote the entire column to just the basic points of preparation and execution. That being said, here are six important tips: One, determine your “must say” points; two, know what you want reporters and bloggers to write; three, practice your answers; four, conduct a mock debate; five, speak like a normal person, not a policy wonk or technocrat; and six, win the post-debate spin by reiterating key points and having surrogates emphasize your command of issues and affinity with voters.Q: Should we allow consultants to speak on the record, or should we limit that role to the manager and communications director?
A: Consultants should speak publicly for the campaign only when it makes sense—in a poll briefing, an ad launch, a declaration of fundraising success, or by falling on their sword due to a self-inflicted error. In any case, they should not initiate on-the-record statements unless expressly authorized.
Here’s draft language to include in all contracts (subject of course to review by your attorney): “If a member of the press contacts the consultant concerning matters in any way related to the campaign, unless otherwise authorized by the campaign representative, the call or other communication shall be referred to the campaign’s press representative designated by the campaign’s authorized representative.”Q: How do we avoid having different members of the finance team take credit for the same contributions?
A: There’s no perfect system, and a lot of it’s about trust. As a start, give clear assignments, agree on contact lists and monitor results. If all else fails, assign credit based on who actually delivers the contributions.Craig Varoga has run local, state and presidential campaigns for 20 years and specializes in independent expenditures as a partner at Independent Strategies. Send questions using Facebook or email cvaroga@independentstrategies.com