If I were to walk up to a random person today and ask him/her to share their thoughts on the upcoming spring elections in Kansas, I’m willing to bet that the response would be, “What elections?”

These elections are so often forgotten about, and so few people actually vote in them, let alone volunteer on campaigns for them.  There are many times when these seats go unfilled because there aren’t enough people interested in running for the available positions.  So many people fail to understand the importance of these elections because in their minds, who gets elected to their local school board just doesn’t matter.  What people don’t realize is how much power their local school boards actually have, and how great of an impact an individual can have on school board elections just by getting involved.

But why would somebody want to get involved with school board elections?

Well, if you have children in the school district, there are a few obvious reasons why you would want to help quality candidates get elected to the school board.  School boards are responsible for:

• Hiring and working with the superintendent.
• Overseeing school personnel.
• Reviewing and approving curriculum that students learn.
• Tracking district enrollment and attendance.
• Monitoring student achievement.
• Setting the academic calendar.
• Managing student transportation.
• Ensuring that local schools are in accordance with federal and state academic standards.
• Providing parents and members of the community with a voice into the education of their children.

All of these tasks are ones that shape the learning environment and educational experience of your children. It is vital that these tasks aren’t just given to anyone. These students are the future of this nation.  We have an amazing opportunity to shape the people that these students become by influencing the dynamic of their school boards now.

What if you don’t have children in the school district, though? Why should it still matter to you?  Well, you may not care quite as strongly about the educational experience of students in your district, but I bet you care about your money!  School boards are also responsible for the following:

• Establishing approximately 55-60% of the local property tax bill.
• Administering the local education budget.
• Approving facility maintenance and construction.
• Negotiating subcontractor agreements.

I don’t know about you, but in my home county, property taxes have gone up 168.9% just since 1997. There’s no telling how different the circumstances would be now if people in my home county would’ve been paying attention to the school board all these years.  If you care about where and how your hard-earned money is being spent, then it is of the utmost importance that you get involved in your local school board elections.

If your state’s filing deadline has not yet passed, I encourage you to seriously consider running for your local school board.  If the filing deadline has passed, then volunteer to help campaign for the candidate you are supporting.  Even after the elections are over, it is in your best interest to continue being involved with the school board.  Attending school board meetings is the best way to hold members accountable for the actions that they take while in office.   If everyone does their part to get involved with their local school boards, these elections will no longer be forgotten ones.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority Kansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Saturday, March 26^th in Leawood, Kansas to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place in the meeting room of the Leawood Pioneer Library located at 4700 Town Center Drive in Leawood from 10:00am-2:00pm.  Registration opens at 9:30am.  The cost is $25 if you pre-register online by March 15^th and $30 at the door.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics to be covered during the Training include:

• Grassroots Action — Building Coalitions, Mobilizing Volunteers, Reaching Your Community and Holding Government Accountable.
• The System — An in-depth look at the system we’re in, the problems we’re faced with, how we got here, and what we can do about it.
• Patriotism & Communication — An exploration of how activists today can utilize social media to win the hearts and minds of fellow citizens, much like the pamphleteers of the American Revolution.

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Lunch will be provided.

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Jessica Bradford at (913) 940-7398 or Alex Ballinger at (913) 940-7368 or e-mail Jessica@AmericanMajority.org or Alex@AmericanMajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

Here in the great state of Kansas, we are fast approaching the deadline to file to run for local offices like city council and school board. Many active and passionate citizens are currently throwing around or already committed to the idea of running for some of these available positions. They’re tired of seeing their tax dollars go to waste at the hands of the least watched and many times, most corrupt segment of government.  In fact, just this morning I received an email from a man who said he was “…sick of having a city council and mayor that love to spend money on things that have nothing to do with the function of government.”

Running for these local positions is one of the best ways to have an immediate and direct effect on your community.  And the best part is, you don’t need to make a huge financial commitment in order to ensure your success. We don’t all have thousands of dollars to commit to a campaign.  If you do, by all means, utilize it. However, the best way to promote your candidacy for a local office like city council, school board, etc. isn’t by fundraising; it’s by what I like to call “friendraising.”  Be a candidate EVERYWHERE you go. Just the other night, I was talking to a man who had recently filed to run for city council.  He told me that just a few days before, he was at the grocery store getting his prescription filled at the pharmacy and happened to mention to the pharmacist that he was running for city council.  Much to his surprise, the pharmacist invited him to come speak and promote himself at a group meeting she attends on a regular basis.  These kinds of opportunities are everywhere if you just remember to carry your candidacy with you wherever you go.  Attending local meetings like Lions Club, Rotary, etc. in your community is an excellent way to friendraise and make your candidacy known.

