It’s another Saturday, so for those who tune in, welcome to a diary discussing the Nuts & Bolts of a Democratic Campaign. If you’ve missed out, you can catch up anytime: Just visit our group or follow Nuts & Bolts Guide. Every week I try to tackle issues I’ve been asked about, and with the help of other campaign workers and notes, we tackle subjects about how to improve and build better campaigns.
A few months ago, I published an article about how to prepare for public forums and get yourself ready to get onstage and make your case. Still, knowing how to appear doesn’t mean you always should appear in a public forum. That’s right: Some public forums simply aren’t worth your time, which might be better spent knocking doors or visiting your own voters. Here’s how to know the difference.
Public forums are always a public good, right? Right?
No. While many public forums, especially those hosted by media organizations such as your local paper or the League of Women Voters are informative to the public, attendance at these events can be paltry at best. Want to drain energy out of your efforts? Show up at a forum hosted by a local organization where there is not a single person in the audience except candidates waiting for their turn to speak. Woo-hoo! You’ve managed to waste an entire morning or evening talking to your opponent instead of, you know, going and getting votes.
When public forums come up, you have to evaluate how and when the forum will be held and who is hosting it. Forums held by news media can be worth it—even if there is very low attendance—because your responses will be printed and become part of a story. That can add value to a debate or forum.
In the 2019 cycle, though, I’ve seen dozens of forums and debates scheduled, Republican and Democratic, where almost no one attends, there is no livestream, and you can spend hours talking to a wall. There is simply no value in those. Fewer and fewer citizens attend forums and debates for small races, such as for school board or city council, but you have the opportunity to engage them directly at their doors. Which do you think helps your vote total more?
Excuses aren't necessary
When candidates get piled up with forums and debate offerings, they know that there will be several they can’t attend. Way too much time is spent coming up with detailed responses about why you can’t attend a Saturday morning, 7 AM forum that will have no one present. The simplest answer is enough: “Unfortunately, I’m not available.” Period. End of story. There is no need for grand explanations or excuses. No one cares.
If you refuse to attend any and every forum, even news, media, and League of Women Voter forums, people will definitely notice—because that shows a lack of public transparency. If, on the other hand, you can’t make it to every single event, well, that’s okay.
Do NOT attend Republican-hosted events
Every year some Democratic candidate thinks it will be helpful for them to show up at a Republican debate or forum somewhere. Forums held by pro-gun or anti-choice organizations pop up all over the country, every cycle. You even sometimes get their surveys in the mail, asking about whether you support the creation of human-animal hybrids and other nonsense.
I have heard the justifications: It’s a chance to speak to their audience, or to show you speak for all the people, or whatever you wish to tell yourself. It is, in fact, a cosmic waste of time that could be better spent trimming your toenails with lawn shears.
Easy advice: DO NOT ATTEND Republican or conservative forums,: They are a setup against you, you will not win over a single vote, and you will waste hours of your time.
You don’t sign up to do root canals on healthy teeth. Don’t sign up to do a multi-hour event with people who despise you. You have better things to do.
Next week: These small expenses should be on every candidate’s list