ADVERTIZING FOR FREEDOM isn't free

[KBCraig]

Good on ya, Cav. Excellent individual effort to spread the word.

Our oldest son got held up in the reception batallion for a couple of weeks because they didn't have class space, but he's now officially in Week One of 19D OSUT. Another cav scout in the making. 

Kevin

[maxxoccupancy]

Advertizing can be cheap, though.

Spectrum Monthly (603-627-0042) puts out a magazine that allows you to reach people with a full page insert for about 6 cents per household.  They let me do a two color insert for $75 more, but that covers two mailings.  I am reaching every household in Ward 5 with a nice, two-color insert for less than $700.  That (along with my signs, doorbelling, and lit drops) should boost my name recognition to the point where I can run next year.  Anyone considering running for state rep in 2006 might want to consider an insert this November (Spectrum has one coming out Novemeber 3), or lit dropping your ward now before the end of November, even if you're not running for an office right now.

--Max

[maxxoccupancy]

BTW, that price was $665 for two inserts (one for October 5th, another five days before the election).  The next opportunity for this will be summer of next year, when people are paying attention to politics again.  Figure on spending about $2 per voter in your campaign.

If you really want to run for State Representative, look at the results of the last few elections http://www.sos.nh.gov/ for your ward.  The only three things you can do now are boost name recognition, doorbell, and get involved with groups that operate in your area (little league, churches and charities, neighborhood watch programs, gathering signatures for petitions, etc.).  The people who know you personally will never put party loyalty ahead of friendship.  The guy who helps out all of the time is remembered by everyone, and no hit piece or bad news story will ever shake that.

Looking at the Manchester primaries, O'Neil and Lopez both won big because their constituencies (city employees, superintendents, unions) turned out, and because they have incredible name recognition.  Lopez has the best signs you've ever seen.  They are liberal tax and spenders running in a city that hates taxes, but they get elected anyway because of name recognition.

If you have decided to be a candidate, start building your name recognition now.  Get to know people throughout your ward.  If you are working behind the scenes, get your candidate friends to do these things.  Putting your name on the ballot wins you about 15% of the vote.  Telling everyone you know that you are running for office gives you another 5-10%.  Doorbelling wins about one vote for every person who comes to the door (more if you send out follow-up postcards).  It also helps to give people literature that they will actually keep around, like refrigerator magnets and notepads.  Those tend to last a year or more.

If you will be running as a Republican (RLC) get in touch with your local party right away, even before this year's election.  You can learn a lot just by volunteering.  If you want to run for nonpartisan office, or as a Libertarian, Independent, etc... help out with the campaign of someone you know.  It will really help you with your own campaign.

We need to build up our campaign machine as a permanent offense.  We have to quickly build up the pool of donors, activists, candidates, campaign managers, and volunteers who will make all of this happen in the future.  Understanding how we do that can only come from experience.

I have worked on a dozen campaigns, and I can tell you that it's not rocket science -- it's grunt work... lots and lots of grunt work.

--Albert "Max" Abramson
candidate for Selectman
Manchester Ward 5