Money is a great tool to have access to in terms of purchasing campaign materials. However, money can’t pass out those campaign materials for you.  Money can’t write letters to the editor about why you should be elected. Money can’t put a sign in its yard to promote you. And money can’t knock on a person’s door and inform him/her about your candidacy. But friends can. Fundraising is definitely important in any campaign, but friendraising is just as, if not more effective.  So don’t count yourself out just because you don’t have the funds. Your community needs you.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority Kansas and The Kentucky 9/12 Project is pleased to announce an Activist/Candidate Training will be conducted on Saturday, February 12th in Lexington, KY to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place at the Lexington Convention Center located at 430 W. Vine Street in Lexington, KY from 8:30am to 4:00pm.  Registration opens at 8:00am.  The cost is $27 when you pre-register online.  Seats may be limited so please reserve your space today.

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

The Candidate Training Program:
- Everything from the basics and where do you start, to mapping out a detailed strategies
- Comprehensive look at fundraising and learn how to raise money effectively
- From Phone calls, door knocking to how to leverage social networks

The Citizen Activist Training Program:
- How to recruit good principled candidates and get them elected
- Insure no one steals an election at the ballot box
- Building an effective coalition with political power and influence

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Lunch will be provided.

To register for this event please go to http://elections.eventbrite.com/

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Jessica at 913-940-7398 or e-mail Jessica@AmericanMajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

* Topics are subject to change.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority Kansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Saturday, February 26^th in McDonough, Georgia to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place in Room A of the Henry County Parks & Recreation Building located at 99 Lake Dow Road in McDonough from 10:30am-3:00pm.  Registration opens at 10:15am.  The cost is $25 if you pre-register online by February 15^th and $30 at the door.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics to be covered during the Training include:

• The System We Face — An in-depth look at the system we’re in, the problems we’re faced with, how we got here, and what we can do about it.
• Precinct Power — Learn how to organize and impact campaigns on a precinct level, and the practical steps to campaigning or being an effective campaign volunteer.
• Grassroots Action — Building Coalitions, Mobilizing Volunteers, Reaching Your Community and Holding Government Accountable.
• Patriot 2.0 — Advocating Liberty Online through Blogs, Wiki Projects, Facebook and Twitter.

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Lunch will be provided.

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Jessica Bradford at (913) 940-7398 or Beka Romm at (913) 940-7369 or e-mail Jessica@AmericanMajority.org or Rebekah@AmericanMajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

Just recently, I was speaking with an activist regarding the Tea Party group that he leads.  When I asked how things were going, more specifically, how he was doing, he responded with this statement:

“I just can’t do this anymore. I was against the status quo when it wasn’t cool to be.  I’ve been working hard for two years and we’re worse off now than we’ve ever been. I’m exhausted.”

This comment really troubled me, especially when I heard similar responses from other activists that I spoke with soon after.  So this week, instead of offering up campaign tips as I routinely do in my blogs, I’d like to take a break and encourage anyone that may be feeling discouraged in their efforts.

So many of you have spent countless hours at meetings, rallies, doing door-to-door campaigning or phone calling for candidates, or even attending American Majority trainings.  And now you’re burnt out because you don’t see the fruits of your labor.  Trust me – you will see them.  You may not feel as though you are making a difference, but I assure you – people are noticing.

It is a critical time for liberty-minded activists in this nation.  There are 36 days left until Election Day.  Now is not the time to let your batteries run down.  Now is the time to recharge and work even harder than you have been.  It is the only way that you will be able to reap the benefits of your efforts.  Giving up now would only mean that all of your hard would have been in vain.

In the spirit of the upcoming elections occurring during football season, it’s only appropriate to take a lesson from football great Vince Lombardi who once stated,

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

Thank you to all of you who have worked so hard over the past two years.  I ask that you continue to do so because the fight is not over yet.

• PORTRAYING THE RIGHT IMAGE

In order to maintain credibility, the candidate needs to look and sound like he or she is comfortable and in control.  This is why it is so important that the candidate avoid nervous behavior, such as using filler words and phrases and uncomfortable body language during the interview.  When a candidate crosses his or her arms or fiddles around with their fingers, whatever the case may be; it gives off the impression that the candidate is insecure.  This is never a good image to portray.  It helps if the candidate “talks with their hands.”  This helps to emphasize what they are saying which makes them look more comfortable, makes those watching feel more comfortable, and gives them something to do with their hands that benefits their body language.   Also, the candidate should always speak in a clear, firm voice, and look directly at the reporter.

