Fundraising 101 with Guest Speaker Deborah Tannenbaum

One of the things I love about teaching Practical Politics is that -- since this is a course about how to run campaigns -- I bring in experts (who are sometimes also old friends) as guest speakers.

This week, students had an amazing opportunity to learn about fundraising from Deborah Tannenbaum.  Fundraising 101.  

Ms. Tannenbaum covered all the basics about how to develop a fundraising plan, talked about strategies related to different fundraising tools (Personal Solicitation, Events, Direct Mail, Telemarketing, Internet), and discussed How to Identify Prospects, as well as strategies for high/medium/low prospects.

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise!

Next week -- we will put those lessons in to practice when we cover Call Time and have a role play exercise.

 

 

Jaymi Butler's article, interview with Dr. Judithanne McLauchlan, in St. Pete Catalyst about Political Mail

 https://stpetecatalyst.com/political-mail-may-be-annoying-but-it-works/

Just as we were covering Field and Voter Contact in our seminars, Dr. McLauchlan was interviewed by Jaymi Butler of the St. Pete Catalyst about political direct mail  

Political mail may be annoying, but it works

Published October 7, 2020

By Jaymi Butler

Campaign materials are filling our mailboxes as the Nov. 3 general election approaches.

Just like pumpkins, skeletons and candy corn, political ads are just about everywhere these days. They’re coming at us through our TVs. On signs in our neighbors’ yards. And, of course, in our mailboxes. 

According to a study by the United States Postal Service, more than three billion pieces of political mail were delivered to voters during the 2018 midterm election cycle, with spending for political mail campaigns hitting a record high of $573 million. With 2020 being a presidential election year – and a global pandemic preventing candidates from doing much in-person campaigning – experts predict those numbers will climb even higher.

But in our increasingly online world where we’re glued to our phones and our social media feeds, why do politicians continue to spend so much money on snail mail that, for many of us, goes directly from the mailbox to the recycling bin?

Short answer – because it works. 

Judithanne McLauchlan

Judithanne McLauchlan, a political science professor at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus, said direct mail can be highly impactful in influencing a voter’s decision. 

“It’s considered high impact because unlike TV ads, with direct mail, you can be very focused and you can target and microtarget,” she said. “You can talk to the exact voters who you know need to hear your message and that can be really effective.”

The numbers back her up. Nearly half of voters surveyed by the USPS said that political mail had an impact on their voting decision and 53 percent rated political mail as one of the top three most persuasive political advertising techniques. 

Vendors who send out direct mail are becoming as savvy as corporate marketers, McLauchlan said, and they use data from a variety of sources to drill down and identify the type of content most likely to appeal to a specific voter. That’s why people in the same household might get different pieces of mail from the same candidate on the same day.

“If you’re non-party affiliated and seen as a swing voter, both sides will target you,” she said, adding that people who have sporadic voting records may get more mail than those who vote regularly. “If you’re a strong Democratic or Republican household, you’d get different types of mail.”

There are no hard-and-fast rules for how often candidates should send political mail, but McLauchlan said it should be often enough for them to break through the clutter and noise of campaign season. Even if people simply glance at a political flier as they toss it, it can go a long way toward establishing name recognition for a candidate, especially for those running in down-ballot races like tax collector. And in some cases, fliers can encourage voters to volunteer or donate money. 

Timing is also key to effective mail campaigning, McLauchlan said. With ballots being sent out earlier and more people voting by mail than ever before, nearly a million Floridians have already cast their votes. Candidates don’t have the luxury of waiting until Election Day gets closer to do a big final push.

“Traditionally, voters might have held onto their ballots and voted later, but that’s not what we’re seeing now,” she said.

As for people who’d like to opt out of receiving campaign mailers altogether, McLauchlan said they’re out of luck.

“This is an important First Amendment issue,” she said. “The candidates aren’t trying to sell you something, and while it may be annoying, we should care about who represents us.”

Voters might have better luck stopping messages coming in via text because they can block phone numbers, although with so many allied groups on both sides, there’s no real way to stop the solicitations entirely, McLauchlan said. She predicts technology will play a growing role in how candidates campaign in the future, especially if the pandemic continues.

“Candidates have to be creative in trying to reach voters where they are,” she said.

Matthew Cimitile article "Learning the art and science of politics on the campaign trail" about the Practical Politics course

Check out this article by Matthew Cimitile on the USFSP website:

http://spcampus.usf.edu/home/2020/10/13/learning-the-art-and-science-of-politics-on-the-campaign-trail/

 

Learning the art and science of politics on the campaign trail

Student Johnette Williams is campaigning for Caprice Edmond, who is running for Pinellas County School Board District 7.

(Oct. 13, 2020) – To learn about the art of politics, there is no better teacher than the campaign trail.

This year, every student in Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan’s practical politics course is working on a campaign, 19 in all, where they are interning for races ranging from the U.S. presidency to local school boards.

“That is a record for me, to have that many campaigns represented in one class,” said McLauchlan, an associate professor of political science at USF’s St. Petersburg campus. “And I’m excited about how eager the students are to learn and get involved, as this class is about the real-world experience of a political campaign and how to win an election.”

The practical politics course teaches aspiring campaign managers, political consultants and even future politicians about campaign strategy, grassroots organization, financing, messaging and polling. After learning about the candidates during the Campaign Internship and Volunteer Fair that McLauchlan organizes, students pick the candidates they want to intern for, shadow the activities of campaign managers and staff and organize to help get out the vote through phone and text banking, literature drops, surveys and more.

