Preface

Part I: The Presidential Election Campaign

When the Founding Fathers designed a system for electing Presidents they had no idea how crazy the system would become. It was generally thought that most elections would be decided in the House of Representatives. Only prominent people like some of the heroes among the Founding Fathers were expected to win an election in the Electoral College.

The Electoral College was a way in which the states would have a voice in the election of a President. States are represented in the Electoral College according to their total number of representatives in the legislative branch. In other words, a state like Kentucky has six Representatives and two Senators; this means that Kentucky has eight electoral votes.

This system was designed before political parties originated. It was also before very many people had the right to vote. Until the 1820's most states chose their electors in the state legislatures. In the 1820's and 1830's, a political reform movement swept the country and led to several changes in how we nominated and elected a President. The most important of these changes were the extension of the right to vote to the common man and the national convention system of nominating candidates for President.

Since the Electoral College did not work in 1824 (John Quincy Adams was elected by the House), the supporters of Andrew Jackson went to work on the state level and got the vote extended to the common man and they also got most states to allow the Electors to be elected by popular vote. Most states made the rule which still exists in nearly every state. This rule says that whichever candidate gets a plurality of the vote in a state gets all of the electoral vote of that state.

The second Jacksonian reform of the Presidential election system was the National Convention to nominate a candidate. Starting in 1836, both major parties started having national conventions. (This idea was stolen from the Anti-Mason Party.) The political parties were allowed to choose their own method of selecting delegates to the National Convention. Usually Party regulators and elected public officials dominated the conventions in each party. This method continued throughout the Nineteenth Century.

In the early Twentieth Century, during the Progressive period, a new system of selecting Convention delegates emerged. While it was only established in a few states, this method would eventually become the dominant method by the 1970's. This new method was the Presidential Primary. Today, the overwhelming majority of the delegates to both party conventions are chosen by this method. Hubert Humphrey, in 1968, was the last nominee of either party to win the nomination without entering the primaries. It is this long and drawn out primary system that has made the U.S. Presidential contest the longest and most confusing in the Western World. Add the Electoral College system to this and this gives us a system few people in the general population will ever completely comprehend.

It is now time to include an Electoral College map followed by a detailed explanation of how the system works. Explanation of the Electoral College: The number of representatives are determined by the total number of representatives that state has in Congress (Senate and House). For example, KY has 6 Representatives and 2 Senators; therefore 8 electoral votes.

The presidential election should be viewed as 51 separate elections for electoral votes. (50 States and D.C.) The key to victory is to win enough votes to total 270 (a majority of the total of 538) electoral votes. The candidate who wins the most votes in a state gets all the electoral votes of that state.

Spring of election year: Each political party chooses electors and alternates in each state according to the number of electors for that state. This is usually done at a state convention.

NOMINATION PROCESS

To be able to compete in the Electoral College race, one first must win the nomination of their party. This process is a combination of primaries, caucuses, and conventions which take place between the first caucus in Iowa in February to the last primary in June. Great emphasis is placed on the early caucuses and primaries since these early tests determine if a candidate has any popular appeal. If a candidate does well in Iowa and New Hampshire, they might be well on their way to their party's nomination. If they falter in either of these, their ability to raise money is hurt and they might have to drop out of the race. Since California has moved it's primary from June to March, California has become more important. Republicans elect around 2000 delegates and Democrats elect over 4000. A Majority is needed to win the nomination and by tradition, each presidential candidate gets to pick their funning mate. This choice is always ratified by the convention.

