Voted Best Web-Based Political Campaign Software 2 Years Running

Tilting the Playing Field: Voter ID & Turnout

Jim Ross

It is one of the great political clichés, the day before an election an analyst says about a race, “it all depends on turn-out.”  That statement is true, but voter turnout is much like Mark Twain said about the weather, everyone complains about turnout but no one does anything about it.  For Gavin Newsom’s mayoral campaign we did something about turnout. 

In December of 2003 while managing Gavin Newsom’s mayoral race we identified the need to effect turn-out in his favor in order to win the election.  San Francisco’s mayoral elections are traditionally close and ver

Howard Dean's Screaming TV Blunder

Gail Hogan

In many Presidential campaigns, there is one major blunder that is hammered home by the media, and that incident often ends that person’s presidential bid.  Some classics: Governor Dukakis wearing a helmet and riding the tank;  Senator Muskie crying at a news conference after a newspaper printed derogatory statements about his wife, and the classic, Senator Gary Hart and his playboy antics on that aptly named boat, “The Monkey Business.”   This year it was the Howard Dean Iowa pep rally, now dubbed the “I Have a Scream” speech. 

Whether you believe Howard Dean

Winning Young Voters: Part II

Rock The Vote

TO WIN ELECTIONS TODAY

Web-based Software in the Political World

Benjamin A. Katz

Since the early days of professional campaign management, political operatives have been interested in data management -- tracking voters, donors and opinion leaders have been key to a successful campaign.  Early data management technology generally consisted of an alphabetized set of index cards.  Over the past 10 years, the tools available to campaigns have dramatically improved in utility, easy of use and accessibility.  Most recently, the rise of web-based software has revolutionized the campaign world, creating a fundamental shift in the way entire campaigns are run. No lon

The Evolving Business of Political Consulting

Raymond D. Strother

There have been political consultants since the advent of democracies but the modern era evolved in a rush after Richard Nixon lost a debate to John Kennedy because of his perceived bad appearance on television.  Television sets had become a looming presence in the corner and people began to get their political information from a collection of scan lines.  

Insecure candidates realized that a firm handshake and a microphone on the courthouse steps were not substitutes for a carefully crafted television commercial. Campaigns were about to be brought into li

Distributed Campaigning

Benjamin A. Katz

Politics & the Internet in 2004 

In the 2004 election cycle, websites, email and online fundraising assumed a growing prominence. In each of these areas, new high marks were established in both volume and audience-reach.

However, 2004 also saw the emergence of a powerful new set of web-based tools that I have come to call Distributed Campaigning. While these second-generation Internet tools could eventually prove even more valuable than on-line fundraising, they also have the potential to inflict serious damage to a campaign.

What is Dis