Monday, April 10, 2006
Budgeting: Building a Business to Go Out of Business
by Marty Stone, Stones' Phones
The budget is the least glamorous, yet most important part of any campaign. We hear constantly about who's raised how much but we rarely hear about fundraising's mirror image -- who's spent how much on what?
How many times have we seen candidates with fat war chests lose unexpectedly? Sure, the candidate with the most money wins most of the time, but not every time.
Most of the time when an under funded candidate pulls off an upset, it is not only because that underdog had a better message but also because that candidate spent his or her money more wisely. As my campaign manager wife says, "It's not what you raise, it's what you spend."
posted at 2:06 PM
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Putting the Party Back into Politics: Results of A Pilot Experiment Designed to Increase Voter Turnout through Music, Food, and Entertainment
By: Elizabeth Addonizio and Donald Green of Yale University, James Glaser of Tufts University
A century and a half ago, casting a vote was a celebratory experience, as voters at the polls engaged their friends, imbibed free booze, listened to lively entertainment, and generally had a good time. Americans have lost touch with the raucous and engaging elections of the past.
Our polling places have been drained of their celebratory elements, and the 90%-plus rates of voter turnout that accompanied them have disappeared from our collective consciousness.
It is from this starting point that we began to ask about the feasibility of creating a more celebratory and community-focused atmosphere at the polls. Can the festive, social environment surrounding old-fashioned elections be recreated in ways that increase voter turnout? What would it mean to change the polling environment? Would it increase voter turnout? Might it change the orientation of people toward their community?
posted at 4:40 PM