Each party writes a platform on issues the party stands for. Candidates may or may not support the platform. Most of the money each candidate spends is spent on television advertisement. Since 1976, there has always been a series of debates between the two leading candidates. Sometimes third parties are also included. (Perot, 1992 & 1996)

No attempt to cover all aspects of the campaign will be made here. I'm sure you all remember the 1996 campaign. The one remaining subject I want to briefly address is campaign financing. The 1974 Campaign Finance Law is very long and complicated. Here are a few of the basic rules:

Primary Financing: To qualify for matching public funds, a candidate must raise at least $5,000 in 20 states in contributions of $250 or less. Only contributions of $250 or less are matched with public funds. Individuals are limited to $1000 per candidate per election and all contributions of $200 or more must be made public. The 1974 law limited the matching funds for primaries at $20 million and $30 million for the general election with increases for inflation. The 1996 figures were around $30 million for primaries and around $60 million for the general election. The general election amount is simply given to each campaign and matching money does not have to be raised. Anyone who spends their own money (Ross Perot) does not qualify for public funds. No limit can be placed on how much one can spend of their own money if they do not accept public money. For candidates who do accept public funds, their own personal limit to their own campaign is $50,000. The $50,000 includes the immediate family of the candidate. Other limitations include a $20,000 limit per individual to a national party. The total annual contribution from an individual for all candidates and elections cannot exceed $25,000.

The biggest unsolved problem with campaign spending is that there is very little control over the money Political Action Committees (PACS) and political parties spend as long as they are not connected or controlled by the campaign organization. In other words there is not limit on how much the Christian Coalition can spend promoting Republican candidates. There is also no limit on how much the state or national parties can spend promoting their own candidates. True spending limits and campaign reform will have to address these issues.

PART II: THE SUCCESSFUL POLITICIAN

History shows that most people who become successful in politics have several common characteristics. The purpose of this essay is to list, discuss, and give examples of the things successful politicians have in common.

1. The successful politician develops an interest in politics early in life.

Experience is the best teacher. When one starts getting involved in politics at a young age, one learns the tricks of the trade better than the late starter and also gets to know several people of importance who may be able to help with their political career later. Theodore Roosevelt is a good example of this characteristic since he started very early in New York local polotics.

2. The successful politician is a strong partisan.

Party politics began with Jefferson's organizing the National Democratic Republican Party in the 1970's. Since then, for most of the time there have been two strong political parties in the United States. The two party system has become as much a part of American Government as the Constitution, although the Constitution makes no mention of parties. One has little chance of success beyond the local level (where party mans least, because local issues are seldom party related) unless they are a member of one of the two big parties. Colin Powell as the Republican nominee would have a much greater chance to win than he would on a third party ticket. Teddy Roosevelt, one of the most popular presidents of all time, could not win on a third party ticket.

Being a member of a party offers several advantages. Here is a short list of the most important factors: a. One gets the automatic vote: 80 % of the Republicans always vote Republican and 68% of the Democrats always vote Democrat. (on the average) b. One gets the backing of the party organization. c. One gets the backing of the party money. d. One can also benefit from other candidates and leaders in the party speaking for them. e. One gets more publicity as a member of a major party.

3. The successful politician has developed regular voting habits early in life.

When one checks the list of presidents, only a handful did not participate in partisan politics for their entire adult life. Notable exceptions have been some of our military hero presidents like William Henry Harrison, Taylor, Grant, and Eisenhower. None of these are rated very highly for their performance in office because they lacked political experience. (8 Taylor never voted in his life until he ran for President. Harry Truman and Teddy Roosevelt never missed an election in their entire lives.

4. The successful politicians usually start out at the local level and work their way up the political ladder.

There are notable exceptions to this, but when one checks the background of most senators, representative, governors, and presidents, one usually finds they held lesser offices before they got to a high level. Lyndon Johnson started out as an aide to a congressman, then ran for Representative, then Senator, then Senate Majority Leader, Vice-President, and finally, President. Nixon held similar posts except for Majority Leader. In politics, like most other occupations, one seldom starts out at the top. Remember the people who help you on the way up. You owe them your support. Do not be guilty of the great sin of ingratitude in politics.

5. The successful politician usually does not change parties.

One normally starts out in one party, secures a following in that party, and remains a lifetime member. If one changes, they risk losing former support and they have to build a new following in the new party. Look at what happened to the once popular NYC Mayor, John Lindsay, when he changed from Republican to Democrat. We haven't heard of him since. John Connally, former Governor of Texas, did not have a very large following among Republican leaders after he changed from Democrat in the early 1970's. When one changes parties, it creates mistrust. Churchill is a notable exception since he changed parties twice.