• SIMMER DOWN NOW

A candidate should never do an interview or speak when he or she is angry.  When a person is angry, they tend to say things that they wouldn’t otherwise say.  This doesn’t mean the candidate shouldn’t speak from the heart.  When a candidate speaks passionately about an issue, the voter takes him or her more seriously.  However, a candidate doesn’t have to be angry in order to speak passionately.  It is always best to calm down first and then do the interview.

“A word once let out of the cage cannot be whistled back again.” – Horace

• THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

If the interview is going to be viewed by the voters, the candidate should request to choose where the interview is going to take place.  He or she should keep in mind his or her environment during the interview.  It’s important to think about the background that will be seen by the viewers.  Candidates should pick a backdrop that could potentially further the message that the candidate is trying to get across.

• KNOW THE SUBJECT MATTER

The candidate should know everything that there is to know about the subject matter to be talked about during the interview.  They should have a list of talking points in their heads about what they want to get across in the interview.  It helps to practice answering questions with family members and campaign supporters before it is actually time to do the interview.  However, the candidate shouldn’t sound rehearsed – just concise and to the point.  It’s better for the candidate if the reporter doesn’t have to think too hard about what the candidate was saying.

• SPEAK TO THE VOTER

The reporter may be the one asking the questions, but the voter is the one that will be reading and/or hearing what the candidate is saying.  During the interview, the candidate should speak towards their base and to swing voters, not toward the reporter.

• BE POSITIVE

The candidate should frame everything he or she says in a positive light.  Reporters will look for controversy in the candidate’s statements, so it’s important for the candidate to steer clear of being dramatic and/or negative in his or her statements.

• DON’T ANSWER WHAT ISN’T ASKED OF YOU

The candidate should refrain from answering questions that aren’t asked of them.  Candidates often hear one question when another is asked.  This is especially true of new, inexperienced candidates.  Many times candidates will continue to talk on and on and fall victim to a little thing I like to call, “word vomit.”  This can get a candidate into trouble.  Candidates should keep their answers short and to the point.  Most importantly, they should stay on message and not let the reporter pull them off of that message.

• “OFF THE RECORD, SCHMOFF THE RECORD”

Candidates should avoid going “off the record.”  At the end of the day, a reporter is a reporter, and his or her well being depends upon the quality of the story they produce.  If the candidate says something while “off the record” that would make the story a much better sell, don’t be surprised if it’s a headline the next day.

I was recently asked by a former American Majority training attendee how he could use twitter in order to grow his organization and make it more effective.  This is something that quite a few activists I’ve encountered have had questions about.  Many people know what twitter is and the basics of how to use it; but so many fail to realize what an effective FREE tool this social networking site can be for their organization.

Many times during my trainings when I present the idea of using twitter for political purposes I see eyes roll and hear mild scoffs.  However, when used in the right manner, twitter can do great things for your grassroots organization.  Below are a few simple ways that you can benefit your group, your candidate, and the liberty movement easily and at no cost:

• STEP 1: CREATE A TWITTER PAGE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

When creating this twitter page, be sure the username for the page is the same or similar to the name of the organization.  Twitter allows you to have a username of up to 15 characters.  If your group’s name is longer than that, you might have to get creative in coming up with a similar, but shorter name.  The name needs to be similar to the actual name of the group so that people searching on twitter for your organization can find it easily.

• STEP 2: BUILD THE INFO

Before you start finding followers, you need to build up the information portion of your page.  You want to make sure that those visiting your page will know what your organization is about so that they will know whether they want to receive your group’s tweets or not.  To do this, sign in to your twitter page and click “settings” in the upper right-hand corner.  This will bring up the account settings portion of your settings options.  On the settings option bar, click “profile.”  Here, you will have the option to upload an image or graphic that represents your organization.  You will also have the option to enter the full name of your organization, your organization’s location, your group’s website, and a short bio about your organization (no more than 145 characters).

• STEP 3: FIND FOLLOWERS

Be creative when trying to find followers and promote your group’s page.  If the organization has handouts, a website, or business cards, put the group’s twitter information on them.  Another good way to initially gain followers is by following people in the community that you think might be interested in your organization.  When you choose to follow somebody, they will receive a notification in their email informing them.  When they see that there is a like-minded organization following them, they will likely choose to follow that organization’s twitter updates.

• STEP 4: TWEET TO BOOST ATTENDANCE

Tweet all meetings with times and locations multiple times so that people following the group are reminded of when the next meetings are going to be.  Do the same with any events that the group may host or attend.  Also, tweet links and summaries of news articles and blogs that would be relevant to the movement and the group’s members and followers.

