Are you running or considering a run against a GOP incumbent? Perhaps you're new and/or wondering what this Netroots stuff is all about? Well, I can’t begin to tell you how to run your campaign. Nor is this short diary a substitute for professional guidance in any area. And first up, Brian Keeler (NYBri), Vice President of Politics and Advocacy at V-shift and a real Netroots political expert, adds this warning:
Netroots outreach is a relatively new area of campaign strategy which has attracted considerable attention. But be wary of people who come to you with all sorts of promises about instant cash and support from the progressive on line movement. Look instead for a reputable veteran with references who has a track record of Netroots success. If you have any questions or concerns about such offers, don’t hesitate to ask us about them.
That’s good advice: From time to time I see emails said to originate from major political operations asking if ’anyone knows this guy claiming to be well connected with the Netroots and offering to work for us.’ More often than not, no one has ever heard of them. With that said, a few general pointers await you below the fold.
Pointer Number 1: Do you have a webpage? Does it load easily and quickly? Is there a short bio on it? Do you change the content up, keep it interesting? Do you post selected reader email? Readers love to be able to interact with your and/or see that you’re reading their email. Do you have an associated blog for your homepage?
Pointer Number 2: Super important – Is your contact information or link to same prominently visible on that page?? Assuming you want potential donors, campaign volunteers, and media outlets to be able to contact you easily and quickly? Now sure, not all sites want to be easily contacted, but I’m talking here about orgs that one would assume are dying to be contacted.
Check out Congressman Paul Hodes' page to see a superb example of how it's done. This page is so well put together it should be used as a template for everyone. Simple, descriptive tabs running across the top and down the left side, with a single excerpt on a critical issue featured in the middle. Notice the contact button is right there up top, loads quickly, and has all the contact info anyone could possibly want. Click on the email address and it actually loads a blank, pre-addressed email window for you!
Bloggers work fast. When I’m looking to get a candidate or newspaper columnist or whomever to comment, clarify, or confirm something, if I don’t see that contact info lickety-split, BAM! I’m off to someone else’s page. Contact information should include an email address that is read as often as practical, a telephone number that a live human being answers, or an answering machine that a live human being regularly checks, and a snail mail address. If you have a campaign manager or chief of staff, that individual’s name should be included.
And those pages which have a nifty integrated system you probably paid a web developer big bucks to create? The set-up where I have to fill in your fields on your page, submit, and trust your system to deliver it and you to read it? It's one thing if you're in office and getting a bunch of mail everyday. But, if you’re a new candidate, relatively unknown, and you're not getting creamed with email, it might work fine to save your money and just list a simple e-mail address.
Pointer Number 3: We want to know your positions on lots of issues. A drill down with bullet points, or a common sense keyword or brief, relevant excerpts taking us to extended text or press releases on specific issues is the kind of thing that causes us to like you and go back.
Pointer Number 4: Obviously some material proclaiming your success stories or featuring well written rhetoric, with your name all over it several times is SOP. But if the entire page is filled with that kind of stuff, screaming your name and gushing all over you, it can look a little too busy as well as coming off like a cheesy advertising site.
Reaching Out Proactively To The Netroots
You can write posts to support your blog and webpage right here on Daily Kos for free and lots of other blogs which feature Scoop (Or Drupal, Soapbox, etc). Register a screen name here, it takes 24 hours after logging in and out to be able to comment on the posts of others, and it takes one week before you can post diaries. Choose a smart screen name: "Texan John Smith For Congress District X," or "Jane Doe for US Senate." When you write and post a diary, it will appear in the recent diary list. If enough people read and like it, they’ll recommend it and it could get onto the recommended diary list. A diary on Daily Kos’ reco list can get thousands and thousands of hits.
- If you solicit donations, especially from the start without taking time to interact with the community, you’ll be disappointed. Take time to get to know us. Form relationships. Show real interest in members and their issues who build up a track record of loyalty by posting comments in your diaries. Members don’t like feeling like you see them as a piggy bank and nothing more. A potentially better use of any exposure you eventually get here might be to ask for volunteers to help you with your campaign. But by far the best resource here is the community support, and the ability to pick the brains of thousands of activists, former and current campaign managers, poll and voting station workers.