6. The successful politician is usually friendly, lucky, and a hard worker.

The old saying about being in the "right place at the right time' needs an addition in politics. That addition would be know the right people. In politics, more than any other occupation, it is who you know that counts. Dee Huddleston knew Wendell Ford and J. R. Miller. Huddleston became a US Senator. Without this friendship, Huddleston would have never been elected. F. D. Roosevelt knew Al Smith. William McKinely knew Mark Hanna. Lincoln knew David Davis. Harry Truman knew FDR. The list goes on and on. One writer said "politics is friendship." In this writer's view, this is an excellent description of how it really is.

The above six general characteristics are only a few of the things it takes to be successful in politics. There are many others. The best advise one could give on planning to make politics a career is that they should become involved in (9 partisan politics, work hard for their party in every campaign, get to know as many people as possible, never miss voting in an election, and a attend all party meetings.

PART III: RUNNING FOR OFFICE

First of all, running for office requires total commitment. One must truly want to serve the public. In order to get this opportunity, one must be able to convince the voters that they would be better off if they voted to put you in office. This means that one must be prepared to put up with a lot of verbal and written abuse not only during the campaign, but also after serving in the office. Most feedback one gets while in office is negative. On rare occasions someone will tell you how glad they are that you are serving. Not everyone wins the first time out so be prepared to lose one or two elections before finally winning a race. Success in politics is judged by how many times one can come back from defeat. One politician said that "There is nothing more temporary than a political victory." For the determined, "there is nothing more temporary than a political defeat." As former Governor Happy Chandler used to say, "If you hit a dry hole, move your digger."

In today's political world, in order to win an election, one must have a relatively clean record. Remember, the higher the office, the more detailed the background investigation by the press and your political opponents. Childhood Halloween mischief can even come back to "haunt" you in a political campaign. Warren Harding was criticized for playing pool while in high school! Larry J. Sabato, in Campaigns and Elections, recommends that potential candidates ask themselves the following questions: "Are you a good public speaker? Do you like (10 meeting people? Can you think on your feet? Can you take criticism? Can you work under pressure? Can you handle frustration? Are you honest? Are you sure there are no skeletons rattling around in your closet?" If the answer is yes to each of these questions, you might have some of the skills necessary to run for office.

Sabato also recommends that before filing, ask yourself the following questions: "Can your health withstand several months of extreme stress and strain? Would your family support your bid for public office? Can you count on your friends and associates for help? Can you afford the time to campaign? What effect would a campaign have on your current job? Could you raise the money to properly finance a campaign? Are you willing to take the risk of losing?"

Sabato continues the questions concerning the office you are seeking: "What are the duties? The salary? The length of the term? What special skills or abilities could you bring to the office? Would you be happy serving in this capacity? Would there be any conflict with your other interests or regular occupation? Could you get the endorsement of the power-brokers in your party? If not, what are your chances of winning a primary without them? Do you have someone you can trust who could guide your campaign, or do you have the money to hire a professional campaign manager? Can this seat be won? Do you really want to win it?" I would add another very important question to this list and that is, Is now the time to do it?

Timing of a race can mean everything to a race. Why challenge an incumbent if that incumbent is going to retire after the next term. Unpopular incumbents are hard to beat. When I first filed for office, I was prepared to run against a person I perceived to be unpopular. I still believe that he was unpopular, but my race was made easy by the fact that the incumbent respected me enough to hand the office overt to me as long as no one else filed. I also found out later that he was waiting in the court house with his filing papers in case someone else filed. This meant that in a three person race the incumbent would probably win. The timing was right for me that time.

Once you have answered all the above questions properly, the single most important thing in any major campaign is putting together a good campaign organization. The size of this organization depends on the size of the population of the constituency you are running in. A campaign for governor or senator would require a larger organization than a county judge executive or mayor's race. Unless you are running for a very small office in a very small county, three essential people are needed. Even if you are running in a very small district, it would still be nice to have these people. These positions (11 include a campaign manager, treasurer, and finance chairperson. After describing the duties of these three people, I will suggest a number of other positions and include a sample campaign organization chart.