“If you are going to work for a campaign, you need to believe in the candidate and their policies and be excited about that campaign for it to be a worthwhile experience,” said McLauchlan.

Throughout the semester, students keep a journal to document and reflect on their experience and lessons learned. In class, students learn from each other, gaining insight on how each campaign is addressing issues such as voter turnout and campaign ads.

Overall, the goal is to learn how campaigns function, especially behind the scenes. A secondary benefit is students come away with a better understanding of the work of local and state government.

“It’s been very fast paced, a lot has to happen quickly and things change constantly,” said Johnette Williams, a political science major campaigning for Caprice Edmond, who is running for Pinellas County School Board District 7. “A really great aspect of the class is to hear different perspectives from students about their campaigns at all levels and what each is going through and trying to do to reach out to voters during the pandemic.”

Tim Abakhin is dipping his toe into politics by working on State Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) campaign.

All campaigns are hectic, but 2020 has been unlike any other year because of the coronavirus pandemic. It has resulted in campaigns having to change essential functions of their operations, shifting large campaign rallies with supporters and in-person interactions with voters to virtual gatherings. Engagement is largely done by phone, video conferencing and text messaging.

“I wanted to be a part of this campaign because I wanted to see how a presidential campaign would be able to cope with the pandemic and it being so different engaging with voters,” said Lauren Lewchuk, who is working on Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign, the Democratic Party nominee for President. “I have been making a lot of phone calls and texting so far. Believe it or not, a lot of people reply back and seem genuinely interested in wanting to learn more.”

While some students are political science majors who dream of being president or working on national campaigns one day, others in the class just wanted to know what it is like running for office. For Tim Abakhin, a recent transfer student, the course and internship experience offered a chance to dip his toe into politics.

“I never thought much about politics, but I have been wanting to do something that is impactful and I believe having a better concept of politics was needed,” said Abakhin, who is working on State Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) campaign. “I have spent a lot of time shadowing the candidate, meeting and talking with people and spreading the ideas of this campaign.”

The campaign trail is teaching students about the major political issues of the day and how to communicate those issues to different audiences and in a variety of ways, from in-person, but at a distance, to virtual. The students say their experiences have given them confidence engaging with voters, a better knowledge of the inner workings of a campaign and how political science is applied during an election.

“I was pretty terrified about phone banking. I have never done it before, but it’s been really rewarding to hear people say they like what they hear or thank us for what we are doing,” said Williams.

Lauren Lewchuk, who is working on Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign, is helping to organize volunteers and mobilize voters.

“They upgraded me to be a volunteer training captain, so I’m training volunteers every day now while learning about the hierarchy that comes with a national campaign. It is such a big operation,” explained Lewchuk.

“This experience has opened up doors and options for me, and it’s great to learn concepts in class and then see how they are applied in the real world through a campaign and a professional politician,” added Abahkin.

McLauchlan first taught the practical politics course in the summer of 2009, where students worked on local municipal races in St. Petersburg. Over the years, the class has grown while campaigns and candidates change, but the behind-the-scenes lessons about campaign management remain similar.

This year added a new twist. McLauchlan said she couldn’t be prouder of the students’ resiliency, campaigning and trying to win an election during a pandemic.

“2020 has been unprecedented in so many ways, including offering an extraordinary learning experience in terms of strengthening one’s resiliency and how to overcome challenges,” she said. “I have been really uplifted by so many students interested in taking this course and working in these races, knowing they can influence the political system and accomplish goals by electing leaders to positions that impact society.”

 

Student post: Jalessa with Captice Edmund for Pinellas County School Board

 From Jalessa:  Lit dropping for Caprice Edmund for Pinellas County School Board

 

 

 

Student Post: Tim with Senator Joe Gruters (SD23) -- Bus Tour with Pam Bondi and event with Luna for Congress

From Tim:

 2 great events over the weekend back to back that I was able to be a part of with RPOF Chairman Joe Gruters, Vice Chairman Christian Ziegler and National Committeewoman Kathy King. First event thanking Pam Bondi bringing the bus tour to Sarasota county supporting Donald Trump. 

 The second event supporting Anna Paulina Luna running for Congress in Pinellas County!

 

 

 

Student post: Elijah with Laura Hine for School Board

Intern Elijah with the Laura Hine for Pinellas County School Board campaign -- a drive through event for supporters to pick up campaign signs and some Italian ice.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Post: Tim with Re-Elect Senator Joe Gruters SD23

 Pictures from Tim, interning on Senator Joe Gruters (SD23) re-election campaign. Events with the DeSoto County Republicans in Arcadia.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Post: Zach with Re-Elect Jennifer Webb, Florida House of Representatives HD69

 My name is Zach and I am majoring in Political Science and minoring in Public Administration at the University of South Florida.

I am currently interning on the campaign to Re-Elect Jennifer Webb, the State Representative in the Florida House of Representatives for the 69th District. I chose to work on Representative Webb’s re-election campaign because it is a highly contested seat in a district with a nearly equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Moreover, I was impressed by Rep. Webb’s accomplishments during her first terms in office and her determination to get things done bit by bit, despite being a member of the minority party in the legislature.  

So far, I have done literature drops in Kenneth City (as pictured), phone banked (as pictured), and attended meetings with the campaign staff and fellow interns/volunteers. I am excited to be able to contribute to the democratic process in an election year that is as important as this one.