• STEP 5: TWEET USING #HASHTAGS

When tweeting, use hashtags as much as possible when it is relevant.  Hashtags are words that are used in tweets to describe the subject or topics at hand.   A few good hashtags to keep in mind while tweeting are #tcot, #tlot, , #teaparty, #tpp, #912, and #majority (used by people who believe that WE are the majority in America).  The benefit to using hashtags in your tweets is that the more a hashtag is used, the higher it appears on “trending topics” which is viewed by all twitter users.  It also provides a link on your tweets for your followers to click and view every tweet that has used that particular hashtag.  This allows your group’s followers access to a large group of like-minded twitter users.   You can also create your own hashtag for your group and encourage group members to use it in their tweets to further promote your organization.

• STEP 5: RT’ing & TWEETING @TWEEPLE

“RT” stands for “re-tweeting.”  Re-tweeting is best described as taking a twitter message someone else has posted, and rebroadcasting that same message to your followers. When tweeting this message, you typically give credit to the original poster.  Re-tweeting is a great way to promote an organization, person, or message to your followers.

When you tweet at “@somebody” you are tweeting a message towards a person.  This also helps to promote that particular individual to your organization’s followers.  This can be very effective if your group chooses to support a specific candidate during an election.  By tweeting a positive message at a candidate, your group can promote that candidate to all of its followers.  It also provides your followers a link to access that candidate’s twitter page so that they can check him/her out for themselves.  The organization should also tweet at other organizations that they want to promote.  To do this, simply type an “@” sign before the person or group’s twitter username (with no spaces) and then type the message before or after that.

• STEP 6: #FOLLOWFRIDAY

There is a twitter trend on Fridays that allows people to promote others on twitter that they think their followers should also follow. It is called follow Friday.  If there are members of the group that are particularly good about updating twitter with information that would be relevant to the organization or the movement, you can tag them in follow Friday.  The follow Friday hashtag is either #ff or #followfriday.  A sample follow Friday tweet would look something like this, “@twitteruser1 @twitteruser2 @twitteruser3 @twitteruser4 @twitteruser5  are all on fire for the liberty movement! Check them out! #followfriday.”

• LAST STEP: UPDATE FREQUENTLY

Make sure that you are updating your group’s twitter page on a regular basis, preferably multiple times a day.  Not everybody keeps twitter open on their computer or cell phone all day long (though some of us addicts might).  This is why updating frequently is so necessary.  The more frequently you update your group’s page, the more likely your tweets are to reach a broader group of your followers while they are checking twitter.

Please, don’t allow yourself to discount twitter as just another way to procrastinate online.  It can be an AMAZING tool for your liberty-minded organization if you simply take a little time out of your day to follow the steps I’ve outlined above.  And the best part is that it’s FREE!  We’ve all heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”  That may be true; but I’m here to tell you that there is such a thing as free advertising, and it’s called twitter!

Everyone has fallen victim to it before – the candidate that promises the world and, once elected, delivers nothing.  There is nothing more disappointing than voting for a candidate that you believe in and being let down by their lack of follow-through once in office.  What do you as a citizen do in this situation?  Enforce accountability! Whether you are trying to hold your elected officials accountable for promises they made while campaigning or for not properly standing for the beliefs of those they are supposed to represent, there are ways to ensure that they respond to you as a voter.  The best way to do this is by knowing how to most effectively communicate with your representatives.

The first step is finding out how exactly your representatives prefer to be contacted.  Some representatives may never answer their phone or return calls; but if you send them an email, you will receive a response in minutes.  Others may be very easy to contact via phone or letter, but they can’t figure out how to open an email to save their life.  These are all things that you must keep in mind when contacting your representatives with your concerns.

• LETTERS/EMAILS

When writing letters and emails to your representatives, it is very important to sound as genuine as possible.  Be you in the letter or email, and relay to them how the issue that you are writing about has affected you personally.  We’ve all received emails from friends and family telling us to mail or email the attached letter to our representatives.  However, a letter or email is given much more credibility if it is not an obvious effort that was orchestrated by one person.  If you are organizing an effort such as this, encourage people to put their own personal message in the letter or email before sending it to their representative.

If you are having trouble getting a response with your letters or emails, it may be time to include the media in your efforts.  Simply writing a letter to the editor explaining the situation and the lack of response by your representative can make a huge difference.  No representatives want to see their name in the paper being referred to in a way that reflects negatively upon them.  It is important to note, however, that you must be very careful when including the media in an effort such as this.  Do not let yourself write a nasty letter that viciously attacks the representative.  It is very easy to lose credibility when you let your anger and frustration get the best of you, especially in a public effort such as this.

