At the convention

I'm sitting in a workshop about how to run a successful campaign. Some good stuff in here:
* if you're in a heavy Democrat district, get more Republicans registered to vote
* if you want to beat an incumbent, you have to take risks
* the main job of the candidate is to raise money and convey their message
* contrast yourself from your component, but don't be negative
* recognize your and your opponents strengths and weaknesses right away

Lots of people here - hope to run into a lot of people I know. More later!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Filing week

This week is filing week. It's the last chance for candidates to come out of the woodwork to challenge incumbents (someone who currently holds the office) or try for an open seat (when someone who held the seat is not running for re-election).
This week could bring some huge surprises out. Some incumbents will breathe a sigh of relief on Friday, seeing they have no challengers. Already declared candidates will have a clear picture of who is running against them...so they can do opposition research.
This is a great (and very true) blog entry by Jim Camden at the Spokesman-Review: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2010/jun/05/8-simple-rules-candidates-thinking-running/.
Stay tuned as the excitement unfolds!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Committed

Last week I met up with Jason Hearn and his campaign manager. We discussed strategy, target voters, the calendar, goals, volunteers, and more. There's a lot to do in a campaign! Jason is very passionate about this race. He is driven to winning this race. He is a great candidate, he knows his issues, he's campaigned before and he's passionate about his community. Part of winning a race is the district. Part of it is the quality of the candidate. If the candidate proves they can work hard, and the timing is right, you can win a race. Again, this blog is called lessons in politics, so keep that in mind ;)
Anyway, I've committed myself to really helping Jason win this race. A lot of people think he can't do it. They said the same thing about Scott Brown! They also told Jason the same thing when he ran for city council. It's not going to be easy, but I believe in Jason. We're going to be very busy in the next two and a half months before the primary August 17. We're going to need a lot of help.
I'm going to help with messaging, planning and organizing. I'm currently working up some drafts for what we call "slim jims," brochures that you hand out or leave behind when doorbelling. Since I've done lots of newsletters for members in my day job, I have experience in this kind of thing. Campaigns are a lot different. Less words. And at work, we have a graphics department that does the layout. I've done layout before though, so it's not like I'm not familiar with the basic concepts.
Anyway, lots to do, so more later!