- Don’t expect your first diary (Or your tenth diary) to get on that reco list. Maybe it will -- we’re always interested in new political blood and it’s one of the core purposes of this site to help progressive candidates. But there’s a ton of competition for those prized positions. We have truly gifted writers here, some famous, some with long histories and name recognition. Be patient, write cogent, descriptive, relevant articles and sooner or later you will probably get some notice.
- There are dozens of high traffic, fantastically written progressive blogs and talented passionate writers outside of Daily Kos. For starters there’s FireDogLake, featuring Jane Hamsher and Christy Hardin-Smith: Jane and Christy are two of the most amazing and tireless people I’ve ever met.
Crooks and Liars with John Amato – John was the first video blogger at a time when YouTube didn’t even exist. America Blog with John Avarosis who easily ranks among the most charismatic and charming individuals in the blogosphere.
And there’s the progenitor of Dkos itself called MyDD, which stands for My Direct Democracy, manned in part by netroots veteran Jerome Armstrong. Eschaton with the esteemed Dr Duncan Black ...And I’m barely scratching the surface. Note: I don’t speak for these committed bloggers, but I think it’s fair to say if you can get their attention, some of them may be willing to at least hear your reasons for why they might consider providing you some exposure.
- Don't forget what is undoubtably the most under-rated, overlooked netroots asset: Local bloggers. Search for political bloggers -- or inquire in comments here or on open thread -- that blog in your District or state. They might be enlisted to bring your campaign to a more productive, targeted audience. One with readers who can physically volunteer and most importantly, vote for you. And if you can't find such a blog, bully for you! Because you can start a badly needed local resource which might establish you and your campaign as a local netroots leader. Once you get it up and running, and demonstrate you're going to be around for the long haul, established bloggers may be more likely to recognize your effort and maybe even throw some traffic your way.
- Early in the 2006 election cycle, before Daily Kos and the netroots came to enjoy the level of national name recognition it now does, I routinely called up nearby campaigns to see if I could meet with the candidates or campaign staff to learn more about them. Would you believe not a single one had a clue what I was talking about? Educate your staff about bloggers in case one contacts your campaign.
- Keep an eye on your diary and respond to a few comments as you see fit. No one expects you to answer them all, you’re under no obligation to respond to anyone you don’t want to. Avoid getting dragged in by impolite or annoying comments. Remember that just like video or tape, anything you write here is permanent, available to your opponent with the click of a mouse. And we have an internal system for dealing with ugly or hostile comments that eliminates them.
- Learn basic html tags (Great intro here). That means how to dress up your posts with bullet points, hyperlinks, italics and bold text, or pictures or graphs, and blockquotes like this:
excerpt from newspaper article or press release.
Or recording, downloading, and then posting YouTube video. This can be extremely effective in assisting your campaign if you get lucky and record the right moment
Remember: This community and the netroots in general can get a bit rowdy, we like to argue and debate about dang near anything. But its chock full of some of the most informed, passionate, activist progressives in America. They can spot a phony, but they eagerly welcome new candidates. They’re open to your ideas, and willing to discuss your traditional progressive, moderate democrat, centrist, independent, or even conservative leaning views in some cases.
The 2008 election is a ways off, this is a great time to start. This cycle is shaping up to be a promising year for progressive/democratic upsets against conservative incumbents. If you have the desire to run for county, state, or even national office, I heartily recommended your explore it, take advantage of this amazing forum here and the Internet in general. Ask us for help, pick our brains. We here to help as best we can and time allowing. And never forget that there's always next election-year if you don't prevail this time. And win or lose, you pin down resources that your opponent will have to put forth to oppose you, thus depriving other conservatives of resources which just might make a critical difference in another race.
Please check comments below for other politicians, veteran political junkies, managers, or fellow candidates who might be able to share some great ideas with you and perhaps learn from some of yours. Best of luck in 2008 and beyond!