• FACE-TO-FACE

Meeting with an elected official face-to-face can be an extremely effective way of communicating your views to your representatives.  When your representatives think about their district, you don’t want them to see a portion of a map with a border around it.  You want them to see the people, the personal stories, and the lives that they affect every time they cast a vote.  The best way to ensure this is by attending committee meetings and sessions.  In order to speak at these meetings, simply contact the secretary of the committee chair and ask to be put on the agenda.  It is also smart to provide the secretary with the testimony that you plan on giving beforehand.  This ensures that even those who are on the committee but not present at the meeting will still be exposed to what you have to say when the agenda is sent to them.

Attending city council and school board meetings is another very effective way of communicating face-to-face with those who represent you.  As we learned in a recent post by Beka Romm, it is essential for citizens to attend these meetings in order to hold our local government accountable.  These officials are much more likely to “behave themselves” when the citizens are watching and actively engaged in the process.  If appropriate, use your like-minded organization to back you up when sharing your views at these meetings.  Not only does it show the council or board that you are not the only citizen who feels a certain way about a particular issue; but it is also a good way to raise awareness about your organization and grow your group to potential new members that may also be in attendance.

• KNOW YOUR STUFF!
  

It is essential to the credibility of your argument or opinion to be as knowledgeable as possible about whatever issue you are concerning yourself with.  Assert yourself as an expert or valuable source to your representatives.  If it is evident that you have done your research, you and your argument will be taken much more seriously.  Some representatives will actually take the letters or emails that they receive from constituents into committee meetings and sessions and use them as a reference when arguing for or against legislation.  If your representatives are going up to bat for you and using the information that you provided them with, lend them credibility by checking your facts and doing your research.

If you are unhappy with your representatives’ behavior, hold them accountable for their actions, or lack thereof, by communicating your concerns to them in an effective manner that will be responded to.



Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority Kansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Monday, September 13 in Lincoln, Nebraska to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.  This training is co-sponsored by Americans for Prosperity – Nebraska.

The political training will take place at the Eisley Public Library located at 1530 Superior Street in Lincoln from 5:30pm-7:00pm.  Registration opens at 5:00pm. To pre-register, please call Kurt Hammond at (402) 972-5970 or e-mail khammond@afphq.org.

Topics to be covered during the Training include:

• Hardwiring Precincts and Effective Campaigning (learn how to organize and impact campaigns on a precinct level, and the practical steps to campaigning or being an effective campaign volunteer)
• Holding Government Accountable (how to hold leaders accountable once they are in office)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools and wiki projects)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Kurt Hammond at (402) 972-5970 or e-mail khammond@afphq.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

A campaign team is made up of everyone that helps in your efforts to get elected.  Choosing the right people for your team is vital to the success of your campaign.

CHOOSING YOUR CAMPAIGN TEAM:

• The Structure

When setting up your campaign team, you must first come up with a campaign structure.  You want to have a main campaign committee with members that oversee other members of the campaign team.  Your campaign committee should be relatively small because every member of this committee should feel comfortable to speak openly in front of every other member.  The committee should consist of the campaign manager, treasurer, and other individuals that oversee a specific portion of the campaign.  These are going to be your “insiders”.  You want only enough of these insiders to cover the campaign activities that you have decided to do.  Keep in mind that not all campaign activities occur at the same time, so it is often possible to have more than one task assigned to a single committee member.  However, don’t allow somebody to be overcommitted.  You don’t want any part of your campaign efforts to be slacked on.  When choosing this group of insiders, you must be sure that they are people that will be candid with you.  You must be able to receive criticism from them.  You will not make any progress as a candidate if you surround yourself with people that will only flatter you.

The rest of your campaign team that is not a part of this inside committee will consist of one or more people to oversee letters to the editor, canvassing, clerical work, brochures, the media, lawn signs, phone banks, fund-raising, get out the vote, direct mail, online efforts, and volunteer workers.  This can be left up to the discretion of the candidate.  The inside campaign committee will oversee the efforts of those that are a part of this portion of the campaign team as well as any other outside volunteers.

• Selecting the Treasurer

When selecting your campaign treasurer, you must choose somebody that will lend credibility to your campaign.  Remember that the name of your treasurer will appear on every campaign publication.  Be sure that the person is qualified and trustworthy.