CAMPAIGN MANAGER

Besides the candidate, the campaign manager is the most important person in the campaign. This person should be a person of experience and have professional knowledge about the art of campaigning. The campaign manager handles the day-to-day planning, scheduling, and makes major decisions on issues and strategy. A wise candidate will hire a good manager and then let the person manage. Realizing that the candidate is really the "boss" of the campaign, the manager makes many of the major decisions. The manager also runs the campaign staff like a CEO runs a corporation. The big difference here is that a manager is working with a lot of volunteers and can not fire volunteers; however, incompetent volunteers can be shifted gracefully to insignificant positions. The manager must plan and control!

FINANCE CHAIRPERSON

The finance chair must be an expert in raising money. Remember, over ninety per cent of the time, the candidate who spends the most money wins the election. It is awkward for the candidate to solicit fund personally. Of course the candidate attends fundraisers, but it is better if an expert in fundraising plans these activities. In connection with the candidate and manager, a fundraising goal must be set and met. This person must be well versed on campaign finance laws and work closely with the treasurer to keep all the records straight and legal. Nothing will beat a candidate quicker than campaign finance violations.

TREASURER

The treasurer should be someone trained in the principles of accounting. A CPA would be excellent. The treasurer keeps the financial records and pays the bills. The treasurer will also file all the required financial reports required by campaign finance laws. Unlike the finance chair, the treasurer is out of the public eye.

These three positions along with the candidate form the core of any campaign. Depending on the size of the constituency, there can be anywhere from a few to several thousand others in the campaign organization. The following two pages are suggestions for a campaign organization for a state-wide campaign and a county-wide campaign. These are only two of many possible organizations. Keep in mind, the further down the line you (12 go, the more likely they are to be volunteers. Generally, very few people are on the campaign payroll. A responsible manager will supervise and make sure that each level of the campaign organization is working properly. If it is not, it is the manager's job to fix what is wrong. If people really believe in the candidate and the issues that the candidate stands for, the campaign organization should function properly.

CAMPAIGN TECHNIQUES

This section is a collection of various campaign techniques. They are not listed in any particular order of importance, but most of them are proven techniques that have worked in various campaigns.

CAMPAIGN CALENDAR: Every campaign must be planned. Most successful campaigns are planned months or even years in advance. The campaign calendar must be detailed from beginning to end. The military system of reverse planning works in campaigns. Start with the assumption of victory at the battle site (election day) and back up long enough to do the things that will lead you to that victory on election day. Remember, in most elections, and on your final exam paper, you will have to plan two campaigns: the primary and the general election. The strategy for winning and the primary may be very different from the general election.

SPEECH WRITING: A candidate does not have time to write every speech they deliver. Especially in a state-wide campaign, the candidate will be called on to deliver several specialty speeches on topics they might not be completely informed on, so a speech writer is very helpful. Even in routine speeches, they will come across better if well written. Many speeches in campaigns are spontaneous, but these are better if prepared and rehearsed. Former Vice-President Alben Barkley once said he needed three hours to prepare a three minute speech, but only three minutes for a three hour speech. A professional speech writer can be a big help in a campaign. Remember: organize, rewrite, and practice. If your audience agrees with you, start with your conclusion. If they do not, try to move them closer to your position by being persuasive in your speech.

DOOR TO DOOR CAMPAIGNING: This technique is a proven method of getting votes. If you are running in a small county or district, a candidate should plan to knock on every door. In (13 larger districts, this is of course impossible. Even in larger districts, selective door knocking is advisable. The word will spread through the neighborhood that you cared enough to come out in person and talk to people. Remember, this is time consuming. Knocking on 2,000 doors will require two hours per day for three months. Suggestions: Introduce yourself. Apologize for interrupting them. Do not argue. Leave a piece of campaign literature with your name on it. Do not campaign after dark. Do not campaign during major sporting events. Do not be too formal. Do not take notes while talking unless asked to write down something. Do not worry about doors that slam in your face.

