Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Lessons Learned Open Thread (with fun video links!)

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A friend submitted this:

One of the hidden secrets of American politics that is rarely reported on is that campaigns really, really matter.  As best as I can tell, Coakley’s strategists (GMMB was her media consulting firm; her polling was done by Celinda Lake) let her down, which is why she lost.

This is one of her ads. She comes off poorly and the words are poll-driven drek.  I can’t figure out why they would possibly have her talking directly to camera.

Contrast that with one of Brown’s final ads, in which he’s really connecting with people and looking like someone you’d want to support.

There’s a lot of finger-pointing happening, but one notable salvo in The Atlantic comes from a senior Democratic party official who labeled this “the worst case of political malpractice in memory.”  Ouch.

Now, it’s always fun to blame the economy, President Obama, or Governor Patrick, and there is some merit to each.  And it would be easier for us Bay Staters to be angry at people we’ve actually met.  But maybe the incompetence starts at the level of the consultants who spent the vast majority of the Coakley campaign’s money, designed the message, and failed to notice the ground shifting until it was too late?

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Comments

  1. That we need to understand just what “change” meant to all those people who voted for Obama and then for Brown.

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    p>That we need to figure out how to deal with hate radio.  Step 1 has got to be getting control over the airwaves away from the FCC, or fixing the FCC so it doesn’t give away control to the likes of Clear Channel and Fox.

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    p>That we need to understand the rise of fundamentalist religion in MA.

  2. Locally (and for any campaign):

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    • Always run as if you were behind or could soon be behind. No matter what the race looks like. You may need to turn on a dime, so have everything in place (ID’d voters, a volunteer corps) to do that.
    • At a minimum, introduce yourself as a person to the electorate. Ideally, make a good case for why people should like you. Meet as many people as you can by getting out there and pressing the flesh. It’s not sufficient to be right on the issues or to be competent. At best, people will hold their nose and vote for you if they don’t have that personal connection. At worst, they are persuaded by the opposition candidate that has done this work.

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    p>Nationally:

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    • When you win an election and have political capital, spend it and spend it quick. When Obama and the Democratic leadership announced that they’d be very bipartisan and inclusive, I wouldn’t doubt that the conservatives were feeling like the carnival huckster who sees a sucker coming. The knew they had would have the ability to delay, derail, and re-frame any of the Democratic initiatives, which is exactly what happened with health care. Remember who worked hardest to elect you and make sure you are forwarding their agenda as quickly as feasible.

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