• Selecting the Campaign Manager:

The campaign manager is the most important position in a campaign.  This is one position that is more open-ended than any other and requires many more responsibilities and time commitments than any other campaign position.  This is why it is often one of the only, if not the only, paid position on the staff.  The campaign manager will likely interact with voters and volunteers more than any other position on your team.  For this reason, you should choose somebody with great communication skills.  It is also extremely necessary for your campaign manager to be very organized, as they will be overseeing a great deal of the campaign and campaign team.

MANAGING YOUR CAMPAIGN TEAM:

• Meeting Frequency

Once your campaign starts, try to meet with your inside committee at least once a week for about an hour at a time.  Try to meet with the rest of your campaign team almost as frequently as you are meeting with your inside committee.  Obviously, the further into the campaign the committee gets, the more frequently the group will have to meet.  This is why you must make it clear to those who have agreed to help you in your efforts that there is a major time commitment that they must be willing to make.

• Respecting Your Team

You want your campaign team to be loyal and to respect you.  In order for this to happen, you have to be loyal and respect them in return.  This is why it is incredibly important to always keep them informed about anything noteworthy that occurs during the campaign.  Never allow your campaign team to hear about something from the news or outside sources that they should have heard from the candidate.

• Meeting Logistics

Give your committee members campaign packets with sets dates and deadlines as well as an outline for the goals and tasks to be accomplished throughout the campaign.  Also, include job descriptions so that every member knows exactly what is expected of them.

Always, always, always provide agendas at your meetings.  It is so easy for a group of like-minded people to get off track during a meeting because chatting is sometimes more appealing than getting work done.  Having an agenda at every meeting will help to keep the group on track and focused.  Beginning and ending your meetings on time will also help the group to stay focused.  When people know there is a deadline for getting something accomplished, they are much more likely to push chatting aside and do work.

Once your campaign team members have chosen volunteers to help them in their specific efforts, make sure that you keep track of their progress by having them give weekly reports to the rest of the campaign team and inside committee members.

REMEMBER – The function of the campaign team is to serve as a support group for the candidate and a primary source of expertise for the campaign.  The caliber of the campaign team can make or break a candidate’s ability to be elected.  And choosing a high quality campaign team is only half the battle.  You must be able to manage your team, keep them focused, and maintain their respect and loyalty in doing so.

Campaign brochures are a fundamental part of any campaign.  They serve as an introduction of the candidate to potential voters by providing them with photos that illustrate what the candidate is about and information that identifies why the candidate should be elected.  Candidates should put a great deal of thought into creating their campaign brochures because it is the tangible impression and message of the candidate that each voter will take with them.

Before You Get Started: There are a few very important things that you need to have prepared before you begin creating your campaign brochure:

• SLOGAN

Having a slogan can be extremely beneficial to a campaign.  It is a great way to raise recognition for the candidate.  However, you shouldn’t invent one just to have one.  Having a bad slogan can hurt your campaign much more than not having one at all.  The campaign slogan needs to reinforce the messages that the candidate is trying to get across in the campaign.  Effective slogans stem from messages that are about the voters and their communities, not the candidate.   The slogan needs to serve as an umbrella statement that briefly summarizes the main idea behind each of the candidate’s main goals.  This way the candidate can keep consistent with his/her message while still promoting each individual issue they feel strongly about.  Before settling on a campaign slogan, the candidate and his/her team needs to look at all the ways the slogan could be used against them.  Once the slogan is chosen, it should be used on all campaign materials, including the campaign brochure, to broaden the reach of the candidate’s overall message.

• LOGO

A campaign logo is another great way to reinforce a candidate’s message and raise recognition about a candidate.  It is also another instance where consistency is vital.  Whether the logo is a creative way to write the candidate’s name or a graphic that represents the candidate, it needs to be the same on the campaign brochure as it is on the lawn signs, website, etc.  Repetition and consistency will make the candidate memorable and you want the candidate to be remembered at the polls.

The Brochure Itself:

• PICTURES

Most campaign brochures contain at least one picture of the candidate.  It makes the voter feel more familiar with a candidate and a voter is much more likely to vote for someone that they are familiar with than someone they are not.  Everyone has heard the age-old saying, “A picture’s worth a thousand words.”  It’s important for the pictures that are used in the campaign brochure to say more than just, “This is what the candidate’s face looks like.”  The pictures should speak to the candidate’s message as well.  It is a smart idea to have the candidate shown in the pictures that are used working towards the goals he/she professes to have.