THE SOCIAL PRECINCT: This appears on the campaign organizational chart and it is very important. The social precinct refers to various groups and individuals who have influence outside their geographic area. Opinion leaders in these groups can be recruited, made insiders to campaign, and used very effectively to gain contributions, workers, and votes. Every community h as a variety of groups. In Eastern Kentucky, this could be coal miners; in Northern Kentucky, it could be airport workers. Every community has teachers, lawyers, preachers, insurance people, policemen, etc. Opinion leaders in every group should be recruited to use their influence on a day to day basis to gain support. These people are not asked to do routine campaign work, but they have a lot of contacts and should be put on special mailing lists so they will be completely informed about the campaign. Also, seriously use them for advise in your campaign. Before announcing a major policy on education, consult with both school teachers and school administrators. Having support among various interest and occupational groups is vital to any campaign.

FOOT SOLDIER CAMPAIGN: This is a campaign technique described in Stephen C. Shadegg's The New How to Win an Election. In 1977, one of my former students, Charlotte Baldwin, was running for Mayor of Madisonville, Kentucky. I was on her campaign steering committee and in charge of direct mailing. She used the "foot soldier" campaign and beat a candidate who had severed twenty eight years as mayor. It works like this: A professional recruiter was hired to call frequent voters in each precinct. The caller kept on calling people in each precinct until enough volunteer workers were recruited to go door to door throughout the precinct and distribute campaign literature. Some of the people contacted agreed to do more than just distribute literature. Each volunteer received a letter from the candidate and was assigned a specific task and area to work. When it came time for the direct mail, I had a pool of workers I contacted to come and help stuff and seal the envelopes. It cost money to recruit the army of "foot soldiers" but it was money well spent. Paying a telephone recruiter yielded hundreds of free volunteers. This was probably the largest campaign (14 organization that was every put together in the city. Not only did this "army" work, but they also offered their yards for yard signs later in the campaign.

YARD SIGNS: Yard signs are expensive but necessary in almost any political campaign. Your supporters need to know they are not alone. Many times the yard signs will help create a "bandwagon effect." Many candidates are stupid when they select their colors for yard signs. Unusual colors attract attention. Green and white in the spring is bad choice. Red, white, and blue is a very popular color. Yard signs are more effective if they appear all at once. In the Baldwin campaign, we put them all up during the night and the city woke up one morning to find that every block in the whole city had yard signs. The opposition was stunned. If there is a shortage of yard signs, recruit great locations such as busy streets and corner lots. Use metal holders instead of wood. They stay up better. Also, send a thank you note to everyone who agrees to a yard sign. Also, tell them in the letter that is something should happen to the sign that they should call headquarters and a new one will be put up.

CAMPAIGN PHOTOGRAPHS: Any campaign literature or poster with the candidate's picture should be professionally done. This photograph will create an image in the voter's mind and it should be a good one. The candidate meeting with people or at work would be good. Put a facial picture on your small cards. A facial picture with the candidate's name should be on campaign stationary. Get several opinions before deciding which pictures to use.

CAMPAIGN LITERATURE: This is expensive but necessary. It should also be professionally done in a print shop. If you live in an area where the unions are strong, be sure to use a union print shop. People who do not belong to unions will not even notice, but union people will judge you on this little known feature of campaign literature. In the above described campaign, we threw away thousands of pieces of literature without the union label on the advise of the county Democratic Party Chairman. In coal country, the union was strong. This was good advise and we ended up with the endorsement of the local United Mine Workers of America leader. We also won the election.

MEDIA RELATIONS: Media relationships are vital to the success of any campaign. To avoid being misquoted, always prepare copies of major speeches for the press. Remember to have press conferences and news releases in time to meet press deadlines for newspapers and give TV stations time to edit before the evening news broadcast. Feed the media with positive stories about your campaign and your positions. Not all will make the news, but some will.

COMMERCIALS: Have a professional prepare your commercials. Remember not to be too negative. "Excessive negativism tends to repel voters." Remember also that if you want to explore an issue or a series of issues in detail, buying a thirty minute space on TV is about as cheap as purchasing a four or five one minute spots. If you feel you must sling mud, do not sling too much. The slinger always gets dirty. Balance any negative campaigning with a lot of positive things about yourself and your plans to make things better.