Also, show the diversity of the candidate’s community in the photos.  I call this the act of using “validators.”  A validator is a person or group of people shown in a photo with the candidate that serves to give the “go ahead” to similar groups of people to vote for the candidate.  They can be groups or individuals of all ages, ethnicities, working classes, professions, and genders.  For example, if the candidate feels strongly about education and therefore wants to specifically target the young voter population, the candidate might want have a photo on the brochure of him/her talking to a group of students on a college campus.  And if a candidate is shown meeting with local farmers in the community, the candidate may be perceived to care strongly about agriculture as well.  Validators can give campaign brochure pictures a great deal of voice.  It’s important for these pictures not to look amateurish, though.  And the candidate also must be aware of what he/she is wearing in these pictures.  If the candidate is wearing the same outfit in every picture, it is obvious to the voter that the pictures were taken as a contrived effort to look diverse.  Also, before using any picture, be aware of absolutely everything in the picture.  You don’t want to find out after the brochures have already been printed and handed out that there was something in the background of the picture that may jeopardize the credibility of the candidate.

Side-note:  While you’ve got you photographer handy, have a respectable looking picture taken of the candidate that can be used for all media purposes.  Provide your local newspaper with the candidate’s own photo.  Otherwise, the newspaper will generate their own.  You never want to risk the candidate showing up in the paper with his/her mouth half open and eyes closed.

• CONTENT

This is the portion of the brochure that gives the candidate the opportunity to spell out why they should be elected.  If the candidate has previously held office, the brochure should underscore past accomplishments and activities.  However, the candidate does not need to put his/her entire resume on the brochure.  Keep it to a small number of relevant qualifications.  If you can, use testimonials to get the candidate’s message out.  To obtain testimonials, identify people who support the candidate and might participate in the brochure and then try to balance age, gender, etc.

As anyone who has ever received an email, text message, letter, etc. from me can tell you, I am the queen of using exclamation points!!!  However, this is one of those instances where I will say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Avoid using exclamation points as much as possible.  It looks cheesy and makes voters think the campaign is more about the candidate than the message that the candidate is trying to get across.

Not only should the brochure promote the candidate and his/her qualifications, but it should also give the voter an idea of why they shouldn’t be voting for the opposition.  This portion of the content should be dealt with carefully, though, because the focus of the brochure should still be on the candidate. Don’t spend too much time talking about the negatives of the opponent. Also, be careful not to go overboard when “going negative.”  If you are unsure about how to differentiate between being “too negative” and simply pointing out differences, please read “How to ‘Go Negative’ Without Getting Nasty.”

• LAYOUT

The layout can make a huge difference in how the brochure is perceived by the voter.  Use pictures as a way to break up the text and give the brochure a substantive feel.  Don’t put an overwhelming amount of text on the brochure.  The point of creating the brochure is for voters to read it, and voters are less likely to read a long narrative; so put your information in bullets or break it apart in other ways.  Brochures should be viewed as advertisements for your candidate, so they must also be eye catching and be able to create a positive feeling or reaction in the voter within seconds of viewing.  If you are completely new to designing campaign brochures, it might be helpful to look at previous candidate’s brochures to get an idea for what kind of layout you want.

Side-note: Consider using a heavier type of paper for the brochure so that you can more easily shove them into doorjambs.

If the candidate is willing to put the time, money, and forethought that is necessary into creating a campaign brochure, the response from the voters will be well worth the effort.



This event has been cancelled- please contact Jessica Bradford at (913) 940-7398, Jessica@AmericanMajority.org for information about rescheduling.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority Kansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Sunday, October 10 in Atlanta, Georgia to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place at TWELVE Hotel & Residences Centennial Park located at 400 West Peachtree Street in Atlanta from 2:00pm-5:00pm.  Registration opens at 1:30pm.  The cost is $25 if you pre-register online by October 1^st and $30 at the door.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics to be covered during the Training include:

• Hardwiring Precincts and Effective Campaigning (learn how to organize and impact campaigns on a precinct level, and the practical steps to campaigning or being an effective campaign volunteer)

• Holding Government Accountable (how to hold leaders accountable once they are in office, and reaching your community about issues or causes)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools and wiki projects)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Refreshments will be provided.

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Jessica Bradford at (913) 940-7398 or Beka Romm at (913) 940-7369 or e-mail Jessica@AmericanMajority.org or Rebekah@AmericanMajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

Lawn signs may seem like a very minor component of a campaign.  However, they can be extremely effective in an election if utilized correctly.  If you want to get the most out of the money you invest into lawn signs, you need to have a strategy behind the lawn sign portion of your campaign.  The following is a list of a few guidelines to effective lawn sign utilization.  To make it easy for you to remember each piece of advice, I’ve attempted to be creative and associate every guideline with a popular movie title, because everybody loves movies, right?

• “THE PERFECT STORM”

Everyone likes to save money when they can, especially in a political campaign.  However, we’ve all heard the saying “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”  So, lawn signs are not the best place to cut corners.  Make sure that you have your lawn signs made out of weather proof material.  Going with the cheap stuff may be good for your campaign in the short term, but the second some bad weather hits, those signs will do you no good.  You need to ensure your investment in signs will last the duration of most of the election season.

• “I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER”
  

Location is extremely important when putting out lawn signs.  If you’ve run for office in the past, target the areas that you placed your signs in previously and record where you are placing them in this election.   If you haven’t run before, try to get a hold of the locations that were used previously that were effective before your opponent can get to them and record locations for future elections.  This works better for primaries than in the general because many of the locations might be private property of like-minded individuals.  Knowing where you put all of your signs can also help when checking and maintaining your signs.   Keeping accurate records of what you did last summer (in terms of campaigning) can save you a lot of unnecessary work.

• “THE UGLY TRUTH”
  

Just as people form judgments about a person’s character based on their appearance, they also make judgments about a candidate based on their lawn signs.  A lawn or field sign that is ripped, covered in mud, or bent over onto the ground doesn’t reflect well on the candidate.  Yes – lawn signs can be high maintenance, but if you make them durable and check and maintain them regularly, the payoff in the end will be worth the trouble.

• “LAW ABIDING CITIZEN”

Know the rules and follow them!  Every place has different regulations for when you can begin putting out your signs and where you are allowed to place them.  Simply call your county clerk’s office to find out what these regulations are.  Also, inform your supporters to heed the regulations.  Not only do you need to pay attention to when and where signs can be put out, but you also need to pay attention to when they need to be taken down.  Get a team of volunteers together after the election is over to take down all of your signs.  This is another instance where your record of sign locations comes in handy!

• “BEHIND ENEMY LINES”

Lawn signs are not used to persuade voters – they are used to activate voters.  They are a great way to increase name or issue recognition in an area that will support you anyway.  Unfortunately your lawn sign cannot debate the issues with passersby.  This is why placing signs in enemy territory can sometimes do more harm than good.  Encourage supporters that live in areas of like-minded people or swing voters to put out lawn signs.  Do everything you can to remind those people of who is running and when they should vote.  However, if your supporters live in “enemy territory”, surrounded by voters that do not see eye-to-eye with you or your supporters, putting out a lawn sign can be a poor decision.  Just as many of us are stubborn in our beliefs and who we support; those on the opposite side of the spectrum are as well.  If someone’s mind is already made up about whom they want to put in office, seeing a lawn sign for a different candidate isn’t going to change their mind.  All it causes is irritation and reminds them that there are people voting for a different candidate, which, in turn, activates them to advocate more for their candidate.

• “GUILT BY ASSOCIATION”

There are a lot of shallow voters out there.  Some people just don’t want to do the research to see where each candidate stands on the issues, especially when it comes to local elections.  As unfortunate as this reality may be, it can be used to the advantage of your lawn sign campaign.  Strategically placing your signs near those of candidates running for higher office whose beliefs you align yourself with can give passersby a relatively good idea of where you stand.  Many people that plan on voting will at least have some idea of where a candidate for Governor, U.S. Congress, or Senate stands on certain issues; so when someone sees your sign next to theirs, they will associate you with those same values.  This strategy can work to your benefit, but it can also work against you.  Be aware of the signs that are located around yours because you don’t want voters associating you with ideologies that you do not represent.

These are all very simple, commonsense ways to make the lawn sign portion of your campaign more effective.  As small and insignificant as these suggestions may seem, they really can make a huge impact.  See, Hollywood is good for something isn’t it?

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority Kansas is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Saturday, October 2 in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.  This training is sponsored by the Kentucky 9/12 Project.

The political training will take place at the Drawbridge Hotel & Convention Center located at 2477 Buttermilk Pike in Fort Mitchell from 8:00am-4:30pm.  Registration opens at 7:30am.  To register, please use the button below.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics to be covered during the Training include:

• The System (an in-depth look at the system we’re in, the problems we’re faced with, how we got here, and what we can do about it)
• Hardwiring Precincts and Effective Campaigning (learn how to organize and impact campaigns on a precinct level, and the practical steps to campaigning or being an effective campaign volunteer)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write effective letters to the editor, opinion editorials and blogs, using social networking tools and wiki projects)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.  Meals are included.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Beka Romm at (913) 940-7369 or e-mail Rebekah@AmericanMajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.