POLLING: Polling is something that should be done before you ever file for office. Find out what the people want. Polling is expensive. Make friends with a local political science professor who has students do polls and try to plant a couple of questions on the periodic survey. Professional polling is expensive. Properly done, volunteers can do the job in local campaigns, but make sure the questions and the questioners are unbiased. Any statewide campaign will require the services of a professional pollster.

VOTER REGISTRATION: All campaign workers and candidates should carry blank voter registration forms with them in case they run up on someone who is not registered to vote. Newly registered voters will frequently go vote for the person who got them registered.

FUNDRAISING: Almost any campaign, no matter how small will require fundraising to pay the campaign bills. This is the job of the campaign Finance Chairperson. There is an endless number of fundraising ideas. The best way to raise money is have the President of the US come to a fundraiser, invite a thousand people at a thousand dollars a person. This gets you a quick million in one night assuming that the food and location is donated. George Bush did this for Senator Mitch McConnell in 1990. Smaller campaigns require smaller ideas such as bean soup suppers, music concerts, receptions, or an event with one or more prominent politicians from the state or local level. Your campaign staff should know who the potential donors are and they should go after them. Always send thank you notes signed by the candidate to every donor.

DIRECT MAIL: Direct mail is expensive and should always be sued selectively. Early direct mail should also be directed toward fund raising and campaign workers. Direct mail late in the campaign should be to targeted frequent voters in the candidate's party. Sometimes a major campaign letter can be sent out at the last minute in a campaign, so the opposition does not have time to answer it before the election. This tactic was used very successfully in the previously described mayor's race in Madisonville.

BIG ISSUES WIN (OR LOSE) ELECTIONS: Remember the 1987 campaign the Wallace Wilkinson ran for Governor of Kentucky. His big issue was the lottery. Before the lottery issue, he was running fourth in a field of five. Bob Babbage's issue of free college for B average students did not fly in 1995. Be selective. If you can come up with a winning issue, do so. Poll the issue in advance and select a popular one.

UNIFY THE PARTY AFTER THE PRIMARY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION: Sometimes this requires swallowing a lot of pride, but you need all your primary opponents to win the general election. As soon as tempers cool after a hard-fought primary, start the healing process to unify your party for the fall campaign. This process is vital in nearly every campaign.

REORGANIZE FOR THE FALL CAMPAIGN: It is not good to completely reorganize a successful campaign organization, but sometimes it is politically smart to bring in some people from your opponent's campaigns to work in your campaign for the general election. Sometimes party Chairs do not take an active part in primaries, so it is vitally important to get these people on board for the general election. Sometimes this requires the creation of a new position of importance in the campaign organization.

DON'T LET THEM STEAL IT FROM YOU: Election day honesty is something one can take for granted. Have workers keep an eye on things to make sure all the election officers are doing their jobs properly. Sometimes candidates have to complain to the person responsible for the proper operation of the voting machines in order to get problems solved quicker. Even though vote buying is difficult and a Federal crime, it still happens.

VICTORY PARTY: This is something that always had to be planned in any campaign. It is an opportunity to say thank you in person to your campaign workers. Even is you suspect you may lose, not planning a victory party will send the wrong message to your whole campaign organization. Sometimes this party could end up being a concession speech, but if properly planned, timed, and financed your campaign will be successful.

NOW IT IS TIME TO SERVE: From day one, don't forget to start thinking about your re-election campaign four years from now.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sabato, Larry J. Campaigns and Elections. Scott, Foresman and Company, 1989.

Shadegg, Stephen C. The New How to Win an Election. Taplinger Publishing Co., New York, 1972.

Wayne, Stephen J. The Road to the White House. St. Martin's Press, New York, 1988.

Patterson, Thomas E. The American Democracy. McGraw-Hill, 1993.

Organizational Charts

Posted November 25, 1998
http://www.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/LCC/HIS/271/running.html